, also known as , was a Japanese statesman,
samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
and ''
shishi'' who is considered one of the
three great nobles who led the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
.
Early life
Born Wada Kogorō in
Hagi,
Chōshū Domain
The , also known as the , was a domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1600 to 1871.Deal, William E. (2005) ''Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan,'' p. 81
The Chōshū Domain was base ...
(present-day
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 Square kilometre, km2 (2,359 Square mile, sq mi). Y ...
) as the son of a samurai physician and his second wife . In 1840, due to his brother-in-law already being the head of the Wada family, he was later adopted into the Katsura family at age seven and was known as .
The Katsura family's stipend was originally 150 ''
koku
The is a Chinese-based Japanese unit of volume. 1 koku is equivalent to 10 or approximately , or about . It converts, in turn, to 100 shō and 1000 gō. One ''gō'' is the volume of the "rice cup", the plastic measuring cup that is supplied ...
'', but due to the late nature of his adoption which took place as his adoptive father was already on his deathbed, who died ten days later, it was reduced to 90 ''koku''. Katsura Kogorō thus became the head of the Katsura family. A year later in 1841, his adoptive mother also died, months later he was returned to his old home. In 1848, he lost his mother and elder half-sister Yaeko to illnesses.
Katsura was educated at
Meirinkan
was a han school located in the Chōshū Domain of Japan. The school was one of the three major educational institutions in Japan, along with the Kōdōkan in Mito Domain and Shizutani School in Okayama Domain.
History
The school was establ ...
, in which he later became increasingly unhappy with and defied his father in order to be educated at
Shōka Sonjuku
is a form of ''ikebana''. Written with the same ''kanji'' characters, it is also pronounced and known as ''Shōka''.
History
The painter Sōami and the art patron and ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshimasa were supporters of the style as early as ...
in 1849, the academy of
Yoshida Shōin
, commonly named , was one of Japan's most distinguished intellectuals in the late years of the Tokugawa shogunate. He devoted himself to nurturing many ''ishin shishi'' who in turn made major contributions to the Meiji Restoration.
Early life ...
, from whom he adopted the philosophy of Imperial loyalism. In 1851, his father had died.
In 1852, Katsura went to
Edo (present-day
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
) to study swordsmanship, established ties with radical ''samurai'' from the
Mito Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. It was associated with Hitachi Province in modern-day Ibaraki Prefecture.[Mito
Mito may refer to:
Places
*Mito, Ibaraki, capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
*Mito, Aichi, a Japanese town
*Mito, Shimane, a Japanese town
* Mitō, Yamaguchi, a Japanese town
* Mito District, a district in the province of Concepción, Per ...](_blank)
,
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
), learned artillery techniques with
Egawa Tarōzaemon
was a Japanese Bakufu intendant of the 19th century. Jansen, Hall 1989, p. 815. He was Daikan, in charge of the domains of the Tokugawa shogunate in Izu, Sagami and Kai Provinces during the Bakumatsu period. Jansen, Hall 1989, p. 108. He took ...
, and (after observing the construction of foreign ships in
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
and
Shimoda), returned to Chōshū to supervise the construction of the domain's first western-style warship.
Overthrow of the Tokugawa
After 1858, Katsura Kogorō was based at the domain's Edo residence, where he served as a liaison between the domain bureaucracy and radical elements among the young, lower-echelon Chōshū ''samurai'' who supported the ''
Sonnō jōi
was a ''yojijukugo'' (four-character compound) phrase used as the rallying cry and slogan of a political movement in Japan in the 1850s and 1860s during the Bakumatsu period. Based on Neo-Confucianism and Japanese nativism, the movement sought ...
'' movement. Coming under suspicion by the shogunate for his ties with Mito loyalists after the attempted assassination of
Andō Nobumasa
was a late-Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 5th ''daimyō'' of Iwakitaira Domain in the Tōhoku region of Japan, and the 10th hereditary chieftain of the Andō clan. He was the eldest son of Andō Nobuyori and his mother was a daughter of ...
, he was transferred to
Kyōto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the c ...
. However, while in Kyōto, he was unable to prevent the 30 September 1863 coup d'état by the forces of the
Aizu and Satsuma domains, who drove the Chōshū forces out of the city.
Ikedaya incident
According to his personal diary regarding the
Ikedaya incident
The , also known as the Ikedaya affair or Ikedaya riot, was an armed encounter between the ''shishi'' which included masterless samurai (''rōnin'') formally employed by the Chōshū, Tosa and Higo clans ( han), and the Shinsengumi, the Ba ...
