Shimazu Tadayoshi

Japanese: 島津忠義 - しまづ・ただよし

Year of death: December 26, 1897 (Meiji 30)
Year of birth: Tempo 11.4.21 (1840.5.22)
Lord of Satsuma (Kagoshima) during the Meiji Restoration. Eldest son of Shimazu Hisamitsu. In December 1858 (Ansei 5), he inherited the title by order of the previous lord, Nariakira, and took the name Shigehisa. He was 19 years old at the time. He left the leadership of the domain's government to his father, Hisamitsu, or powerful vassals such as Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi. In November 1867 (Keio 3), he received a secret imperial decree to overthrow the shogunate and led his troops to Kyoto, where he was appointed as a council member in the new government that was born after the political upheaval of the Restoration of Imperial Rule, and immediately after this he changed his name to Tadayoshi. He was the Governor-General of the Navy and Army, and Governor of the Kagoshima Domain. During the Seinan War, he attempted a ceasefire between the government forces and Saigo's forces, but failed. He closely followed his father, Hisamitsu, who was becoming increasingly conservative. Attending the ceremony to promulgate the Constitution of the Empire of Japan on February 11, 1889 (Meiji 22), Baeltz wrote in his diary, "I recognized Lord Shimazu of Satsuma, the only person (in Western clothing) who still wore the authentic old Japanese topknot. What a strange sight!" The topknot may have been a sign of filial piety towards Hisamitsu, who had already passed away.

(Inoue Isao)

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

Japanese:

没年：明治30.12.26(1897)
生年：天保11.4.21(1840.5.22)
幕末維新期の薩摩(鹿児島)藩主。島津久光の長子。安政5(1858)年12月,前藩主斉彬の遺命により襲封,名を茂久とする。時に19歳。藩政の指導は実父久光あるいは西郷隆盛,大久保利通らの有力家臣に委ねた。慶応3(1867)年11月,討幕の密勅を得て率兵上洛,王政復古の政変で誕生の新政府では議定,この直後に忠義と改名。海陸軍務総督,鹿児島藩知事。西南戦争に当たり政府軍と西郷軍の休戦を図ったが失敗。保守化していく父久光によく従う。明治22(1889)年2月11日の大日本帝国憲法発布の式典に列席,「ただ一人(洋服姿でいながら)なお正真正銘の旧い日本のまげをつけているサツマの島津公を認めた。珍妙な光景だ!」とはベルツの日記の一節。まげは,すでに亡い久光への孝心に出ていたのかもしれない。

(井上勲)

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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