Prince Komatsu Akihito
Encyclopedia
was a member of the Fushimi-no-miya
one of the 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. He served as a career soldier in the Imperial Japanese Army
.
Prince Akihito was born as Prince Yoshiaki, the seventh son of Prince Fushimi Kuniye
. In 1858, he was adopted by Emperor Ninkō
as a potiental heir to the throne. As he was born when the country was still under rule by the Tokugawa Bakufu, he was sent into the Buddhist priesthood, and assigned to serve at the monzeki
temple of Ninna-ji in Kyoto, where he adopted the title Ninnaji-no-miya Yoshiaki (仁和寺宮嘉彰).
He returned to secular life in 1867 during the Meiji Restoration
, and led imperial forces to Osaka
, Yamato
, Shikoku
and Aizu
during the Boshin War
to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate
.
The prince was initially chosen to seal an alliance with the Kingdom of Hawai'i by marrying Princess Ka'iulani. However, these plans never came to fruition.
Prince Yoshiaki married Arima Yoriko (June 18, 1852 - June 26, 1914), daughter of Arima Yorishige, the former daimyō
of Kurume Domain
, on November 6, 1869. In 1870, Emperor Meiji
assigned him the title of Higashifushimi-no-miya.
Considered a brilliant military tactician, he helped subdue many of the samurai
rebellions in the early years of the Meiji period
, including the Saga Rebellion
of 1874, and the Satsuma Rebellion
of 1877. The emperor granted him the rank of lieutenant general
in the newly created Imperial Japanese Army
and awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun
(1st class).
In 1882, he changed the name of his house to Komatsu-no-miya
and his personal name from "Yoshiaki" to "Akihito", and became therefore known as "Prince Komatsu-no-miya Akihito".
Prince Komatsu rose to the rank of general
and received command of the First Imperial Guard Division
in 1890. He was nominal commander of the Japanese expeditionary forces in the First Sino-Japanese War
(1894–95) and became a member of the Supreme Military Council
. Following the death of his uncle, Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
in 1895, Prince Komatsu Akihito became the chief of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff, and received the honorary rank of field marshal
.
He was sent to Istanbul
in 1887 to mark the inaugural step in relations between Ottoman Empire
and the Empire of Japan. Prince Komatsu was received in an audience by the Ottoman Emperor ‘Abdu’l-Hamid II.
In July 1901, Prince Komatsu Akihito and Princess Yoriko returned to the United Kingdom to represent Emperor Meiji at the coronation
ceremonies for King Edward VII
.
In his latter years, Prince Komatsu was a patron of the Japanese Red Cross
Society and the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai
, along with other charity institutions. As Prince Komatsu died without heirs, the title of Komatsu-no-miya reverted back to his younger brother, Prince Higashifushimi Yorihito
. However, to preserve the Komatsu family name, in 1910 the fourth son of Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa
was renamed Teruhisa Komatsu
, with the peerage title of marquis
(koshaku).
The prince was also on the list of three possible suitors for marriage to the Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Hawai'i, Kaʻiulani.
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....
one of the shinnōke
Shinnoke
was the collective name for the four cadet branches of the Imperial Household of Japan, which were until 1947 entitled to provide a successor to the Chrysanthemum throne if the main line failed to produce an heir...
branches of the Imperial Family of Japan, which were eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne
Chrysanthemum Throne
The is the English term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, such as the takamikura throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace....
in the event that the main line should die out. He served as a career soldier 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...
.
Early life
Prince 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....
. In 1858, he was adopted by Emperor Ninkō
Emperor Ninko
was the 120th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Ninkō's reign spanned the years from 1817 through 1846.-Genealogy:Before Ninkō's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was ....
as a potiental heir to the throne. As he was born when the country was still under rule by the Tokugawa Bakufu, he was sent into the Buddhist priesthood, and assigned to serve at the monzeki
Monzeki
Monzeki were Japanese Buddhist priests of aristocratic or imperial lineage. The term was also applied to the temples in which they lived....
temple of Ninna-ji in Kyoto, where he adopted the title Ninnaji-no-miya Yoshiaki (仁和寺宮嘉彰).
He returned to secular life in 1867 during 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...
, and led imperial forces to Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Yamato
Yamato Province
was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. It was also called . At first, the name was written with one different character , and for about ten years after 737, this was revised to use more desirable characters . The final revision was made in...
, Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
and Aizu
Aizu
is an area comprising the westernmost third of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The principal city of the area is Aizuwakamatsu.During the Edo period, Aizu was a feudal domain known as and part of Mutsu Province.-History:...
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....
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...
.
The prince was initially chosen to seal an alliance with the Kingdom of Hawai'i by marrying Princess Ka'iulani. However, these plans never came to fruition.
Prince Yoshiaki married Arima Yoriko (June 18, 1852 - June 26, 1914), daughter of Arima Yorishige, the former daimyō
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 Kurume Domain
Kurume Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, ruled by the Arima clan. It was located in Chikugo Province .The Arima clan became viscounts in the Meiji era.-List of lords:* Arima clan 1620-1871...