, Katsura was at the loyalist meeting with the ''
Ishin Shishi
, sometimes known as , were a group of Japanese political activists of the late Edo period. While it is usually applied to the anti-shogunate, pro-''sonnō jōi'' (尊皇攘夷; "Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarian ) samurai primarily from t ...
'' at the Ikedaya inn in the evening on July 8, 1864, he claimed that they had only met to discuss how to rescue
Furutaka Shuntaro from the
Shinsengumi
The was a special police force organized by the (military government) during Japan's Bakumatsu period (late Tokugawa shogunate) in 1863. It was active until 1869. It was founded to protect the shogunate representatives in Kyoto at a time when ...
. Katsura later left the inn earlier, before the attack by the Shinsengumi troops on that night.
However, there were rumors varied that Katsura was tipped off by his
geisha
{{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha
{{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female ...
lover , that the Shinsengumi were coming for him and wisely chose not show up for the meeting, or that he climbed out the window of the upper floor of the inn during the attack by the Shinsengumi and escaped over the roofs.
He spent the next five days in hiding under Nijō Bridge along the Kamo River, posing as a beggar, his lover would bring him rice balls from the shop of the Chōshū merchant Imai Tarōemon and later aided in his escape.
Kinmon incident
Katsura was involved but not present in the Hamaguri Gate Rebellion on 20 August 1864, with the unsuccessful attempt to capture
Emperor Kōmei
was the 121st Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')孝明天皇 (121)/ref> Kōmei's reign spanned the years from 1846 through 1867, corresponding to the final years of the ...
by the
Chōshū forces at Hamaguri Gate in order to restore the Imperial household to its position of political supremacy, the Chōshū forces clashed with
Aizu and
Satsuma Satsuma may refer to:
* Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit
* ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails
Places Japan
* Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town
* Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture
* Satsuma Domain, a sou ...
forces who led the defense of the Imperial palace. During the attempt, the Chōshū rebels put Kyoto on fire, starting with the residence of the
Takatsukasa family
is a Japanese aristocratic kin group. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Nijō," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 58 retrieved 2013-8-13. The Takatsukasa was a branch of t ...
, and that of a Chōshū official.
The rebellion resulted in 28,000 houses being burnt down, with casualties of about 400 from the Chōshū forces, including his adopted son Katsuzaburō, and only 60 from
Aizu and
Satsuma Satsuma may refer to:
* Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit
* ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails
Places Japan
* Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town
* Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture
* Satsuma Domain, a sou ...
forces, forcing Katsura into hiding again with his geisha lover. He would later use the name Niibori Matsusuke as an alias in 1865 to continue his work against the Tokugawa bakufu.
Satchō Alliance
After radical elements under
Takasugi Shinsaku
was a samurai from the Chōshū Domain of Japan who contributed significantly to the Meiji Restoration. He used several aliases to hide his activities from the Tokugawa shogunate.
Early life
Takasugi Shinsaku was born in the castle town Hag ...
gained control of Chōshū politics, Katsura, under the new name was instrumental in establishing the
Satchō Alliance
The , or was a powerful military alliance between the feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū formed in 1866 to combine their efforts to restore Imperial rule and overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan.
History
The name ''Satchō'' () is ...
with
Saigō Takamori
was a Japanese samurai and nobleman. He was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Living during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he later led the Satsum ...
and
Ōkubo Toshimichi
was a Japanese
statesman and one of the Three Great Nobles regarded as the main founders of modern Japan.
Ōkubo was a ''samurai'' of the Satsuma Domain and joined the movement to overthrow the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate during the ''Bak ...
through the mediation of
Sakamoto Ryōma
was a Japanese ''samurai'', a '' shishi'' and influential figure of the ''Bakumatsu'' and establishment of the Empire of Japan in the late Edo period.
He was a low-ranking ''samurai'' from the Tosa Domain on Shikoku and became an active oppon ...
in 1866, which proved to be critical in the
Boshin War
The , sometimes known as the Japanese Revolution or Japanese Civil War, was a civil war in Japan fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and a clique seeking to seize political power in the name of the Imperi ...
and the subsequent
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
. Around the same time, he adopted Shojirō, another nephew who was the second son of his younger sister, Kuruhara Haruko, as his heir.
Meiji statesman
![S1020l](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/S1020l.jpg)
Following the overthrow of the
Tokugawa bakufu
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
in 1868, Kido claimed a large role in the establishment of the new
Meiji government
The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan.
Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji o ...
. As a ''san'yo'' (Imperial Advisor) he helped draft the
Five Charter Oath
The was promulgated on 6 April 1868 in Kyoto Imperial Palace. The Oath outlined the main aims and the course of action to be followed during Emperor Meiji's reign, setting the legal stage for Japan's modernization. This also set up a process of ...
