Omura Sumihiro
Encyclopedia
was the 13th and final daimyo
of Ōmura Domain
in Hizen Province
, Kyūshū
, Japan. His courtesy title was Tango-no-kami.
, the ancestral Ōmura residence in Hizen, as the 10th son of Ōmura Sumiyoshi, the 10th daimyo of Ōmura. When his elder brother, Ōmura Sumiaki became 11th daimyo of Ōmura in 1846, Sumihiro was officially adopted as his son and heir. Sumiaki was sickly, and retired from his duties in December 1846, and Sumihiro became the 12th daimyo of Ōmura on February 21, 1847.
Sumihiro was an active ruler, interested in both rangaku
and classical learning, and concerned with the direction the country was taking into the unsettled Bakumatsu period. In 1862, he formed an alliance with neighboring Hirado Domain
. Sumihiro was considered a strong Tokugawa loyalist, and in 1863 was entrusted with the important position of Nagasaki bugyō
, but defected after only a year to become a supporter of the Sonnō jōi
movement.
During the Boshin War
of the Meiji Restoration
, he commanded his forces as part of the Satchō Alliance
in support of Emperor Meiji
, and fought against the Tokugawa remnants of the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei
in northern Japan.
In June 1868, in return for his loyalty to the new government, the revenues of Ōmura domain were raised to 30,000 koku
. However, with the abolition of the han system
later that year, he surrendered his office to the central government and was appointed domain governor until Ōmura domain was absorbed into Nagasaki Prefecture
in July 1871.
He was awarded Third Court rank on his deathbed in January 1882, and was posthumously raised to Second Court rank in 1903. His grave is at Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo.
His son, Ōmura Sumio was elevated to the rank of viscount
(shishaku) in the new kazoku
peerage system in 1884, and further elevated to count
(hakushaku) in 1891. However, as he had no son, he adopted his son-in-law, the son of Shimazu Tadahiro to be his heir.
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...
of Ōmura Domain
Omura Domain
' was a Japanese feudal domain of the Edo period, located in Hizen Province. Ōmura was a tozama domain.Ōmura was settled in ancient times, and was controlled by the Ōmura clan since the 12th century. The Ōmura clan claimed descent from Fujiwara no Sumitomo...
in Hizen Province
Hizen Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Saga and Nagasaki prefectures. It was sometimes called , with Higo Province. Hizen bordered on the provinces of Chikuzen and Chikugo. The province was included in Saikaidō...
, Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, Japan. His courtesy title was Tango-no-kami.
Biography
Sumihiro was born at Kushima CastleKushima Castle
, also known as from its location, is a Japanese castle located in Ōmura, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.-History:Kushima castle is built on a peninsula extending into Ōmura Bay. Kushima Castle was the ancestral home of the Ōmura clan, having first been constructed in the Kamakura period by...
, the ancestral Ōmura residence in Hizen, as the 10th son of Ōmura Sumiyoshi, the 10th daimyo of Ōmura. When his elder brother, Ōmura Sumiaki became 11th daimyo of Ōmura in 1846, Sumihiro was officially adopted as his son and heir. Sumiaki was sickly, and retired from his duties in December 1846, and Sumihiro became the 12th daimyo of Ōmura on February 21, 1847.
Sumihiro was an active ruler, interested in both rangaku
Rangaku
Rangaku is a body of knowledge developed by Japan through its contacts with the Dutch enclave of Dejima, which allowed Japan to keep abreast of Western technology and medicine in the period when the country was closed to foreigners, 1641–1853, because of the Tokugawa shogunate’s policy of national...
and classical learning, and concerned with the direction the country was taking into the unsettled Bakumatsu period. In 1862, he formed an alliance with neighboring Hirado Domain
Hirado Domain
was a tozama han of Edo period Japan, with its territory extending from northern Hizen Province to the offshore Iki Province...
. Sumihiro was considered a strong Tokugawa loyalist, and in 1863 was entrusted with the important position of Nagasaki bugyō
Nagasaki bugyo
were officials of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo period Japan. Appointments to this prominent office were usually fudai daimyō, but this was amongst the senior administrative posts open to those who were not daimyō...
, but defected after only a year to become a supporter of the Sonnō jōi
Sonno joi
is a Japanese political philosophy and a social movement derived from Neo-Confucianism; it became a political slogan in the 1850s and 1860s in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa bakufu, during the Bakumatsu period.-Origin:...
movement.
During the Boshin War
Boshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
of the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
, he commanded his forces as part of the Satchō Alliance
Satcho Alliance
The ', or Satchō Alliance was a military alliance between the feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū formed in 1866 to combine their efforts to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan....
in support of Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
, and fought against the Tokugawa remnants of the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei
Ouetsu Reppan Domei
-External links:**...
in northern Japan.
In June 1868, in return for his loyalty to the new government, the revenues of Ōmura domain were raised to 30,000 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...
. However, with the abolition of the han system
Abolition of the han system
The was an act, in 1871, of the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan to replace the traditional feudal domain system and to introduce centralized government authority . This process marked the culmination of the Meiji Restoration in that all daimyo were required to return their authority...
later that year, he surrendered his office to the central government and was appointed domain governor until Ōmura domain was absorbed into Nagasaki Prefecture
Nagasaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...
in July 1871.
He was awarded Third Court rank on his deathbed in January 1882, and was posthumously raised to Second Court rank in 1903. His grave is at Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo.
His son, Ōmura Sumio was elevated to the rank of viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
(shishaku) in the new kazoku
Kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947.-Origins:Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the ancient court nobility of Kyoto regained some of its lost status...
peerage system in 1884, and further elevated to count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
(hakushaku) in 1891. However, as he had no son, he adopted his son-in-law, the son of Shimazu Tadahiro to be his heir.