, also known as or , was a Japanese

hatamoto A was a high ranking samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as ''gokenin.'' However ...

under the Tokugawa of

Bakumatsu period was the final years of the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate ended. Between 1853 and 1867, Japan ended its isolationist foreign policy known as and changed from a feudal Tokugawa shogunate to the modern empire of the Meiji govern ...

Japan. His great-great-grandchild was

Yukio Mishima , born , was a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor, model, Shintoist, Nationalism, nationalist, and founder of the , an unarmed civilian militia. Mishima is considered one of the most important Japanese authors of the 20th century. He was ...

. Naoyuki's adopted son, Iwanojō Nagai, was the father of Natsu, who was Mishima's grandmother. Iwanojō's real father was Nagasumi Miyoshi (

Miyoshi clan is a Japanese family descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and the Minamoto clan (Seiwa-Genji). They were a cadet branch of the Ogasawara clan and the Takeda clan. At the beginning of the 14th century AD, Ogasawara Nagafusa settled in Shiko ...

) who was a Tokugawa retainer."Persona: A Biography of Yukio Mishima" (

Naoki Inose is a Japanese politician, journalist, historian, social critic and biographer of literary figures such as Yukio Mishima and Osamu Dazai. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Tokyo from June 2007Jun Hongo"Ishihara's new right-hand man settles in."'' ...

Hiroaki Sato Hiroaki Sato may refer to: *, Japanese fighter and wrestler with ring name Hikaru Sato *, Japanese figure skater *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese poet and translator * Hiroaki Sato (animation director) (born 1959) {{hndis, Sato, Hiroaki ...

) (Stone Bridge Pr 2012)”Final edition-Yukio Mishima complete works No.42-Biographical sketch and Bibliography” (published by

Shinchosha is a publisher founded in 1896 in Japan and headquartered in Yaraichō, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Shinchosha is one of the sponsors of the Japan Fantasy Novel Award. Books * Haruki Murakami: ''Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World'' (1985), ...

, 2005). Japanese title "決定版三島由紀夫全集・第42巻・年譜・書誌" (Ketteiban Mishima Yukio Zenshu Dai42kan Nenpu・Shoshi) (新潮社、2005年) p.9"Yukio Mishima-The locus of his literature" (Tomoko Etsugu) (published by Kōronsha, 1983). Japanese title "三島由紀夫文学の軌跡" (Mishima Yukio Bungaku no kiseki) (広論社、1983年) pp.101-107, pp.232-233

Early life

Nagai Naoyuki, or as he was first known, , was born in the Nukada district of the

Okutono Domain , also known as Okudono, Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Matsudaira (Ōgyū)" at ''Nobiliare du Japon'', pp. 30-32 retrieved 2013-7-9. was a feudal domain under th ...

by a concubine to ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...

'' . Noritada, while head of a collateral branch of the

Tokugawa clan The is a Japanese dynasty that was formerly a powerful ''daimyō'' family. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and were a branch of the Minamoto clan (Seiwa Genji) through the Matsudaira clan. The early history of this clan r ...

, was not classified as '' shinpan'', like the Matsudaira of

Aizu is the westernmost of the three regions of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, the other two regions being Nakadōri in the central area of the prefecture and Hamadōri in the east. As of October 1, 2010, it had a population of 291,838. The princip ...

, but was instead a '' fudai'' daimyo. Iwanojō, Noritada's second son, lost his father at the age of three. Subsequently, he was moved to Edo, to the Okutono domain's main residence in

Azabu is an area in Minato,Tokyo, Japan. Built on a marshy area of foothills south of central Tokyo, its coverage roughly corresponds to that of the former Azabu Ward, presently consisting of nine official districts: Azabu-Jūban, Azabudai, Azabu ...

, where he was in the care of his adoptive brother, , before being adopted by 2000 ''

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 ...

'' Tokugawa ''hatamoto'' Nagai Naonori at the age of 25. Following his adoption he took the adult name of Naoyuki (also read "Naomune").Beasley, W. G. (1955). ''Select Documents on Japanese Foreign Policy, 1853–1868'', p. 338.

Career

After completing a thorough education in literature, art, and military training, Nagai entered the ranks of the Tokugawa bureaucracy. He served from 1851 to 1852 as an instructor at the '' Kitenkan'', a branch of the Shogunate's '' Shoheizaka'' academy, located in

Kōfu is the capital city of Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 187,985 in 90,924 households, and a population density of 880 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Overview Toponymy Kōfu's name means "c ...