, on November 6, 1869. In 1870, 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...
assigned him the title of Higashifushimi-no-miya.
Military career
Prince Yoshiaki studied military tactics in England for two years from 1870-1872.Considered a brilliant military tactician, he helped subdue many of the samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
rebellions in the early years of 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 :...
, including the Saga Rebellion
Saga Rebellion
The was an 1874 uprisings in Kyūshū against the new Meiji government of Japan. It was led by Etō Shimpei and Shima Yoshitake in their native domain of Hizen.-Background:...
of 1874, and the Satsuma Rebellion
Satsuma Rebellion
The was a revolt of Satsuma ex-samurai against the Meiji government from January 29 to September 24, 1877, 9 years into the Meiji Era. It was the last, and the most serious, of a series of armed uprisings against the new government.-Background:...
of 1877. The emperor granted him the rank of 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....
in the newly created 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...
and awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
(1st class).
In 1882, he changed the name of his house to Komatsu-no-miya
Komatsu-no-miya
The Komatsu House or Higashifushimi ōke was the sixth oldest branch of the Imperial House of Japan, created from branches of the Fushimi-no-miya house, presently extinct. It was founded by Imperial Prince Yoshiaki, the seventh son of Prince Fushimi-no-miya Kuniye, in 1872...
and his personal name from "Yoshiaki" to "Akihito", and became therefore known as "Prince Komatsu-no-miya Akihito".
Prince Komatsu rose to the rank of general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and received command of the First Imperial Guard Division
Imperial Guard of Japan
The Japanese is an organization which is dedicated to protection of the Emperor of Japan and his family, palaces and other imperial properties. Following the end of World War II the traditional Guard, which also served as a unit in the Imperial Japanese Army, was dissolved and in 1947 a civil...
in 1890. He was nominal commander of the Japanese expeditionary forces in 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...
(1894–95) and became a member of the Supreme Military Council
Supreme War Council (Japan)
The Supreme War Council was established during the development of representative government in Meiji period Japan to further strengthen the authority of the state. Its first leader was Yamagata Aritomo , a Chōshū native who has been credited with the founding of the modern Japanese army and was to...
. Following the death of his uncle, Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
became the 9th head of line of shinnōke cadet branches of the Imperial Family of Japan on September 9, 1871. He was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army.-Early life:...
in 1895, Prince Komatsu Akihito became the chief of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff, and received the honorary rank of field marshal
Field Marshal (Japan)
was the highest title in the prewar Imperial Japanese Military.The term gensui, which was used for both the Imperial Japanese Army and the Imperial Japanese Navy, was at first a rank held by Saigō Takamori as the Commander of the Armies in 1872...
.
Diplomatic career
Prince Komatsu Akihito also served the Meiji government in a diplomatic capacity. In 1886, he went to England, France, Germany and Russia on behalf of Emperor Meiji.He was sent to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
in 1887 to mark the inaugural step in relations between Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and the Empire of Japan. Prince Komatsu was received in an audience by the Ottoman Emperor ‘Abdu’l-Hamid II.
In July 1901, Prince Komatsu Akihito and Princess Yoriko returned to the United Kingdom to represent Emperor Meiji at the coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
ceremonies for King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
.
In his latter years, Prince Komatsu was a patron of the Japanese Red Cross
Japanese Red Cross
The ' is the Japanese affiliate of the International Red Cross.The Imperial Family of Japan traditionally has supported the society, with Empress as Honorary President and other royal family members as vice-presidents. Its headquarters is located in Tokyo and local chapters are set up in all 47...
Society and the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai
Dai Nippon Butoku Kai
is a Japanese martial arts organization established in 1895 in Kyoto, Japan, under the authority of the Ministry of Education and sanction of the Emperor Meiji. Its purpose, at that time, was to standardize martial disciplines and systems throughout Japan. This was the first official martial arts...
, along with other charity institutions. As Prince Komatsu died without heirs, the title of Komatsu-no-miya reverted back to his younger brother, Prince Higashifushimi Yorihito
Prince Higashifushimi Yorihito
was the second head of the Higashifushimi-no-miya, an ōke cadet branch of the Japanese imperial family.-Early life:Born on September 19, 1867, as seventeenth son of Prince Fushimi Kuniye, head of the Fushimi-no-miya, one of the shinnōke branches of the Imperial Family of Japan, which were...
. However, to preserve the Komatsu family name, in 1910 the fourth son of Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa
Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa
of Japan, was the 2nd head of a collateral branch of the Japanese imperial family.- Early life :Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa was the ninth son of Prince Fushimi Kuniye . He entered the Buddhist priesthood under the title Rinnoji-no-miya...
was renamed Teruhisa Komatsu
Teruhisa Komatsu
-Notes:...
, with the peerage title of marquis
Marquis
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:...
(koshaku).
The prince was also on the list of three possible suitors for marriage to the Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Hawai'i, Kaʻiulani.