Katsu Kokichi

Japanese: 勝小吉 - かつ・こきち

Year of death: September 4, 1850 (October 9, 1850)
Year of birth: 1802
A hatamoto (samurai vassal) from the late early modern period. His childhood name was Kamematsu. His given name was Ito. He was also called Saemontaro. He was the third son of Otokodani Heizo, who had served as a magistrate, and inherited the family name of Katsuie at the age of seven. Katsuie was a humble man with a stipend of just over 41 koku, but he was a shogunate vassal who had been granted an audience with the shogun. Since he had no official duties (small construction work), he tried to find employment at the age of 16, but was unsuccessful and spent his life as an ordinary citizen. In 1838, at the age of 37, he handed over the family headship to his son Rintaro (Kaishu) and retired, taking the name Musui. At the age of 42, he took up residence in Uguisudani, reflected on his own free-spirited lifestyle, and wrote "Musui Dokugen" as a warning to his descendants. Written in unadorned colloquial language, the book gives insight into the lifestyle and attitude of Edo samurai who had become urban vagrants, and Shimozawa Kan based his novels "Otokotaka" and "Father and Son Taka" on this book.

(Mieko Matsuo)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：嘉永3.9.4(1850.10.9)
生年：享和2(1802)
近世後期の旗本。幼名亀松。諱は維寅。左衛門太郎とも称した。代官などを勤めた男谷平蔵の3男で,7歳で勝家の名跡を継ぐ。勝家は家禄41石余の小身であるが,御目見以上の幕臣。無役(小普請)のため,16歳になると就職運動に励んだが,かなえられず,一生を市井の人として過ごす。天保9(1838)年37歳で家督を子の麟太郎(海舟)に譲って隠居し,夢酔と号した。42歳のとき,鶯谷に庵を結び,自らの自由奔放な生き方をふりかえり,子孫への戒めとした『夢酔独言』を著した。飾り気のない口語文で綴られ,都市の遊民と化した江戸武士の生活・意識を知り得る書で,これをもとに子母沢寛は小説『おとこ鷹』『父子鷹』を書いた。

(松尾美恵子)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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