, Kai Province. Shortly after the arrival of the

Perry Expedition The Perry Expedition ( ja, 黒船来航, , "Arrival of the Black Ships") was a diplomatic and military expedition during 1853–1854 to the Tokugawa Shogunate involving two separate voyages by warships of the United States Navy. The goals of thi ...

challenging Japan national isolation policy, Nagai was appointed as a ''

metsuke were the censors or the inspectors of Tokugawa shogunate. They were ''bakufu'' officials ranking somewhat lower than the ''bugyō.'' The ''metsuke'' were charged with the special duty of detecting and investigating instances of maladministration ...

'' and was placed in charge of casting new cannons for coastal defense. In 1855, Nagai was transferred to the newly formed

Nagasaki Naval Training Center The was a naval training institute, between 1855 when it was established by the government of the Tokugawa shogunate, until 1859, when it was transferred to Tsukiji in Edo. During the Bakumatsu period, the Japanese government faced increasing ...

, where he served as its director, overseeing a group of Dutch military advisors and students from various domains around Japan in studies of western warship technologies.

Katsu Kaishū Count , best known by his nickname , was a Japanese statesman and naval engineer during the late Tokugawa shogunate and early Meiji period. Kaishū was a nickname which he took from a piece of calligraphy (Kaishū Shooku ) by Sakuma Shōzan. He ...

later credited Nagai for much of the training center's progress, as well as the construction of the Nagasaki Iron Works, and one of its training ships, the ''Kottoru''. In 1857, with the closure of the Nagasaki Naval Training Center, Nagai returned to Edo on board the ''

Kankō Maru was a after ''Chōhō (era), Chōhō'' and before ''Chōwa.'' This period spanned the years from July 1004 through December 1012. The reigning emperors were and . Change of Era * 1004 : The era name was changed to mark an event or series ...

'', Japan's first steam warship, together with 103 of his students. In December 1857, Nagai was appointed Kanjō-bugyō. In July 1858, Nagai (along with

Iwase Tadanari Iwase may refer to: Places * Iwase Province * Iwase, Fukushima * Iwase, Ibaraki * Iwase District, Fukushima is a district located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 31,847 and a density of ...

) was appointed one of the first ''

Gaikoku bugyō were the commissioners or "magistrates of foreign affairs" appointed at the end of the Edo era by the Tokugawa shogunate to oversee trade and diplomatic relations with foreign countries. In essence this was the beginning of the creation of a Mini ...

'' (Commissioner for Foreign Affairs). He served from August 1858 through March 1859., during which time the difficult negotiations for the

Ansei Treaties The Ansei Treaties (Japanese:安政条約) or the Ansei Five-Power Treaties (Japanese:安政五カ国条約) are a series of treaties signed in 1858, during the Japanese Ansei era, between Japan on the one side, and the United States, Great Bri ...

took place with the United States, United Kingdom, Russia and France. In February 1859, he added ''

Gunkan-bugyō , also known as ''kaigun-bugō,'' were officials of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo period Japan. Appointments to this prominent office were usually ''fudai daimyō''.Beasley, William G. (1955). ''Select Documents on Japanese Foreign Policy, 1853– ...

'' to his list of titles. However, in August, following the death of Shōgun

Tokugawa Iesada was the 13th ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He held office for five years from 1853 to 1858. He was physically weak and was therefore considered by later historians to have been unfit to be ''shōgun''. His reign marks the begin ...

, Nagai was purged from office by the ''

Tairō ''Tairō'' (, "great elder") was a high-ranking official position in the Tokugawa shogunate government of Japan, roughly comparable to the office of prime minister. The ''tairō'' presided over the governing ''rōjū'' council in the event of an e ...

Ii Naosuke was ''daimyō'' of Hikone (1850–1860) and also Tairō of the Tokugawa shogunate, Japan, a position he held from April 23, 1858, until his death, assassinated in the Sakuradamon Incident on March 24, 1860. He is most famous for signing the Ha ...

for his support of the Hitotsubashi faction over the Kishu faction for the shogunal succession. After Ii's assassination, Nagai was recalled to public office and was appointed to serve as one of the city magistrates of

Kyoto 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 ci ...

(''Kyoto Higashimachi-bugyō'') from August 1862 through March 1864. This was a difficult and violent period in Kyoto, with many daimyo establishing residences in Kyoto and maneuvering for political connections with various of the nobility. The city was filled it numerous ''

rōnin A ''rōnin'' ( ; ja, 浪人, , meaning 'drifter' or 'wanderer') was a samurai without a lord or master during the feudal period of Japan (1185–1868). A samurai became masterless upon the death of his master or after the loss of his master's ...

'', many of whom 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 and who did not hesitate to use assassination or terrorist tactics to further their political agenda. It was during his tenure that 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 ...

