Jose Rizal Life, Works

and Writings
Summary
CHAPTER 11 AND 12
 IN HONGKONG AND MACAO, 1888
 February 3, 1888 ◦ Rizal was forced to leave
his country for a second time (Manila to Hong
Kong on board the Zafiro)

 February 7, 1888 ◦ When the ship is

crossing the China sea, he did not get off his
ship when it made a stopover because of three
Insert picture main reasons:
 He was not feeling well
 It was raining hard
 He heard that the city was dirty

 February 8, 1888 ◦ Rizal arrived in Hong

Kong

CHAPTER 11
 IN HONGKONG AND MACAO, 1888
 February 16, 1888
 Rizal wrote a letter to Blumentritt, expressing his bitterness. He
points out that without the help of the Governor General, the
Lieutenant and the other directors; he wouldn’t know what would
become of him.

 Jose Rizal stayed at the Victoria hotel, where he was welcomed by

the Filipino residents Jose Maria Basa, Balbino Mauricio, and
Manuel Yriarte (son of Francisco Yriarte, alcalde mayor of
Laguna).

 It is believed that the Spanish authorities hired a psy Jose Sainz

de Varanda (a former secretary of Governor General Terrero) to
shadow Rizal’s every move.

CHAPTER 11
IN HONGKONG AND MACAO, 1888
 February 16, 1888 ◦ Rizal wrote another letter to Blumentritt,
just to tell him the things he observed while staying in Hong Kong,
like the ambiance and the people that inhabits this place.

 February 18, 1888 ◦ Rizal accompanied by Basa visited Macao;

they boarded the ferry steamer Kiu-Kiang.

 Rizal wrote in his diary that Macao is small, low and gloomy and
also it looks sad and is almost dead.

CHAPTER 11
 IN HONGKONG AND MACAO, 1888

 Rizal and Basa stayed at the home of Don Juan Francisco

Lecaros.

 During his two-day sojourn in Macao, Rizal visited the

theatre, casino, cathedral and churches, pagodas,
botanical gardens, and bazaars, he also saw the famous
Grotto of Camoens, Portugal’s national poet.
Insert picture

CHAPTER 11
 IN HONGKONG AND MACAO, 1888
 February 19, 1888
 Rizal, witnessed a Catholic procession, in which the devotees
were dressed in blue and purple dresses and were carrying unlighted
candles.

 February 20, 1888

 Rizal and Basa returned to Hong Kong on board the Kiu Kiang.

 During his two-week visit in Hong Kong, Rizal studied Chinese life,
language, drama and customs. He wrote in his diary the following
experiences:
a) Noisy Celebration of the Chinese New Year which lasted from
February 11th (Saturday) to 13th (Monday). The richer the Chinese, the
more firecrackers he exploded.

CHAPTER 11
 IN HONGKONG AND MACAO, 1888
b) Boisterous Chinese Theatre, Rizal observed the following:
 A man astride a stick means a man riding on horseback
 An actor raising his leg means he is entering a house
 A red dress indicates a wedding
 A girl about to be married coyly covers her face with a fan
 A man raising a whip signifies he is about to ride a horse

c) The Marathon Lauriat Party, wherein the guests were served numerous
dishes.
d) The Dominican Order was the richest religious order in Hong Kong.

CHAPTER 11
 IN HONGKONG AND MACAO, 1888
e) HongKong cemeteries belonging to the Protestants (well-groomed
plants and clean pathways), Catholics (pompous, with its ornate and
expensive mausoleums), Muslims (simplest, containing a little mosque
and tombstones)

 February 22, 1888 ◦ Rizal left Hong Kong on board the Oceanic. His
destination was Japan.

CHAPTER 11
 ROMANTIC INTERLUDE IN JAPAN, 1888

 February 28 – April 13, 1888 ◦ One of the

happiest interludes in the life of Rizal was
his sojourn in the Land of the Cherry
Blossoms.

 Seiko Usui (O-Sei-San)

 A Japanese girl whose loveliness Insert picture
infused joy and romance in Rizal’s sorrowing
heart.
 A lonely samurai’s daughter of 23
years old and had never yet experienced the
ecstasy of true love.

CHAPTER 12
 ROMANTIC INTERLUDE IN JAPAN, 1888
RIZAL ARRIVES AT YOKOHAMA:
 February 28, 1888 ◦ Tuesday morning, Rizal arrived in
Yokohama and he registered at the Grand Hotel.

 Tokyo Hotel – where Rizal stayed from March 2 to 7. He

was impressed by the city of Tokyo. He wrote to Professor
Blumentritt: “Tokyo is more expensive than Paris. The walls
are built in cyclopean manner. The streets are large and
wide.”
Insert picture RIZAL IN TOKYO:
 Juan Perez Caballero
 Secretary of the Spanish Legation
 He visited Rizal in his hotel after his arrival in
Yokohama

 Rizal accepted the invitation of Juan Perez Caballero for two

reasons:
1. He could economize his living expenses by staying at the
legation
2. 2. He had nothing to hide from the prying eyes of the Spanish
authorities
 ROMANTIC INTERLUDE IN JAPAN, 1888
RIZAL IN
TOKYO:
 March 7, 1888 ◦ Rizal checked out of Tokyo Hotel and lived at the Spanish Legation.

