John William Fenton

John William Fenton (12 March 1828 – 28 April 1890) was an Irish musician of Scottish and English descent and the leader of a military band in Japan at the start of the Meiji period. He is considered "the first bandmaster in Japan"^[1] and "the father of band music in Japan."^[2] Fenton is best known for having initiated the process through which Kimi ga yo came to be accepted as the national anthem of Japan.

Fenton is considered Irish because he was born in Kinsale, County Cork, in Ireland in 1828.^[2] He may also be considered Scottish because his father John Fenton (1790–1833) was born in Brechin, and because he lived in Montrose around 1881.^[3] His mother, Judith Towers, was probably English. Journalistic writing on Fenton typically considers him a Briton.

^ Asiatic Society of Japan (1980), Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, p. 14.
^ ^a ^b Joyce, Colin and Julian Ryall, "British Soldier who Wrote Japanese National Anthem Honoured." The Telegraph (London), 14 October 2008.
^ Sabadus, Aura, "Japan Searches for Scot who Modernised Nation", The Scotsman, Archived 27 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine 14 March 2006.

[1] Asiatic Society of Japan (1980), Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, p. 14.

[telegraph2008-2] Joyce, Colin and Julian Ryall, "British Soldier who Wrote Japanese National Anthem Honoured." The Telegraph (London), 14 October 2008.

[Scotsman2006-3] Sabadus, Aura, "Japan Searches for Scot who Modernised Nation", The Scotsman, Archived 27 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine 14 March 2006.

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