Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa
Encyclopedia
of Japan
, was the 2nd head of a collateral branch
of the Japanese imperial family.
(1802–1875). He entered the Buddhist priesthood under the title Rinnoji-no-miya. He served as abbot of Kan'ei-ji
in Edo
.
to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate
, Prince Yoshihisa fled north with Tokugawa partisans of the following the Satsuma-Chōshū takeover of the city of Edo, and was made the nominal head of the "Northern Alliance" (Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei
). This short-lived alliance consisted of almost all of the domains of northern Japan under the leadership of Date Yoshikuni
of Sendai
. Documents exist which name Prince Yoshihisa as , and delineate the holders of the chief positions of a new, northern court; however, historians are divided as to whether or not Prince Yoshihisa was actually named emperor. Depending on the source, Prince Yoshihisa's planned era name (nengō) is believed to have been either Taisei (大政) or Enju (延寿).
Following the Meiji Restoration
, in 1873 Emperor Meiji
recalled all imperial princes currently serving as Buddhist priests back to secular status. That same year he succeeded his younger brother, Prince Kitashirakawa Kasunari
, as the second head of the new princely house of Kitashirakawa-no-miya.
of Satsuma domain. The marriage produced no children: however, Prince Yoshihisa had five sons by various concubines, as was common practice for the time:
Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa became a professional soldier, and was sent to Germany
for military training. On his return to Japan in 1887, he was commissioned as a major general
in the Imperial Japanese Army
. In 1893, as lieutenant general
, he was given command of the IJA 4th Division. After the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War
of 1894-1895, he was transferred to the elite IJA 1st Division and participated in the Japanese invasion of Taiwan
. During the invasion, he contracted malaria
and died outside of Tainan (although there were rumors that he was killed in action by Taiwanese guerrillas). Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa is thus the first member of the Japanese imperial family known to have died outside of Japan, and the first (in modern times) to have died in war. Under State Shinto
, he was elevated to a kami
, and was enshrined in most of the Shinto shrines erected in Taiwan under the Japanese occupation
, as well as in Yasukuni Jinja.
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...
, was the 2nd head of a collateral branch
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...
of the Japanese imperial family.
Early life
Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa was the ninth son of Prince Fushimi KuniyePrince Fushimi Kuniye
was a Japanese minor royal, he was the 20th prince Fushimi-no-miya 1817/1848, married and had issue, at least 17 sons and 4 daughters....
(1802–1875). He entered the Buddhist priesthood under the title Rinnoji-no-miya. He served as abbot of Kan'ei-ji
Kan'ei-ji
-External links:** * National Diet Library: ; *...
in Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
.
Bakumatsu period
During the unrest of the Boshin WarBoshin 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....
to overthrow 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...
, Prince Yoshihisa fled north with Tokugawa partisans of the following the Satsuma-Chōshū takeover of the city of Edo, and was made the nominal head of the "Northern Alliance" (Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei
Ouetsu Reppan Domei
-External links:**...
). This short-lived alliance consisted of almost all of the domains of northern Japan under the leadership of Date Yoshikuni
Date Yoshikuni
was a Japanese daimyo lord of the late Edo period, known primarily for being the commander-in-chief of the Northern Alliance of Confederated Domains during the Boshin War.During his tenure as lord he was also known by his courtesy title, Matsudaira ....
of Sendai
Sendai, Miyagi
is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tōhoku Region. In 2005, the city had a population of one million, and was one of Japan's 19 designated cities...
. Documents exist which name Prince Yoshihisa as , and delineate the holders of the chief positions of a new, northern court; however, historians are divided as to whether or not Prince Yoshihisa was actually named emperor. Depending on the source, Prince Yoshihisa's planned era name (nengō) is believed to have been either Taisei (大政) or Enju (延寿).
Following 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...
, in 1873 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...
recalled all imperial princes currently serving as Buddhist priests back to secular status. That same year he succeeded his younger brother, Prince Kitashirakawa Kasunari
Prince Kitashirakawa Kasunari
align=right|, was the founder of a collateral branch of the Japanese imperial family.-Early life:Prince Kitashirakawa Satonari was born in Kyoto, and was the thirteenth son of Prince Fushimi Kuniiye , the twentieth head of the Fushimi-no-miya, the oldest of the four branches of the imperial dynasty...
, as the second head of the new princely house of Kitashirakawa-no-miya.
Marriage and family
In April 1886, Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa married Shimazu Tomiko (1862–1936), the adopted daughter of Prince Shimazu HisamitsuShimazu Hisamitsu
Prince , also known as ', was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period. The younger brother of Shimazu Nariakira, Hisamitsu served as regent for his underage son Tadayoshi , who became the 12th and last lord. Hisamitsu was instrumental in the efforts of the southern Satsuma, Chōshū, and Tosa clans...
of Satsuma domain. The marriage produced no children: however, Prince Yoshihisa had five sons by various concubines, as was common practice for the time:
- Prince Takeda TsunehisaPrince Takeda Tsunehisawas the founder of the Takeda-no-miya collateral branch of Japanese Imperial Family.- Biography :Prince Takeda Tsunehisa was the eldest son of Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa and thus the brother of Prince Kitashirakawa Naruhisa...
(22 September 1882 – 23 April 1919) - Count Futara Yoshiaki (26 October 1886 – 18 April 1909)
- Count Ueno Masao
- Prince Kitashirakawa NaruhisaPrince Kitashirakawa Naruhisa, was the 3rd head of a collateral branch of the Japanese Imperial Family.-Early life:Prince Kitashirakawa Naruhisa was the son of Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa and Princess Tomiko. Prince Naruhisa succeeded as head of the house of Kitashirakawa-no-miya after the death of his father in November...
(18 April 1887 – 2 April 1923) - Marquis Komatsu TeruhisaTeruhisa Komatsu-Notes:...
(b. 2 August 1888 – 5 November 1970)
Military career
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for military training. On his return to Japan in 1887, he was commissioned as a major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
. In 1893, as lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
, he was given command of the IJA 4th Division. After the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
of 1894-1895, he was transferred to the elite IJA 1st Division and participated in the Japanese invasion of Taiwan
Japanese invasion of Taiwan (1895)
The Japanese invasion of Taiwan was a conflict between the Empire of Japan and the armed forces of the short-lived Republic of Formosa following the Qing Dynasty's cession of Taiwan to Japan in April 1895 at the end of the First Sino-Japanese War...
. During the invasion, he contracted malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and died outside of Tainan (although there were rumors that he was killed in action by Taiwanese guerrillas). Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa is thus the first member of the Japanese imperial family known to have died outside of Japan, and the first (in modern times) to have died in war. Under State Shinto
State Shinto
has been called the state religion of the Empire of Japan, although it did not exist as a single institution and no "Shintō" was ever declared a state religion...
, he was elevated to a kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
, and was enshrined in most of the Shinto shrines erected in Taiwan under the Japanese occupation
Taiwan under Japanese rule
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Empire of Japan. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century....
, as well as in Yasukuni Jinja.