Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
Encyclopedia
became the 9th head of line of shinnōke
cadet branches of the Imperial Family of Japan on September 9, 1871. He was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army
.
in 1835, as the son of Prince Arisugawa Takahito
by Yūko (d. 1841), the eldest daughter of Saeki Yūjō. He was adopted by Emperor Ninkō
as a potential heir to the throne, thus making Prince Taruhito, the adopted brother of Osahito Shinnō (the future Emperor Kōmei
). Prince Arisugawa was a close advisor to both Emperor Kōmei and his nephew by adoption, Emperor Meiji
.
Prince Arisugawa became engaged to Princess Kazu-no-Miya Chikako
the eighth daughter of Emperor Ninkō
on August 8, 1861. However, the engagement was cancelled by the Tokugawa bakufu so that the princess could marry Shogun
Tokugawa Iemochi
, thus politically sealing the reconciliation between the Shogunate and the Imperial Court.
Ironically, Prince Arisugawa's first wife Sadako (1850–1872) was the eleventh daughter of Tokugawa Nariaki
, daimyō
of Mito Domain
. His second wife was Tadako (1855–1923), daughter of Count Mizoguchi Naohiro, the former daimyō of Shibata Domain
. Neither of these marriages produced any children.
(a title equivalent to chief minister), and placed him in command of the Imperial Army sent to against the last partisans of the Tokugawa bakufu in the Boshin War
of 1868-1869. He fought at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi
, and later traveled up the Tōkaidō
, to accept the surrender of Edo Castle
on May 3, 1867, from his ex-fiancée Princess Kazu.
Prince Arisugawa later led the central government army against the forces of Saigo Takamori
in the Satsuma Rebellion
of 1877. He was given the honorary rank of general
in 1878.
From 1870 until the adoption of the Cabinet
system in 1885, Prince Arisugawa served as Daijō Daijin or lord president of the Council of State. In 1871, he was appointed governor of Fukuoka
. From 1876, he was the chairman of the Genrōin
. In 1882, he traveled to St Petersburg, Russia
, and met with Tsar Alexander III, as the official envoy from Emperor Meiji.
From 1889 to 1895, the prince served as chief of staff of the Imperial Japanese Army
and a member of the Supreme War Council
.
In 1894, Prince Arisugawa was officially commander-in-chief
of Japanese forces in the First Sino-Japanese War
, and established his command center at the Hiroshima
garrison. However, he contracted typhoid fever
(or possibly malaria
) and returned to the Arisugawa palace at Maiko near Kobe
to recover. He died there on January 15, 1895. On his death, Emperor Meiji awarded him the first ever Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum
. He was accorded a state funeral
in Tokyo
on January 29, 1895.
His half-brother, Prince Arisugawa Takehito, succeeded as the tenth head of the house of Arisugawa-no-miya
.
in Minami-Azabu
, Minato, Tokyo
occupies the site of the Arisugawa palace and its extensive gardens are open to the public. Although Imperial Prince Taruhito had intended to spend his last days in this palace, he died without ever occupying it. A statue of the Prince on horseback was made with donations by Oyama Iwao
, Saigo Tsugumichi and Yamagata Aritomo
, and first erected in 1903 by the gate of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff headquarters; it was moved to this park in 1962.
Shinnoke
was the collective name for the four cadet branches of the Imperial Household of Japan, which were until 1947 entitled to provide a successor to the Chrysanthemum throne if the main line failed to produce an heir...
cadet branches of the Imperial Family of Japan on September 9, 1871. He was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
.
Early life
Prince Arisugawa Taruhito was born in KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
in 1835, as the son of Prince Arisugawa Takahito
Prince Arisugawa Takahito
was the 10th head of a cadet branch of the Japanese imperial family and a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy.-Early life:thumb|left|Prince Takehito was born in Kyoto as a scion of the house, one of the shinnōke branches of the Imperial Family of Japan, which were eligible to succeed to...
by Yūko (d. 1841), the eldest daughter of Saeki Yūjō. He was adopted by Emperor Ninkō
Emperor Ninko
was the 120th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Ninkō's reign spanned the years from 1817 through 1846.-Genealogy:Before Ninkō's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was ....
as a potential heir to the throne, thus making Prince Taruhito, the adopted brother of Osahito Shinnō (the future Emperor Kōmei
Emperor Komei
was the 121st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Kōmei's reign spanned the years from 1846 through 1867.-Genealogy:Before Kōmei's accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was ;, his title was ....
). Prince Arisugawa was a close advisor to both Emperor Kōmei and his nephew by adoption, Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
.
Prince Arisugawa became engaged to Princess Kazu-no-Miya Chikako
Kazu-no-Miya Chikako
was the wife of 14th shogun Tokugawa Iemochi. She was renamed Lady Seikan'in no miya after she took the tonsure as a widow.She was the eighth and youngest daughter of Emperor Ninkō and his concubine, Hashimoto Tsuneko - renamed Kangyouin after she took the tonsure. She was the younger half-sister...
the eighth daughter of Emperor Ninkō
Emperor Ninko
was the 120th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Ninkō's reign spanned the years from 1817 through 1846.-Genealogy:Before Ninkō's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was ....
on August 8, 1861. However, the engagement was cancelled by the Tokugawa bakufu so that the princess could marry Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Tokugawa Iemochi
Tokugawa Iemochi
was the 14th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office 1858 to 1866. During his reign there was much internal turmoil as a result of Japan's first major contact with the United States, which occurred under Commodore Perry in 1853 and 1854, and of the subsequent "re-opening" of...
, thus politically sealing the reconciliation between the Shogunate and the Imperial Court.