 In a letter to Blumentritt, he described the Spanish diplomat as “a young, fine, and

excellent writer” and “an able diplomat who had traveled much”.

 Rizal decided to study Japanese language. Being a born linguist, he was able to speak it
within few days. He also studied the Japanese Drama (kabuki), arts, music, judo
(Japanese art of self – defense) to avoid further embarrassment.

 He browsed in the museums, libraries, art galleries, and shrines.

 He visited Meguro, Nikko, Hakone, Miyanoshita, and the charming villages of
Japan.

CHAPTER 12
 ROMANTIC INTERLUDE IN JAPAN, 1888
RIZAL AND THE TOKYO
MUSICIANS:
 One cool afternoon in March 1888, Rizal was promenading in a street of Tokyo near a
park. It was a beautiful spring afternoon. There were many people at the park.

RIZAL’S IMPRESSION OF JAPAN:

 The things which favourably impressed Rizal in Japan were:
1. The beauty of the country – its flowers, mountains, streams, and scenic panoramas.
2. The cleanliness, politeness, and industry of the Japanese people.
3. The picturesque dress and simple charm of the Japanese women.
4. There were very few thieves in Japan so that the houses remained open day and night, and
in the hotel room one could safely leave money on the table.
5. Beggars were rarely seen in the city streets, unlike in Manila and other cities.
CHAPTER 12
 ROMANTIC INTERLUDE IN JAPAN, 1888
ROMANCE WITH O-SEI-
SAN:
 A few days after Rizal moved to the Spanish Legation
in the Azabu District of Tokyo, Rizal saw a pretty
Japanese girl walking past the legation gate. Because
Rizal was a man with an eye for feminine beauty, he
was attracted by her regal loveliness and charm.

 Because Rizal want to meet her, he made inquires Insert picture

among the legation employees and learned from one
of a Japanese Gardener that she was Seiko Usui.
 ROMANTIC INTERLUDE IN JAPAN, 1888
ROMANCE WITH O-SEI-
SAN:
 Since that first meeting, Rizal and O-Sei-San visited the
interesting spots of the city:
 Imperial Art Gallery
 Imperial Library
 Universities
Insert picture
 Shokobutsu-en ( Botanical Garden)
 The City parks ( particularly Hibiya Park)
 Picturesque shrines
 ROMANTIC INTERLUDE IN JAPAN, 1888
SAYONARA, JAPAN:
 April 13, 1888
◦ Rizal boarded the Belgic, and English steamer, at Yokohama, bound for
the United States.
◦ He left Japan with heavy heart, for he knew that he would never again
see this beautiful “Land of the Cherry Blossoms” and his beloved O- Sei- San.
O-SEI-SAN AFTER RIZAL’S DEPARTURE:
 1897
◦ After Rizal’s execution, O- Sei – San married Mr. Alfred Charlton, British teacher of
chemistry of the Peers’ School in Tokyo.

 Yuriko
◦ Mr and Mrs. Charlton’s only daughter and she were married to Yoshihimura
Takiguchi, son of a Japanese Senator.

CHAPTER 12
 ROMANTIC INTERLUDE IN JAPAN, 1888
 November 2, 1915
◦ Mr. Alfredo Charlton died.

 May 1, 1947
 O-Sei-San died at the age of 80 and she was buried in her
husband’s tomb at Zoshigawa Cemetery.

VOYAGE ACROSS THE PACIFIC:

 Tetcho Suehiro
 a fighting Japanese journalist, novelist, and champion of human rights,
who was forced by the Japanese government to leave the country.
 April 13 – December 1, 1888
◦ Tetcho admired Rizal, whose patriotism and magnificent talents greatly
fascinated him and influenced him to fortify his own crusade for human right in
his own country.

CHAPTER 12
 ROMANTIC INTERLUDE IN JAPAN, 1888
 December 1, 1888
◦ The last warm handshake of Rizal and Tetcho, and bidding each other
“goodbye”.

 1889, shortly after his return to Japan, he published his travel diary which contained
his impressions of Rizal.

 1890, Tetcho was elected as member of the lower house of the First Imperial Diet
(Japanese Parliament), where he carried on his fight for human rights.

 1891, he published a political novel titled Nankai-no-Daiharan (Storm Over the South
Sea) which resembles Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere.

 1894, he published another novel entitled O-unabara (The Big Ocean) which was
similar to El Filibusterismo.

 February, 1896 (ten months before Rizal’s execution), Tetcho died of heart attack in
Tokyo at the age of 49.
CHAPTER 12