In 1865, Japan was at the end of samurai feudalism. Foreign travel was strictly limited to government envoys. A number of young Japanese, however, individually, or for a secret project of their feudal lord, left Japan for the west.

Hatakeyama was one of them.

He studied in London, then came to the U.S. and mainly studied at Rutgers College (currently University). He joined the envoy of the newly formed government of Japan, traveled around Europe and came back to Japan with them. He worked for creating a higher education system of Japan as the director of Kaisei Gakko, nowadays Tokyo University; national library and museum  with the American professor Dr. David Murray in addition to several different responsibilities regarding education and modernization of Meiji Japan.

He died from TB in his early 30's on the ship on the way returning from the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, only a couple of years after returning to Japan. Up to that day, he worked to integrate the west and Japan, and at establishing the system of modern learning. His life was too short to be known as well as other Meiji heroes but his seeds grew and made for a better harvest.

This is a small story of his short and big life.