'' became active in Kyoto. Following his two-year stint in the capital, he was made ''ōmetsuke'' from March 1864 through May 1865. He served again as ''Gaikoku bugyō '' from November 1865 through April 1867. Nagai was promoted to the position of ''wakadoshiyori-kaku'' (aide to the junior counselors) from April 1867 through January 1868 and was in Kyoto on November 9, 1867 when Shōgun

Tokugawa Yoshinobu Prince was the 15th and last ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful. He resigned of his position as shogun in late 1867, while aiming ...

formally surrendered his office; thereafter, Nagai served as one of the ''

wakadoshiyori The ', or "Junior Elders", were high government officials in the Edo period Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1867). The position was established around 1633, but appointments were irregular until 1662. The four to six ''wakadoshiyori'' we ...

'' from January to March 1868 when 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 ...

signaled the end of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Under the Ezo Republic

Returning to Edo following the

Battle of Toba–Fushimi The occurred between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan. The battle started on 27 January 1868 (or fourth year of Keiō, first month, 3rd day, according to the lunar calendar), when the forces of the shog ...

, Nagai joined

Enomoto Takeaki Viscount was a Japanese samurai and admiral of the Tokugawa navy of Bakumatsu period Japan, who remained faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate and fought against the new Meiji government until the end of the Boshin War. He later served in the Mei ...

and the remnants of the Tokugawa navy, boarding the ''

Kaiten were crewed torpedoes and suicide craft, used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of World War II. History In recognition of the unfavorable progress of the war, towards the end of 1943 the Japanese high command considered s ...

'' and heading to

Ezo (also spelled Yezo or Yeso) is the Japanese term historically used to refer to the lands to the north of the Japanese island of Honshu. It included the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, which changed its name from "Ezo" to "Hokkaidō" in 18 ...

by way of

Matsushima is a group of islands in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. There are some 260 tiny islands (''shima'') covered in pines (''matsu'') – hence the name – and it is considered to be one of the Three Views of Japan. Nearby cultural properties ...

, in

Sendai Domain The , also known as the , was a domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1600 to 1871. The Sendai Domain was based at Aoba Castle in Mutsu Province, in the modern city of Sendai, located in the Tōhoku region of the i ...

. In Hokkaido, Nagai was chosen to be one of the city magistrates of

Hakodate is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...

by the new

Ezo Republic The was a short-lived separatist state established in 1869 on the island of Ezo, now Hokkaido, by a part of the former military of the Tokugawa shogunate at the end of the ''Bakumatsu'' period in Japan. It was the first government to attempt t ...

. However, the Imperial Army soon began its attack on Hokkaido, and Nagai surrendered at the small fortress of

Benten Daiba was a key fortress of the Republic of Ezo in 1868–1869. It was located at the entrance of the bay of Hakodate, in the northern island of Hokkaidō, Japan. Benten Daiba was built by the Japanese architect Takeda Ayasaburō on the site former ...

, along with the survivors of the ''Shinsengumi''. He attempted to commit ''

seppuku , sometimes referred to as hara-kiri (, , a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honour but was also practised by other Japanese people ...

'', but was stopped by those surrounding him.

Later life

After a period of three years in prison, he was pardoned by the

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 ...

in January 1871, and again rose to positions of political prominence, serving most notably as the secretary to the ''

Genrōin The was a national assembly in early Meiji Japan, established after the Osaka Conference of 1875. It is also referred to as the Senate of Japan, being the word used to describe the Roman Senate, and other western legislatures named after it. ...

'' from July 1875 to October 1876. He died in July 1891. One of his descendants, through his adopted son Iwanojō, was the famous author

Notes

References

* Beasley, W. G. (1955)
''Select Documents on Japanese Foreign Policy, 1853–1868''.
London:

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

. eprinted_by_RoutledgeCurzon,_London,_2001.___(cloth).html" ;"title="RoutledgeCurzon.html" ;"title="eprinted by RoutledgeCurzon">eprinted by RoutledgeCurzon, London, 2001. (cloth)">RoutledgeCurzon.html" ;"title="eprinted by RoutledgeCurzon">eprinted by RoutledgeCurzon, London, 2001. (cloth)*

External links

*http://www.mirai.ne.jp/~jkj8/bakusin.html *http://bakusin.jp/eiketu/nagai.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Nagai, Naoyuki Japanese military leaders 1816 births 1896 deaths People of the Boshin War Meiji Restoration Hatamoto Japanese educators Wakadoshiyori People from Aichi Prefecture Recipients of Japanese royal pardons Ogyū-Matsudaira clan