, and initiated policies of centralization and modernization. He helped direct the
Abolition of the han system
The in the Empire of Japan and its replacement by a system of prefectures in 1871 was the culmination of the Meiji Restoration begun in 1868, the starting year of the Meiji period. Under the reform, all daimyos (, ''daimyō'', feudal lords) ...
. In August 1868, he had his lover Ikumatsu adopted into a samurai family of Okabe Tomitarō, and later made her his wife. He was later renamed to in 1869.
On 23 December 1871, he accompanied the
Iwakura Mission
The Iwakura Mission or Iwakura Embassy (, ''Iwakura Shisetsudan'') was a Japanese diplomatic voyage to the United States and Europe conducted between 1871 and 1873 by leading statesmen and scholars of the Meiji period. It was not the only such m ...
on its round-the-world voyage to America and Europe, and was especially interested in Western educational systems and politics. On his return to Japan on 13 September 1873, he would become a strong advocate of the establishment of
constitutional government
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these princip ...
. Realizing that Japan was not in any position to challenge the Western powers in its present state, he also returned to Japan just in time to prevent an invasion of
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
(''
Seikanron
The ''Seikanron'' ( ja, 征韓論; ko, 정한론; ) was a major political debate in Japan during 1873 regarding a punitive expedition against Korea. The ''Seikanron'' split the Meiji government and the restoration coalition that had been establ ...
'').
Kido lost his dominant position in the
Meiji oligarchy
The Meiji oligarchy was the new ruling class of Meiji period Japan. In Japanese, the Meiji oligarchy is called the .
The members of this class were adherents of ''kokugaku'' and believed they were the creators of a new order as grand as that est ...
to
Ōkubo Toshimichi
was a Japanese
statesman and one of the Three Great Nobles regarded as the main founders of modern Japan.
Ōkubo was a ''samurai'' of the Satsuma Domain and joined the movement to overthrow the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate during the ''Bak ...
, and resigned from government in protest of the
Taiwan Expedition of 1874
The Japanese punitive expedition to Taiwan in 1874, referred to in Japan as the and in Taiwan and Mainland China as the Mudan incident (), was a punitive expedition launched by the Japanese in retaliation for the murder of 54 Ryukyuan sailo ...
, which he had strenuously opposed.
Following the
Osaka Conference of 1875 The was a meeting held by the major leaders of the Meiji Restoration in Osaka, Japan from January to February 1875 to address the issue of forming a representative assembly.
The leaders present included Okubo Toshimichi, Kido Takayoshi, Itagaki Ta ...
, Kido agreed to return to the government, and became chairman of the
Assembly of Prefectural Governors
Assembly may refer to:
Organisations and meetings
* Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions
* General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their represent ...
that the Ōsaka Conference had created. He was also responsible for the education of the young
Emperor Meiji
, also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...
.
Death
During the middle of the
Satsuma Rebellion
The Satsuma Rebellion, also known as the was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. Its name comes from the Satsuma Domain, which had been influential in the Restoration and beca ...
in 1877, he died of illnesses that had been plaguing him for a long time, which consisted of a combination of some form of mental disease and physical exhaustion, years of excessive alcohol consumption as well as an illness assumed to be
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
or
beriberi
Thiamine deficiency is a medical condition of low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1). A severe and chronic form is known as beriberi. The two main types in adults are wet beriberi and dry beriberi. Wet beriberi affects the cardiovascular system, ...
. With his dim consciousness, Kido shook
Okubo's hand and said, "Is
Saigo still uncomfortable?" He is enshrined at
Kyoto Ryozen Gokoku Shrine
The is a Shinto Shrine located in Kyoto, Japan. It honors the heroes of Japan, especially from the period of the Bakumatsu period and the Meiji Restoration, most famously Sakamoto Ryōma and his associate Nakaoka Shintarō, who are buried sid ...
, where his tomb is located.
Legacy
His heir Shojirō, who had studied for ten years in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
before returning to Japan in 1882, however died of illness on the ship during the return journey near
Ceylon
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
Kuruhara Hikotarō, another Kido's nephew and Shojirō's eldest brother, succeeded him as the new heir of the Kido family on 18 November 1884 and was known as the
Marquis
A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...
Kido Takamasa.
