Prince Kaya Kuninori
Encyclopedia
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was a member of the Japanese imperial family and the founder of one of the nine ōke
(or princely houses) in the Meiji period
.
, as the second of the nine sons of Prince Kuni Asahiko
(1824–1891) at the time of the Meiji Restoration
. His father, a scion of the collateral imperial line of Fushimi-no-miya
, was a laicized Buddhist priest who became a close advisor to the Emperor Kōmei
and Emperor Meiji
, His mother was the court-lady Izumitei Shizue.
Originally titled Iwa-no-miya, he was called Iwaomaro-ō from 15 March 1874. He changed his personal name to Kuninori on 21 July 1886. Unlike his younger half-brothers, Prince Nashimoto Morimasa, Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko, and Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, Prince Kuninori did not pursue a military career. He was excluded from succeeding to the house of Kuni-no-miya
on the grounds of ill health on 7 March 1887.
(ad personam) and the rank of shinnō; on 17 December 1892. Later, on 4 May 1900, the emperor authorized him to form a new collateral branch of the imperial family
.
Prince Kaya Kuninori succeeded his father as supreme priest (saishu) of the Shinto Grand Shrine of Ise and served in that post until his death.
Daigo Tadayori, the last kuge
of that line of court nobles. Prince and Princess Kaya had four children:
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was a member of the Japanese imperial family and the founder of one of the nine ōke
Oke
The , were branches of the Japanese Imperial Family created from branches of the Fushimi-no-miya house. All but one of the ōke were formed by the descendants of Prince Fushimi Kuniye. The ōke were stripped of their membership in the Imperial Family by the American Occupation Authorities in...
(or princely houses) in the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
.
Early life
The prince was born in KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, as the second of the nine sons of Prince Kuni Asahiko
Prince Kuni Asahiko
align=right|, was a member of a collateral line of the Japanese imperial family who played a key role in the Meiji Restoration. Prince Asahiko was an adopted son of Emperor Ninkō and later a close advisor to Emperor Kōmei and Emperor Meiji...
(1824–1891) at the time 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...
. His father, a scion of the collateral imperial line of Fushimi-no-miya
Fushimi-no-miya
The ' is the oldest of the four shinnōke, branches of the Imperial Family of Japan which were eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne in the event that the main line should die out....
, was a laicized Buddhist priest who became a close advisor to the Emperor Kōmei
Emperor Komei
was the 121st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Kōmei's reign spanned the years from 1846 through 1867.-Genealogy:Before Kōmei's accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was ;, his title was ....
and 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...
, His mother was the court-lady Izumitei Shizue.
Originally titled Iwa-no-miya, he was called Iwaomaro-ō from 15 March 1874. He changed his personal name to Kuninori on 21 July 1886. Unlike his younger half-brothers, Prince Nashimoto Morimasa, Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko, and Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, Prince Kuninori did not pursue a military career. He was excluded from succeeding to the house of Kuni-no-miya
Kuni-no-miya
The was the second oldest collateral branch of the Japanese Imperial Family created from the Fushimi-no-miya, the oldest of the four branches of the imperial dynasty allowed to provide a successor to the Chrysanthemum throne should the main imperial line fail to produce an heir.The Kuni-no-miya...
on the grounds of ill health on 7 March 1887.
A new princely family
Emperor Meiji granted Prince Kuninori the title Kaya-no-miyaOke
The , were branches of the Japanese Imperial Family created from branches of the Fushimi-no-miya house. All but one of the ōke were formed by the descendants of Prince Fushimi Kuniye. The ōke were stripped of their membership in the Imperial Family by the American Occupation Authorities in...
(ad personam) and the rank of shinnō; on 17 December 1892. Later, on 4 May 1900, the emperor authorized him to form a new collateral branch of the imperial family
Oke
The , were branches of the Japanese Imperial Family created from branches of the Fushimi-no-miya house. All but one of the ōke were formed by the descendants of Prince Fushimi Kuniye. The ōke were stripped of their membership in the Imperial Family by the American Occupation Authorities in...
.
Prince Kaya Kuninori succeeded his father as supreme priest (saishu) of the Shinto Grand Shrine of Ise and served in that post until his death.
Marriage & family
On 26 November 1892, the Prince Kaya Kuninori married Daigo Yoshiko ( 7 December 1865 – 21 November 1941), the daughter of MarquisMarquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
Daigo Tadayori, the last kuge
Kuge
The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...
of that line of court nobles. Prince and Princess Kaya had four children:
- ; married Viscount Machijiri
- ; married Kujō Toshiko, fifth daughter of Prince Kujō Michizane and niece of Empress Teimei, the consort of Emperor TaishōEmperor TaishōThe was the 123rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 30 July 1912, until his death in 1926.The Emperor’s personal name was . According to Japanese customs, the emperor has no name during his reign and is only called the Emperor...
. - ; married her second cousin Prince Yamashina TakehikoPrince Yamashina Takehikoalign=right|, was the third head of the Yamashina-no-miya, a collateral line of the Japanese imperial family. He was nicknamed “the Flying Prince”.-Early life:...
; no issue. She was residing with her husband at their home in YuigahamaYuigahamais a beach near Kamakura, a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The relation between the beach and its neighboring areas is complex. Although Yuigahama is in fact the entire 3.2 km beach that goes from Inamuragasaki, which separates it from Shichirigahama, to Zaimokuza's Iijima cape, which...
, KamakuraKamakura, Kanagawais a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
, Kanagawa prefectureKanagawa Prefectureis a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
at the time of the Great Kanto Earthquake. The building collapsed, killing the princess and her unborn child. The unborn child was named Prince Yamashina Taha (山階宮他派王, Yamashina-no-miya Taha-ō), born on August 30, 1923, and Taha and his mother were both killed in the earthquake.