Tomomi Yoshii - Tomozane Yoshii

Japanese: 吉井友実 - よしい・ともざね

Year of death: April 22, 1891 (Meiji 24)
Year of birth: 1828.4.10 (February 26, 1828)
A Satsuma samurai in the late Edo period and a high-ranking official in the Meiji government. Nicknamed Kosuke, he was born in the castle town of Kagoshima as the eldest son of samurai Yoshii Tomomasa. He became close friends with Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi from an early age. In 1856 (Ansei 3), he became the caretaker of the Satsuma domain's Osaka residence, where he interacted with volunteers from various domains. In September of the same year, he planned to escape from the domain with his comrades Arima Shinshichi and Okubo Toshimichi in Kagoshima to take part in the Sonno Joi movement in Kyoto, but was persuaded to stay by the domain's lord and gave up the plan. He became a leader of the Seichugumi, and in 1861 (Bunkyu 1), he was selected as an ometsuke (meetsuke). The following year, he accompanied Shimazu Hisamitsu, who led 1,000 domain soldiers, to Kyoto, and traveled to Edo as a member of the guard for the imperial envoy Ohara Shigenori. In February 1864, when Saigo, who had been exiled to Okinoerabujima, was pardoned, he went to the island as a summons envoy. He then went to Tokyo and was appointed as the head of the small storehouse to guard Kyoto. In July of the same year, during the Kinmon Incident, he encouraged the Tosa clan's army together with Saigo and Ijichi Masaharu to repel the Choshu army. In May 1867, in an effort to cooperate with the Tosa clan's pro-imperial faction, he welcomed Inui (Itagaki) Taisuke, Nakaoka Shintaro, and others to the Satsuma clan residence in Kyoto along with Komatsu Tatewaki and Saigo, and concluded a secret agreement to overthrow the Satsuma-Tosa shogunate. He commanded the Satsuma clan's army in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. He was appointed as a conscript, advisor, and judge in the Military Defense Bureau of the Meiji government, and during the Boshin War, he fought in the Echigo region for distinguished service, for which he was awarded a permanent stipend of 1,000 koku. Thereafter, he successively served as Danjo Taichu, Shosuke, Junior Minister of Civil Affairs, Daijo, and in 1871 (Meiji 4), Daijo and Shojo of the Imperial Household. From 1875 to 1877, he was a councilor in the House of Councillors, in August 1877, a 1st Class Assistant Chamberlain, and from 1882 to 1883, a councilor in the House of Councillors and a 1st Class Assistant Chamberlain. In 1883, he also became a Junior Minister of Public Works, and in June 1888, he became Taijo of the Ministry of Public Works. In 1882, he also served as president of the Japan Railway Company when it was founded. In July 1882, he became Taijo of the Imperial Household, at which time he was awarded the title of Count. From 1884 to March 1889, he was Vice Minister of the Imperial Household, and from 1889 to 1899, he was a Privy Councilor. The Showa-era poet Yoshii Isamu is his grandson.

(Atsushi Fukuchi)

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

Japanese:

没年：明治24.4.22(1891)
生年：文政11.2.26(1828.4.10)
幕末の薩摩藩士,明治政府高官。通称は幸輔。鹿児島城下に藩士吉井友昌の長男として生まれる。早くから西郷隆盛,大久保利通と親しく交わる。安政3(1856)年大坂薩摩藩邸の留守居となり,諸藩の有志と交流。同6年9月,鹿児島で同志有馬新七,大久保利通らと脱藩して京都で尊攘運動に挺身する計画を立てたが,藩主に慰留され断念。精忠組の幹部となり,文久1(1861)年には大目付に抜擢された。翌年,藩兵1000人を率いた島津久光に随従して上洛,勅使大原重徳の護衛隊の員に列して江戸下向。元治1(1864)年2月,沖永良部島に流されていた西郷が赦免されるに当たり,召還使として同島に赴いた。次いで上京,御小納戸頭として京都の守衛に任じ,同年7月,禁門の変では,西郷,伊地知正治らと藩軍を督励して長州軍を撃退した。慶応3(1867)年,土佐藩勤王派との連携工作に当たり,5月,乾(板垣)退助,中岡慎太郎らを小松帯刀,西郷らと京都薩摩藩邸に迎え薩土討幕密約を締結。鳥羽・伏見の戦に,薩摩藩軍を指揮。維新政府の徴士,参与,軍防事務局判事に任じ,戊辰戦争では越後方面に転戦して功績あり,永世禄1000石を下賜された。以後,弾正大忠,同少弼,民部少輔,同大丞,明治4(1871)年宮内大丞,同少輔を歴任。8～10年元老院議官,10年8月1等侍補,11～14年元老院議官兼1等侍補。12年兼工部少輔,13年6月工部大輔。15年には日本鉄道会社の創立に際して社長も務めた。17年7月宮内大輔,このとき,伯爵を授けられた。19年から24年3月まで,宮内次官,21～24年枢密顧問官。昭和時代の歌人吉井勇は孫である。

(福地惇)

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