![20080505 Kido Shrine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/20080505_Kido_Shrine.jpg)
Kido Takayoshi was enshrined as the Shinto deity of scholarship and the martial arts at the
Kido Shrine Kido or KIDO may refer to:
* Kido (surname)
* KIDO, an American radio station
* Kidō, a form of magic used by characters in the manga and anime ''Bleach''
* Conficker
Conficker, also known as Downup, Downadup and Kido, is a computer worm tar ...
in about 1886 at Kido Park,
Yamaguchi,
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 Square kilometre, km2 (2,359 Square mile, sq mi). Y ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
His widow Matsuko survived him and died in 1887 at the age of 43.
Kido's diary reveals an intense internal conflict between his loyalty to his home domain, Chōshū, and the greater interest of the country. He wrote often of having to fight rumors at home that he had betrayed his old friends; the idea of a nation was still relatively new in Japan and so the majority of samurai cared more for securing privileges for their own domain.
![Kaimei kizokuhyō by Shinsai](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Kaimei_kizokuhy%C5%8D_by_Shinsai.jpg)
Together with
Saigō Takamori
was a Japanese samurai and nobleman. He was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Living during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he later led the Satsum ...
and
Ōkubo Toshimichi
was a Japanese
statesman and one of the Three Great Nobles regarded as the main founders of modern Japan.
Ōkubo was a ''samurai'' of the Satsuma Domain and joined the movement to overthrow the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate during the ''Bak ...
, he was known as the Ishin-no-Sanketsu (維新の三傑), which means, roughly, "
Three Great Nobles of the Restoration
The is a term used in Japan for three figures that played an important role in the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and are regarded as the founders of the modern state of Japan.『維新元勲十傑論』、16頁
The Three Great Nobles were:
* Ōkubo ...
". His younger sister's grandson was
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
politician .
In popular culture
Kido, referred to by his initial name Katsura Kogorō, was among the historical personalities present in the
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
and
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
''
Rurouni Kenshin
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The story begins during the 11th year of the Meiji period in Japan (1878) and follows a former assassin from the Bakumatsu, known as Hitokiri Battosai. After his work ...
'' by
Nobuhiro Watsuki
, better known by his pen name , is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his samurai-themed series '' Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story'' (1994–1999), which has over 70 million copies in circulation and a sequel he is c ...
, as well as its OVA adaptation ''
Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal''. While still portrayed as a ruthless radical leader of the Chōshū clan, he serves as a benevolent mentor of sorts to the young
Himura Kenshin
, known as Kenshin Himura in the English-language anime Dubbing (filmmaking), dubs, is a fictional Character (arts), character and the protagonist of the manga ''Rurouni Kenshin'' created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Kenshin's story is set in a fiction ...
, who worked under him as the ''Hitokiri Battōsai.'' He nonetheless regrets having Kenshin do the dirty work for him after Kenshin's affair with
Yukishiro Tomoe
The manga series ''Rurouni Kenshin'' features a large cast of character (arts), fictional characters created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Set in Japan during the Meiji period, several of the characters are real historical figures who interact with the ...
(in ''Tsuiokuhen'', he actively encouraged Tomoe to stand by Kenshin to serve as a calming influence), which ultimately boiled over into her conflicting loyalties to the shogunate agent and her emerging feelings for Kenshin. He is voiced by
Tomokazu Seki
is a Japanese voice actor and singer. He has previously worked with Haikyō. He is honorary president of and affiliated with Atomic Monkey and the chairman of theater company HeroHero Q. He is a special lecturer at Japan Newart College.
Caree ...
in the OVA, and portrayed by
Issey Takahashi
is a Japanese actor and singer.
Biography
Takahashi was born as the eldest son in Akasaka, Minato Ward, Tokyo. He has four half-brothers, including the musician, Yuma Abe. He cared for his younger siblings when they were infants, and is more l ...
in the 2021 live-action adaptation film ''
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning''.
Japanese actor
Ken Ishiguro
is a Japanese film, television and voice actor. He has appeared in more than 80 films since 1979.
He is the son of Osamu Ishiguro
was a tennis player from Japan.
Career
He played his first tournament in 1959 at the Asian Championships ...
portrayed him in the 2004
jdorama
, also called , are television programs that are a staple of Television in Japan, Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major Television networks, TV networks in Japan produce a variety of Drama (genre), drama series including Romance ...
''
Shinsengumi!
is a 2004 Taiga drama historical fiction television series produced by Japanese broadcaster NHK. It was a popular drama about the Shinsengumi, a Japanese special police force from the Bakumatsu period.
Actors include Koji Yamamoto, Tatsuya Fuj ...
'' as the old time friend of the protagonist Kondo Isami and also the leader of the Chōshū han.
Japanese actor
Shōsuke Tanihara
is a Japanese actor probably best known outside Japan for his portrayal of Riki Fudoh in '' Fudoh: The New Generation''.
