Tesshu Yamaoka

A swordsman and politician from the end of the Edo period to the early Meiji period. His given name was Takayuki, commonly known as Tetsutaro, and his pen name was Tesshu. He was born on June 10, Tempo 7, as the eldest son of the bannerman Ono Asaemon, and in 1855 (Ansei 2), he inherited the Yamaoka family, his spear master. He also studied swordsmanship under Chiba Shusaku, and later invented the Muto-ryu style of swordsmanship, opened Shunpu-kan, and taught disciples there. In 1856, he became the head of the swordsmanship department at the Kobusho. In 1862 (Bunkyu 2), he became the director of the Roshi-tai, a group of roshi recruited by the shogunate. In March 1868 (Keio 4), during the Boshin War, he went to Sunpu as an emissary of Katsu Kaishu, and met with Saigo Takamori, paving the way for a meeting between Katsu and Saigo regarding the surrender of Edo Castle. In September 1869 (Meiji 2), he was appointed as the deputy grand counselor of the Shizuoka Domain, and in 1871 as the counselor of Ibaraki Prefecture, before being appointed as a chamberlain in June 1872. He then advanced to the ranks of Shojo and Daijo, and in 1881 was appointed Shoyu. He was a viscount. He was famous for his calligraphy under the pseudonym Ichirakusai. Along with Katsu Kaishu and Takahashi Deishu, he is known as one of the three great warriors of the late Edo period. He passed away on July 19, 1888. His grave is at Zenshoan in Yanaka, Tokyo.

[Masaru Sasaki]

"Yamaoka Tesshu" by Hideaki Kojima (2002, Nihon Keizai Shimbun Publishing)" ▽ "Yamaoka Tesshu" by Sogen Omori, new edition (2008, Shunjusha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

幕末・明治前期の剣客、政治家。名は高歩(たかゆき)、通称鉄太郎、鉄舟は号。天保(てんぽう)7年6月10日旗本小野朝右衛門の長男として生まれ、1855年（安政2）槍(やり)の師である山岡家を継いだ。また千葉周作に剣を学び、のち無刀流を案出し春風館を開き門弟を教えた。1856年講武所剣術世話役。1862年（文久2）幕府が募集した浪士隊の取締役となる。1868年（慶応4）3月戊辰戦争(ぼしんせんそう)の際、勝海舟(かつかいしゅう)の使者として駿府(すんぷ)に行き、西郷隆盛(さいごうたかもり)と会見して、江戸開城についての勝・西郷会談の道を開いた。1869年（明治2）9月静岡藩権大参事(ごんだいさんじ)、1871年茨城県参事を経て、1872年6月侍従に就任。ついで宮内少丞(しょうじょう)・大丞と進み、1881年宮内少輔(しょうゆう)となった。子爵。書は一楽斎と号して有名である。勝海舟、高橋泥舟(たかはしでいしゅう)とともに幕末三舟と称せられる。明治21年7月19日没。墓は東京谷中の全生庵(ぜんしょうあん)にある。

［佐々木克］

『小島英熙著『山岡鉄舟』（2002・日本経済新聞出版社）』▽『大森曹玄著『山岡鉄舟』新版（2008・春秋社）』

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