Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
, born , best known by his nickname , was a Japanese statesman, naval engineer and military commander during the
late Tokugawa shogunate
were the final years of the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate ended. Between 1853 and 1867, under foreign diplomatic and military pressure, Japan ended its isolationist foreign policy known as and changed from a feudal Tokugawa shogunat ...
and early
Meiji period
The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...
.
Kaishū was a nickname which he took from a piece of calligraphy (Kaishū Shooku ) by
Sakuma Shōzan
(sometimes called Sakuma Zōzan; March22, 1811August12, 1864) was a Japanese politician and scholar of the Edo period.
Biography
Born Sakuma Kunitada, he was the son of a samurai and scholar and his wife , and a native of (or Shinano Provinc ...
. He went through a series of
given name
A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...
s throughout his life; his childhood name was . He was often called from his ceremonial title during the late Tokugawa shogunate and later changed his name to Yasuyoshi after 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 Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
.
An advocate of modernization and westernization, Katsu was an influential figure during the
end of the Tokugawa Shogunate (''Bakumatsu'') and 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 Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
. He eventually rose to occupy the position of commissioner ''(Gunkan-bugyō)'' in the Tokugawa navy and was a chief negotiator of the ''bakufu''. As a major Tokugawa commander during 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 coalition seeking to seize political power in the name of the Impe ...
, he is particularly known for his surrender of
Edo
Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo.
Edo, formerly a (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the '' de facto'' capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogu ...
to Imperial forces commanded by
Saigō Takamori
Saigō Takamori (; 23 January 1828 – 24 September 1877) was a Japanese samurai and politician who was one of the most influential figures in Japanese history. He played a key role in the Meiji Restoration, which overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate ...
.
Early life
Born Katsu Yoshikuni on March 12, 1823, in
Edo
Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo.
Edo, formerly a (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the '' de facto'' capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogu ...
to a low-ranking
retainer
Retainer may refer to:
* Retainer (orthodontics), devices for teeth
* RFA Retainer (A329), RFA ''Retainer'' (A329), a ship
* Retainers in early China, a social group in early China
Employment
* Retainer agreement, a contract in which an employer p ...
of the
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.
The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...
. His father,
Katsu Kokichi
was a low-ranking samurai whose autobiography serves as an important description of life in the Edo period.
__TOC__ Life and works
Born Otani Kokichi in Edo, he was adopted by the Katsu family in order to marry the only Katsu daughter, Nob ...
, the subject of the autobiography, ''
Musui's Story'', was the ill-behaved head of a minor
samurai
The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
family. As a youth whose given childhood name as Katsu Rintarō (Kaishu was a pseudonym), he studied
Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
and European military science, and was eventually appointed translator by the government when European powers attempted to open contact with Japan. Katsu developed the reputation as an expert in western military technology.
Under the advice of Dutch naval officers, Katsu served as head naval cadet at the
Nagasaki Naval Academy between 1855 and 1859.
Military service
In 1860, Katsu served as captain of the warship ''
Kanrin-maru'' (with assistance from US naval officer Lt.
John M. Brooke), to escort the first Japanese delegation to
San Francisco, California
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, en route to
Washington, DC
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
, for the formal ratification of the
Harris Treaty
Harris may refer to:
Places Canada
* Harris, Ontario
* Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine)
* Harris, Saskatchewan
* Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan
Scotland
* Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle o ...
. The ''Kanrin Maru'', built by the
Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
, was the first Japanese vessel to sail to the Western world. Kaishū remained in San Francisco for nearly two months, observing American society, culture and technology. Following his return to Japan, Katsu held a series of high-ranking posts in the Tokugawa navy, arguing before government councils in favor of a unified Japanese naval force led by professionally trained officers in disregard of promotion and assignment due to hereditary status. During his command as director of the
Kobe Naval School, the institute would become a major source of activity for progressive thinking and reformists between 1863 and 1864.
In 1862, the then ''
rōnin
In feudal Japan to early modern Japan (1185–1868), a ''rōnin'' ( ; , , 'drifter' or 'wandering man', ) was a samurai who had no lord or master and in some cases, had also severed all links with his family or clan. A samurai became a ''rō ...
''
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.
Sakamoto was a low-ranking ''samurai'' from the Tosa Domain on Shikoku and became an acti ...
decided to assassinate Katsu due to his support of both modernization and
westernization
Westernization (or Westernisation, see spelling differences), also Europeanisation or occidentalization (from the ''Occident''), is a process whereby societies come under or adopt what is considered to be Western culture, in areas such as industr ...
. However, Katsu persuaded Ryōma of the necessity of a long-term plan to increase Japan's military strength in the face of Western influence that led to the Convention of Kanagawa. Instead of killing Katsu, Ryōma started working as his assistant and
protégé
Mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the perso ...
.
In 1866, Katsu was appointed negotiator between the ''bakufu'' forces and the anti-shogunal domain of
Chōshū, and later served as chief negotiator for the
Tokugawa bakufu
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.
The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...
, ensuring a relatively peaceful and
orderly transition of power in 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 Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
.
Although sympathetic to the anti-Tokugawa cause, Katsu remained loyal to the Tokugawa ''bakufu'' during 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 coalition seeking to seize political power in the name of the Impe ...
. After the collapse of the Tokugawa forces in late 1867, Katsu negotiated the surrender of Edo castle to
Saigō Takamori
Saigō Takamori (; 23 January 1828 – 24 September 1877) was a Japanese samurai and politician who was one of the most influential figures in Japanese history. He played a key role in the Meiji Restoration, which overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate ...
on 11 April 1868.
