New Philadelphia native influential in Japan in late 1800s
Leroy Lansing Janes, a native of New Philadelphia who was born in 1837, is credited with bringing co-educational classes, Christianity, cabbage, lettuce and cauliflower to the country of Japan in the late 1800s. He is still remembered there today.
This article was provided by the Tuscarawas County Historical Society in celebration of its 100th anniversary in 2021. The TCHS oversees the Tusc Kent Archives at Kent State University at Tuscarawas.
Sometimes at the Tusc Kent Archives we get research requests that lead us to amazing stories. Sometimes there are people who were right here under our noses, and we did not realize their story. Sometimes people who leave Tuscarawas County go out into the world and become well-known, unbeknownst to us who remain. One such native Tuscarawas Countian is Leroy Lansing Janes.
The Janes family was prominent in Tuscarawas County. The patriarch of the family, Elisha Janes, helped build parts of the Ohio Erie Canal, served in public office as sheriff and was a significant landowner in New Philadelphia. The hill where the reservoir sits today was known as “Janes Hill.” He helped start the Presbyterian Church in town and was involved in the abolitionist movement. He was a founder and president of the Tuscarawas County Agricultural Society and helped bring the first railroad to the area.
Leroy Lansing Janes, born in 1837, was one of eight children of Elisha and Elizabeth Cryder Janes. Only four of the children lived to adulthood. In April 1856 he received an appointment to West Point and graduated 37th out of a class of 45. His classmate, George Custer, finished 45th.
Janes served briefly in the artillery at the start of the Civil War but soon became ill and was declared unfit for service. He returned to West Point as an instructor for two years. During this time Janes married Helen “Nellie” Robinson in December 1862. Following the birth of a daughter, Nellie died from illness in December 1864.
In October 1865, L.L. Janes was assigned to Fort Steven in Oregon. He left his daughter behind with friends when he went west. She died of illness when she was 4 years old.
In December 1867, Janes was discharged from the Army. He moved to San Francisco, and in January 1868, he married Harriet Scudder, the daughter of a prominent Protestant minister. They lived in San Francisco briefly and then returned to New Philadelphia, where their first child was born in December 1868. The following spring the little family moved to Elk Ridge Farm in Maryland. They had a second child in April 1871.
While they were in Maryland, L.L. Janes received an offer from halfway around the world. In Japan the Meiji Restoration was occurring. The Meiji samurai believed the Japanese nation should not turn its back on the world and Western culture but should allow foreigners to help them build the country including industry and agriculture.
Janes, after first declining the invitation, became one of the thousands of foreign experts who went to Japan during this time. He moved to Japan with his wife and family in 1871, setting sail in August from San Francisco for Kumamoto, Japan.
For his services he received transportation costs, free rent in Western-style housing, sick leave and vacations, and a $400-a-month salary, which amounts to more than $8,000 in today’s dollars.
The curriculum at the Kumamoto School of Western Studies included math, science, history and geography. Janes taught in English and did not allow an interpreter in the classroom. In 1875 he allowed girls to enroll at the school, making it the first co-educational school in Japan.
Janes caused some controversy with his faith. He was a Christian, and Christianity was against the law for Japanese citizens. He did not directly include Christianity in the school, but after the first few years of teaching, he began inviting students to his house for Bible studies.
In January 1876, a large group of his students proclaimed their Christian faith, horrifying their families and the authorities. Janes’ contract was not renewed, and the school closed. A group of the Christian students entered the Doshisha School and were known as the Kumamoto Band. They became influential Christians in Japan. It is said Janes not only introduced Christianity to his Japanese students, but also cabbage, lettuce and cauliflower.
Janes left Japan in 1877. By this time his family had five children, and he and his wife were facing some problems. His wife’s father instigated a divorce for his daughter. She was granted custody of the youngest three children, and Janes was given the older two. He moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and four of his children eventually attended the University of Michigan.
In 1893 Janes married Flora Oakley. They had two children together. That same year Janes made a return to Japan and became a professor at the Kyoto Imperial University until 1899 when he returned to the United States. He died in Los Gros, California in 1909 at age 72.
L.L. Janes continues to be a well-known figure in Japan. In 1977 the Japanese government sent Keisuke Tanaka to the United States to research and write a biography of Janes’ life. They also filmed a documentary about the life of L.L. Janes that was released in 1992. His contributions to life in Japan are well-known and appreciated there. He had a tremendous influence on the educational, religious and cultural life of Japan.
The home of L.L. Janes was a historic site in Japan. The city remembered “Teacher Janes” as a trailblazer. He was the first foreigner to live in Kumamoto, the first to allow girls in school, a pioneer of Christian faith and revolutionized agriculture, overall improving the lives of the people in the city.
The Janes residence, as it was known, was the first Western-style home built in Kumamoto. It was registered as a Cultural Asset in Japan. Then in 2016 tragedy struck Kumamoto and the Janes residence. An earthquake hit the area, with the first shocks on April 14 and the full force on April 16. This earthquake caused much damage around the entire area and completely destroyed the Janes residence, turning it into a pile of rubble.
Material and documents from the Janes residence were restored as much as possible, depending on the damage. Wooden parts of the home were salvaged for reuse. Most exhibits and documents were said to have only been soiled in the collapse and will be able to be displayed again. The reconstruction was expected to be finished in March 2020.
It is amazing a young man from New Philadelphia and Tuscarawas County is of so much importance in Japan. He accomplished many things while he was there, and today he is still remembered by the people.
As the Tuscarawas County Historical Society looks forward to the next 100 years, we remember our roots and strive to carry on the work of preserving the past for the future. Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Historical Society can visit the website at www.tuschs.org for more information.