Inoue Masaharu
Encyclopedia
was a daimyō
and official of the Tokugawa shogunate
during late-Edo period
Japan
. His courtesy title was Kawachi-no-kami.
, who had been demoted to Tanakura Domain in Mutsu Province
. He inherited the leadership of the Inoue clan
and the position of daimyō of Tanakura Domain on his father’s death in 1820.
In 1820, Masaharu was also appointed to the office of Sōshaban
(Master of Ceremonies), and in 1834 to that of Jisha-bugyō
. In 1836, he was transferred to Tatebayashi Domain
(60,000 koku
) in Kōzuke Province
. In 1838, he was appointed Osaka jōdai
(Castellan of Osaka) and in 1840, ascended to the rank of Rōjū
(Senior Councilor) in the service of Shogun
Tokugawa Ieyoshi
.
In 1845, with the resignation of head Rōjū
Mizuno Tadakuni
over the failure of the Tenpo Reform and subsequent exile from Hamamatsu Domain to Yamagata Domain
in Dewa Province
, Inoue Masaharu was able to achieve the Inoue clan’s goal of returning to Hamamatsu after an absence of 28 years.
From his years in Tanakura in Mutsu, Masaharu brought back with him a considerable body of knowledge on cotton
production as well as artisans to build new loom
s, thus developing a major new industry for Hamamatsu and source of income for the domain. He died in 1847, only two years after the return of the clan to Hamamatsu, and his grave is at the clan temple of Jōshin-ji in Mukogaoka, Bunkyō, Tokyo
Masaharu was married to a daughter of Abe Masakiyo, daimyō of Fukuyama Domain
. He was succeeded by his fourth son Inoue Masanao
. One of his daughters was the formal wife of Mizuno Tadakiyo
, the son and heir of Mizuno Tadakuno.
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
and official of the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
during late-Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. His courtesy title was Kawachi-no-kami.
Biography
Inoue Masaharu was the eldest son of the disgraced former daimyō of Hamamatsu, Inoue MasamotoInoue Masamoto
was a daimyō and official of the Tokugawa shogunate during mid-Edo period Japan.-Biography:Inoue Masamoto was the eldest son of the previous daimyō of Hamamatsu Domain, Inoue Masasada. He became 8th head of the Mikawa-branch of Inoue clan and daimyō of Hamamatsu Domain on his father’s death in 1786...
, who had been demoted to Tanakura Domain in Mutsu Province
Mutsu Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori prefecture and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture...
. He inherited the leadership of the Inoue clan
Inoue clan
The ' was a samurai clan which came to prominence from the late Kamakura through Edo periods in Japanese history. Mention of an Inoue surname is found in Nara period records; however, the Inoue clan which later became prominent in the Edo period traces its antecedents to the Seiwa Genji line...
and the position of daimyō of Tanakura Domain on his father’s death in 1820.
In 1820, Masaharu was also appointed to the office of Sōshaban
Sōshaban
were officials of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo period Japan. Conventional interpretations have construed this Japanese title as "master of ceremonies."...
(Master of Ceremonies), and in 1834 to that of Jisha-bugyō
Jisha-bugyo
was a "commissioner" or an "overseer" of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo period Japan. Appointments to this prominent office were always fudai daimyō, the lowest-ranking of the shogunate offices to be so restricted...
. In 1836, he was transferred to Tatebayashi Domain
Tatebayashi Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Kōzuke Province .-List of lords:*Sakakibara clan #Yasumasa#Yasukatsu#Tadatsugu*Matsudaira clan...
(60,000 koku
Koku
The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...
) in Kōzuke Province
Kozuke Province
was an old province located in the Tōsandō of Japan, which today comprises Gunma Prefecture. It is nicknamed as or .The ancient provincial capital was near modern Maebashi. During the Sengoku period, Kōzuke was controlled variously by Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, the late Hōjō clan, and...
. In 1838, he was appointed Osaka jōdai
Osaka jodai
were officials of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo period Japan. Appointments to this prominent office were exclusively fudai daimyō. Conventional interpretations have construed these Japanese titles as "commissioner" or "overseer" or "governor."...
(Castellan of Osaka) and in 1840, ascended to the rank of Rōjū
Roju
The ', usually translated as Elder, was one of the highest-ranking government posts in Tokugawa Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council as a whole; under the first two shoguns, there were only two Rōjū...
(Senior Councilor) in the service of Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Tokugawa Ieyoshi
Tokugawa Ieyoshi
Tokugawa Ieyoshi was the 12th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan.He was the second son of the 11th shogun, Tokugawa Ienari, and appointed Mizuno Tadakuni to conduct the Tenpo reform....
.
In 1845, with the resignation of head Rōjū
Roju
The ', usually translated as Elder, was one of the highest-ranking government posts in Tokugawa Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council as a whole; under the first two shoguns, there were only two Rōjū...
Mizuno Tadakuni
Mizuno Tadakuni
was a daimyō during late-Edo period Japan, who later served as chief senior councilor in service to the Tokugawa Shogunate. He is remembered for having instituted the Tenpo Reform.-Biography:...
over the failure of the Tenpo Reform and subsequent exile from Hamamatsu Domain to Yamagata Domain
Yamagata Domain
Yamagata Domain was a Japanese fief , located in Dewa province, in the Tōhoku region . Modern-day Yamagata Prefecture is roughly contiguous with the domain, and its capital city, also called Yamagata, grew up out of the daimyo's castle town...
in Dewa Province
Dewa Province
is an old province of Japan, comprising modern-day Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture, except for the city of Kazuno and the town of Kosaka. It was sometimes called .-Historical record:...
, Inoue Masaharu was able to achieve the Inoue clan’s goal of returning to Hamamatsu after an absence of 28 years.
From his years in Tanakura in Mutsu, Masaharu brought back with him a considerable body of knowledge on cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
production as well as artisans to build new loom
Loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads...
s, thus developing a major new industry for Hamamatsu and source of income for the domain. He died in 1847, only two years after the return of the clan to Hamamatsu, and his grave is at the clan temple of Jōshin-ji in Mukogaoka, Bunkyō, Tokyo
Bunkyo, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. Situated in the middle of the ward area, Bunkyō is a residential and educational center. Beginning in the Meiji period, literati like Natsume Sōseki, as well as scholars and politicians have lived there...
Masaharu was married to a daughter of Abe Masakiyo, daimyō of Fukuyama Domain
Fukuyama Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Bingo and Bitchū provinces.-List of lords:*Mizuno clan, 1619-1698 #Katsunari#Katsutoshi#Katsusada#Katsutane#Katsumine*Tenryō, 1698-1700...
. He was succeeded by his fourth son Inoue Masanao
Inoue Masanao
was a daimyō and official of the Tokugawa shogunate during Bakumatsu period Japan.-Biography:Inoue Masanao was the fourth son of the daimyō of Tatebayashi Domain, Inoue Masaharu, and was born before his father was transferred to Hamamatsu. He inherited the leadership of the Inoue clan and the...
. One of his daughters was the formal wife of Mizuno Tadakiyo
Mizuno Tadakiyo
was a daimyō during Bakumatsu period Japan, who served as chief senior councilor in service to the Tokugawa Shogunate.-Biography:Mizuno Tadakiyo was the eldest son of Mizuno Tadakuni, the daimyō of Hamamatsu Domain and chief senior councilor in service to the Tokugawa Shogunate...
, the son and heir of Mizuno Tadakuno.