Later years
Katsu relocated to Shizuoka after the new Imperial government took control of the shogun's former capital, which was renamed Tokyo ("Eastern Capital"). He returned briefly to government service as Vice Minister of the
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...
in 1872, followed by first Minister of the Navy from 1873 until 1878. As Katsu Yasuyoshi, he was among the most prominent of the former Tokugawa retainers who found employment within 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 ...
, and was between 1869 and 1885. Although his influence within the navy was minimal, as the Navy was largely dominated by a core of Satsuma officers, Katsu served in a senior advisory capacity on national policy. During the next two decades, Katsu served on the
Privy Council and wrote extensively on naval issues.
He also made efforts to restore the honor of
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Kazoku, 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 his position as shogun in late 1867, while ai ...
and
Saigō Takamori
Saigō Takamori (; 23 January 1828 – 24 September 1877) was a Japanese samurai and politician who was one of the most influential figures in Japanese history. He played a key role in the Meiji Restoration, which overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate ...
.
In 1887, he was elevated to the title of ''hakushaku'' (count) in the ''
kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan, which existed between 1869 and 1947. It was formed by merging the feudal lords (''Daimyo, daimyō'') and court nobles (''kuge'') into one system modelled after the British peerage. Distin ...
'' peerage system. Katsu recorded his memoirs in the book ''Hikawa Seiwa''.
Death
In 1891, through a connection of
Tsuda Sen, the father of
Tsuda Ume
was a Japanese educator who founded Tsuda University. She was the daughter of Tsuda Sen, an agricultural scientist, and at the age of 7, she became Japan's first female exchange student, traveling to the U.S. on the same ship as the Iwakura ...
, Katsu Yasuyoshi purchased a plot of land at , and built his retirement home there. Following his death in 1899, he was buried with his wife Tami near the site of their home, on the shores of Senzoku Pond, in what is today in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
. The Katsu Kaishu Memorial Museum can also be found near the park.
Honors
* Count (9 May 1887)
Order of precedence
* Fourth rank (15 June 1872)
* Senior fourth rank (18 February 1874)
* Third rank (December 1887)
* Senior third rank (October 1888)
* Junior Second rank (30 June 1894)
*
Senior second rank
The court ranks of Japan, also known in Japanese language, Japanese as ''ikai'' (位階), are indications of an individual's court rank in Japan based on the system of the Nation, state. ''Ikai'' as a system was the indication of the rank of burea ...
(20 January 1899; posthumous)
* Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order (distinction), order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six c ...
(December 1889)
*

Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese honors system, 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 feat ...
(26 February 1898)
In popular culture
Katsu appears in the 2009–2011 TV series ''
Jin'', portrayed by actor
Fumiyo Kohinata
is a Japanese actor.
Filmography
Film
* '' Begging for Love'' (1998)
* '' Give It All'' (1998)
* '' Ring 2'' (1999) - Dr. Kawajiri
* '' Audition'' (1999) - Television producer
* '' Minna no Ie'' (2001)
* '' Turn'' (2001)
* '' Dark Water'' (200 ...
.
Katsu appears in the 2024 video game ''
Rise of the Ronin
Rise or RISE may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world
* Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3''
* Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...
'', portrayed in English by actor
Earl Baylon
Earl Baylon is an American actor. He is the voice actor for the Māori character Jonah Maiava in the ''Tomb Raider'' video game trilogy and the Netflix anime series '' Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft''. He has also voiced characters in video ...
and in Japanese by actor
Kazuhiro Yamaji
is a Japanese actor and voice actor affiliated with the Seinenza Theater Company. He has been married to Romi Park since 2020.
Filmography Live-action films
* 2000: '' Whiteout'' (Takayoshi Yoshikane)
* 2001: ''Inugami'' (Takanao)
* 2004: '' Ka ...
.
Gallery
File:Kaishu Katsu 1.jpg, upA young Kaishū Katsu
File:Surrender of Edo Castle (Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery).jpg, Negotiations between Saigō Takamori
Saigō Takamori (; 23 January 1828 – 24 September 1877) was a Japanese samurai and politician who was one of the most influential figures in Japanese history. He played a key role in the Meiji Restoration, which overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate ...
(left) and Katsu regarding the surrender of the capital.
File:Kaimei kizokuhyō by Shinsai.jpg, Katsu (bottom row, third from right) and other major figures of the Meiji era aristocracy.
File:Katsu Kaishu by Motoyama Hakuun - Edo-Tokyo Museum - Sumida, Tokyo, Japan - DSC06901.jpg, upleft, A bust of Katsu Kaishu by Motoyama Hakuun (1871–1952)
File:Grave of Katsu Kaishū.JPG, Grave of Katsu Kaishū at Senzoku Pond Public Park, Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan
File:Saigo Takamori-1.jpg, Memorial on the site of the meeting between Saigō Takamori and Katsu Kaishū, Shiba, Tokyo
Notes
References
* Hillsborough, Romulus. ''Samurai Revolution: The Dawn of Modern Japan Through the Eyes of the Shogun's Last Samurai.'' Tuttle, 2013.
*
Jansen, Marius B. (1961). ''Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration.'' Princeton: Princeton University Press
OCLC 413111* Katsu, Kokichi; translated by Teruko Craig. ''Musui's Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai'' University of Arizona Press, 1988.
* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan encyclopedia.''Cambridge:
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is an academic publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University. It is a member of the Association of University Presses. Its director since 2017 is George Andreou.
The pres ...
.
OCLC 58053128
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Katsu, Kaishu
Japanese swordfighters
1823 births
1899 deaths
Boshin War
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Engineers from Tokyo
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Kazoku
People of the Meiji era
Wakadoshiyori
People of the Boshin War
Members of the Japanese Embassy to the United States