Tanihara hosts ''Tokyo Twenty-Four Living Supported by FLET’S Hikari'', a podcast produced by TOKYO FM. The podcast began ...
portrayed him in the 2009 jdorama ''
Ryōmaden
is the 49th NHK Taiga drama. It was shown on NHK from January 3 to November 28, 2010, spanning 48 episodes. The story centers on the life of 19th-century Japanese historical figures Iwasaki Yatarō and Sakamoto Ryōma. It has been announced that ...
'' as the leader of the Chōshū han.
He is also the basis for the character of Katsura Kotarou in the
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
and
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
''
Gin Tama
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from December 2003 to September 2018, later in ''Jump Giga'' from December 2 ...
'' by
Hideaki Sorachi
is the pen name of a Japanese manga artist, most well-known for his manga ''Gin Tama,'' which began serialization in 2003 and ended in 2019. He has also written numerous one-shots, including ''Dandelion'', of which he has won the Tenkaichi Hono ...
.
He also appears in the video game ''
Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin!
is an action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. It is a spin-off of the '' Like a Dragon'' series, formerly and commonly known in English localization as ''Yak ...
'', portrayed by the Yakuza character Shun Akiyama, and voiced by
Kōichi Yamadera
is a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator and singer from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with th ...
.
Honours
*Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...
(May 24, 1877)
*
Junior First Rank
The court ranks of Japan, also known in Japanese as ''ikai'' (位階), are indications of an individual's court rank in Japan based on the system of the state. ''Ikai'' as a system was originally used in the Ritsuryo system, which was the politi ...
(May 22, 1901; posthumous)
Gallery of former residence of Kido Takayoshi at Hagi, Japan
File:Kido Geburtshaus.jpg
File:木戶孝允舊宅.jpg
File:House of Takayoshi Kido.jpg, House of Takayoshi Kido
File:Gate of former residence of Kido Takayoshi.jpg, Gate of former residence of Kido Takayoshi
File:Garden of former residence of Kido Takayoshi.jpg, Garden of former residence of Kido Takayoshi
File:Garden of former residence of Kido Takayoshi 2.jpg,
File:Former residence of Kido Takayoshi.jpg
File:Entrance of former residence of Kido Takayoshi.jpg
File:少年時期的習字掛軸.jpg, Childhood room of Kido Takayoshi
File:Edoya Lane near former residence of Kido Takayoshi.jpg, Edoya Lane near former residence of Kido Takayoshi
Notes
Reference and further reading
* Akamatsu, Paul. ''Meiji 1868: Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Japan.'' Trans. Miriam Kochan. New York: Harper & Row, 1972.
*
Beasley, William G. (1972). ''The Meiji Restoration.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press.
OCLC 579232* Beasley, W. G. ''The Rise of Modern Japan: Political, Economic and Social Change Since 1850.'' New York: St. Martin's Press, 1995.
*
Craig, Albert M. ''Chōshū in the Meiji Restoration.'' Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1961
OCLC 482814571*
Jansen, Marius B. and
Gilbert Rozman
Gilbert Friedell Rozman (born 18 February 1943) is an American sociologist specializing in Asian studies.
Rozman completed an undergraduate degree in Chinese and Russian studies at Carleton College, and earned a doctorate in sociology at Princet ...
, eds. (1986). ''Japan in Transition: from Tokugawa to Meiji.'' Princeton:
Princeton University Press
Princeton University Press is an independent publisher with close connections to Princeton University. Its mission is to disseminate scholarship within academia and society at large.
The press was founded by Whitney Darrow, with the financial su ...
.
OCLC 12311985* Kido, Takayoshi. (1983). ''The Diary of Kido Takayoshi'' (Sidney DeVere Brown and Akiko Hirota, translators), Vol. I (1868–1871), Vol. II (1871–1874), Vol. III (1874–1877). Tokyo: University of Tokyo Press.
*
Nish, Ian. (1998) ''The Iwakura Mission to America and Europe: A New Assessment''. Richmond, Surrey: Japan Library. ;
OCLC 40410662
External links
Selected Diary Entries of KidoMeiji Dignitariesis a portrait of Takayoshi and others from 1877
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kido, Takayoshi
1833 births
1877 deaths
Politicians from Yamaguchi Prefecture
Meiji Restoration
People from Chōshū domain
Nobles of the Meiji Restoration
People of Meiji-period Japan
Samurai
Mōri retainers
Japanese swordfighters
Japanese politicians
Japanese revolutionaries
Deified Japanese people
Members of the Iwakura Mission