Ironically, Prince Arisugawa's first wife Sadako (1850–1872) was the eleventh daughter of Tokugawa Nariaki
Tokugawa Nariaki
Tokugawa Nariaki was a prominent Japanese daimyo who ruled the Mito domain and contributed to the rise of nationalism and the Meiji restoration.- Clan leader :...
, daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of Mito Domain
Mito Domain
was a prominent feudal domain in Japan during the Edo period. Its capital was the city of Mito, and it covered much of present-day Ibaraki Prefecture. Beginning with the appointment of Tokugawa Yorifusa by his father, Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, in 1608, the Mito branch of the Tokugawa clan...
. His second wife was Tadako (1855–1923), daughter of Count Mizoguchi Naohiro, the former daimyō of Shibata Domain
Shibata Domain
was a Han domain in Echigo Province ....
. Neither of these marriages produced any children.
Meiji Restoration
In 1867, Emperor Meiji appointed Prince Arisugawa sōsaiSosai
The Japanese word Sosai means roughly "president" or "director-general". It is used in several ways:-Political:*Sosai, or president of the government, was only once the title of the imperial prime minister: from 1 January 1868 The Japanese word Sosai (Japanese:総裁, "Sōsai") means roughly...
(a title equivalent to chief minister), and placed him in command of the Imperial Army sent to against the last partisans of the Tokugawa bakufu in the Boshin War
Boshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
of 1868-1869. He fought at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi
Battle of Toba-Fushimi
The occurred between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan. The battle started on 27 January 1868 , when the forces of the Tokugawa shogunate and the allied forces of Chōshū, Satsuma and Tosa domains clashed near Fushimi...
, and later traveled up the Tōkaidō
Tokaido (road)
The ' was the most important of the Five Routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name....
, to accept the surrender of Edo Castle
Edo Castle
, also known as , is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan. It is located in Chiyoda in Tokyo, then known as Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa shogunate here. It was the residence of the shogun and location of the shogunate, and also...
on May 3, 1867, from his ex-fiancée Princess Kazu.
Prince Arisugawa later led the central government army against the forces of Saigo Takamori
Saigo Takamori
was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history, living during the late Edo Period and early Meiji Era. He has been dubbed the last true samurai.-Early life:...
in the Satsuma Rebellion
Satsuma Rebellion
The was a revolt of Satsuma ex-samurai against the Meiji government from January 29 to September 24, 1877, 9 years into the Meiji Era. It was the last, and the most serious, of a series of armed uprisings against the new government.-Background:...
of 1877. He was given the honorary rank of general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
in 1878.
From 1870 until the adoption of the Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
system in 1885, Prince Arisugawa served as Daijō Daijin or lord president of the Council of State. In 1871, he was appointed governor of Fukuoka
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
. From 1876, he was the chairman of the Genrōin
Genroin
' was a national assembly in early Meiji Japan, established after the Osaka Conference of 1875. It is also referred to as the Senate of Japan, Genrōin being the word used to describe the Roman Senate, and other western legislatures named after it....
. In 1882, he traveled to St Petersburg, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and met with Tsar Alexander III, as the official envoy from Emperor Meiji.
From 1889 to 1895, the prince served as chief of staff of the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
and a member of the Supreme War Council
Supreme War Council (Japan)
The Supreme War Council was established during the development of representative government in Meiji period Japan to further strengthen the authority of the state. Its first leader was Yamagata Aritomo , a Chōshū native who has been credited with the founding of the modern Japanese army and was to...
.
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of Japanese forces in the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
, and established his command center at the Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
garrison. However, he contracted typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
(or possibly malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
) and returned to the Arisugawa palace at Maiko near Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
to recover. He died there on January 15, 1895. On his death, Emperor Meiji awarded him the first ever Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum
Order of the Chrysanthemum
is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the collar of the Order was added on January 4, 1888. Although technically the order has only one class, it can either be awarded with collar , or with grand cordon...
. He was accorded a state funeral
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
on January 29, 1895.
His half-brother, Prince Arisugawa Takehito, succeeded as the tenth head of the house of Arisugawa-no-miya
Arisugawa-no-miya
The ' is one of the shinnōke, branches of the Imperial Family of Japan which were, until 1947, eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne in the event that the main line should die out....
.
Legacy
The Arisugawa Memorial ParkArisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park
is a park located in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It covers an area of 67,131 square metres.-History:During the Edo period, the park belonged to Minonokami Nambu, a feudal lord from the former Morioka Domain who used it as an urban villa. In 1896, it was acquired by the Arisugawa-no-miya line of the...
in Minami-Azabu
Azabu
is an area within Minato in Tokyo, Japan, built on a marshy area of foothills south of central Tokyo. Its coverage roughly corresponds to that of the former Azabu Ward, presently consisting of nine official districts: Azabu-Jūban, Azabudai, Azabu-Nagasakachō, Azabu-Mamianachō, Nishi-Azabu,...
, Minato, Tokyo
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
occupies the site of the Arisugawa palace and its extensive gardens are open to the public. Although Imperial Prince Taruhito had intended to spend his last days in this palace, he died without ever occupying it. A statue of the Prince on horseback was made with donations by Oyama Iwao
Oyama Iwao
|-...
, Saigo Tsugumichi and Yamagata Aritomo
Yamagata Aritomo
Field Marshal Prince , also known as Yamagata Kyōsuke, was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and twice Prime Minister of Japan. He is considered one of the architects of the military and political foundations of early modern Japan. Yamagata Aritomo can be seen as the father of Japanese...
, and first erected in 1903 by the gate of the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff headquarters; it was moved to this park in 1962.