Prince Asahiko

Japanese: 朝彦親王 - あさひこしんのう

Year of death: October 29, 1891 (Meiji 24)
Year of birth: 28th January 1824 (27th February 1824)
A court politician during the Meiji Restoration period. Born as the fourth son of Prince Fushiminomiya Kuniie. In 1836 (Tenpo 7), he was adopted by Emperor Ninko and became the head priest of Ichijo-in Temple in Nara. In 1836, he was proclaimed prince, and in 1837, he was ordained and called Prince Son'o Nyudo. In 1852 (Kaei 5), he became the head priest of Shoren-in Temple in Awataguchi, Kyoto, and changed his name to Son'yu. In December of the same year, he became the head priest of Tendai. Widely praised for his wisdom, he was referred to by Mito domain samurai as Imadaitonomiya (meaning the return of Prince Morinaga). Since the senior councilor Hotta Masamune went to Kyoto in February 1858 (Ansei 5) to seek approval for the signing of the treaty, various domains became more active in their efforts to control Kyoto. At the urging of Mito domain samurai, and then Echizen domain samurai, he showed his opposition to the signing of the treaty, and worked in the hope that Tokugawa Yoshinobu would become the successor to the shogunate. In February of the following year, he was placed under house arrest, and in December, he was sentenced to retirement and permanent house arrest. In April of 1862, the punishment was lifted, and he returned to his position as Shoren-in Temple's head priest. He was 39 years old at the time. In December of the same year, he was appointed as a state affairs officer. In January of the following year, he received an imperial decree to return to secular life, and was called Nakagawanomiya. He advocated the union of the Imperial Court and the Shogunate, and opposed the Sonno Joi movement. Following the wishes of Emperor Komei, he led the coup d'état of August 18, and expelled the Choshu Domain and Sonno Joi faction from Kyoto. He came of age immediately afterwards, and took the name Asahiko. He was hated by the Sonno Joi faction as the "Prince of Schemers," and was slandered for plotting to usurp the Imperial throne and for practicing secret curse rituals, and he has been plagued by these kinds of rumors ever since. He initially cooperated with the Satsuma Domain, but in 1864, he became close to Tokugawa Yoshinobu. From then on, together with the chancellor Nijō Nariyoshi, he continued to support Yoshinobu's government from within the Imperial Court, which provoked opposition from courtiers critical of Yoshinobu. In August 1866, he was impeached at a procession of 22 courtiers, including Ohara Shigenori and Nakamikado Tsuneyuki, and offered his intention to resign, but his resignation was rejected. In the following year, on December 9, he was suspended from attending court service during the political upheaval that marked the restoration of Imperial Rule. In August of the following year, 1868, he was stripped of his title as prince on suspicion of plotting to restore the Tokugawa shogunate, and was imprisoned in Hiroshima. In the following year, he was allowed to return to Kyoto. In May of the following year, he was restored to his title as prince, established a family, and took the name Kuninomiya. In July, he was appointed chief priest of the Ise Shrine. He devoted himself to researching the ancient scriptures of the shrine, and in 1849 he participated in the ceremony for the shrine's rebuilding. He is known for his book, "The Diary of Prince Asahiko."

(Inoue Isao)

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

Japanese:

没年：明治24.10.29(1891)
生年：文政7.1.28(1824.2.27)
幕末維新期の宮廷政治家。伏見宮邦家親王の第4子に生まれる。天保7(1836)年仁孝天皇の養子となり奈良一条院門跡,同8年親王宣下,同9年得度を受け尊応入道親王と称す。嘉永5(1852)年京都粟田口の青蓮院門跡となり尊融と改称,同年12月より天台座主。広く英明をうたわれ,水戸藩士から今大塔宮(護良親王再来の意)と称された。安政5(1858)年2月条約調印の承認を求めて老中堀田正睦が上洛して以来,諸藩の京都手入れが活発化。水戸藩士,次いで越前藩士の働きかけを受け,条約調印反対の姿勢を示し,将軍継嗣を徳川慶喜に期待して活動。翌6年2月謹慎,12月には隠居・永蟄居に処せられた。文久2(1862)年4月処分を解除され,青蓮院門跡に復した。時に39歳。同年12月国事用掛。翌3年1月還俗の内勅を受け中川宮と称す。公武合体論を唱えて尊王攘夷運動に対抗。孝明天皇の意を受け8月18日の政変を指導,長州藩・尊攘派勢力を京から追放。その直後に元服し,名を朝彦とした。尊攘派から「陰謀の宮」と憎まれ,皇位簒奪の異図を含み呪詛の密法を行っているとの讒誣を受け,以来この種の風評に悩まされる。当初は薩摩藩と協調していたが,元治1(1864)年より徳川慶喜と接近。以来関白二条斉敬と共に朝廷内から慶喜の政権を支持し続け,そのため慶喜に批判的な廷臣の反発を招く。慶応2(1866)年8月,大原重徳,中御門経之ら22廷臣の列参奏上で弾劾され辞意を表明したが却下された。翌3年12月9日の王政復古の政変に際して参朝停止の処分を受ける。翌明治1(1868)年8月徳川再興の陰謀を企てたとの嫌疑により親王の位を剥奪され,広島に幽閉された。同3年京都帰住を許される。同8年5月親王の位を回復し,一家を立てて久邇宮と称す。7月神宮祭主に任命される。神宮の旧典考証に没念,22年遷宮の儀式に従事した。著書に『朝彦親王日記』がある。

(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

<<: Asahiza - Asahiza

>>: Asahikawa