Yoshinaka Kira

A shogunate vassal and takayashu (high-ranking retainer) in the Edo period. A central figure in the Ako incident. On December 14, 1702 (Genroku 15), his mansion was attacked and he was killed by the Ako Roshi (masterless samurai). The Kira clan descended from Ashikaga Yoshiyasu of the Seiwa Genji clan, lived in Mikawa (Aichi Prefecture) and called themselves Kira. As a family of the Ashikaga shogun, they boasted a high status, but later fell into decline and became a hatamoto (main retainer) during the Tokugawa period. Yoshinaka first became Kozuke no Suke (Lord of the Left Guard), then Sakon'e Gon no Shosho (major general of the Left Guard), and succeeded his father Yoshifuyu as a takaya and served as Kimoiri (chief of the Left Guard). His fief was 4,200 koku in total in Mikawa and Kozuke (Gunma Prefecture). On March 14, 1701, in Edo Castle, Kira was slashed by Asano Naganori (Lord of Ako Castle), but the reason for this is unknown, but the Asano family and others believed that Asano had taken a grudge against Kira for not giving Asano sufficient instructions on etiquette. This was the indirect cause of Kira's later murder by Oishi Yoshio and others. Shortly after being injured, Kira requested to resign and was forgiven. In August, he moved from Gofukubashi to Honjo, and in December he retired, with his adopted son Yoshichika succeeding him as head of the family. Yoshichika was entrusted to the Suwa family of Takashima in Shinshu for the reason that he had acted "indecent" when he was attacked by the Ako Roshi, and the Kira family line was extinguished.

[Tahara Tsuguro]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸時代の幕臣、高家衆(こうけしゅう)。赤穂(あこう)事件の中心人物。1702年（元禄15）12月14日、赤穂浪士に邸(やしき)を襲われて殺害された。吉良氏は清和(せいわ)源氏足利義康(あしかがよしやす)の流れをくみ、三河(みかわ)（愛知県）に住んで吉良を称し、足利将軍の一族として高い家柄を誇ったが、のち没落し、徳川期に入って旗本となった。義央はまず上野介(こうずけのすけ)、ついで左近衛権少将(さこんえのごんのしょうしょう)となり、父義冬(よしふゆ)を継いで高家となり肝煎(きもいり)を勤めた。所領は三河と上野(こうずけ)（群馬県）にあわせて4200石。1701年3月14日江戸城中で浅野長矩(ながのり)（赤穂城主）に斬(き)りつけられた原因は不明であるが、吉良が浅野に儀礼上の指示を十分に与えなかったのを浅野が遺恨としたものと浅野家中などでは信じていた。それが、のちに吉良が大石良雄らに殺される遠因となった。吉良は負傷後まもなく辞職を願って許され、8月には呉服橋から本所に転宅し、12月隠居して養子義周(よしちか)が家督を相続した。義周は赤穂浪士に襲われたときの仕方が「不埒(ふらち)」であるとの理由で信州高島の諏訪(すわ)家に預けられ、吉良家は断絶した。

［田原嗣郎］

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