Sakai Tadamochi
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese daimyo
of the mid-Edo period
.
The Sakai were identified as one of the fudai
or insider daimyō clans which were hereditary vassels or allies of the Tokugawa clan
, in contrast with the tozama
or outsider clans.
The fudai Sakai clan
originated in 14th century Mikawa province
. The Sakai claim descent from Minamoto Arichika. Arichika had two sons: one of them, Yasuchika, took the name Matsudaira; and the other son, Chikauji, took the name Sakai—and this samuari ancestor is the progenitor of this clan's name.
Sakai Hirochika, who was the son of Chikauji, had two sons, and their descendants gave rise to the two main branches of the Sakai clan. Hirochika's younger son, Sakai Masachika, served several Tokugawa clan leaders -- Nobutada, Kiyoyasu and Hirotada; and in 1561, Masachika was made master of Nishio Castle
in Mikawa.
Sakai Sigetada, who was the son of Masachika, received the fief of Kawagoe Domain
in Musashi province
in 1590; and then in 1601, Sigetada was transferred to Umayabashi Domain in Kōzuke province
.
Sakai Tadakatsu
(1587–1662), who was Sigetada's son, was transferred in 1634 to Obama Domain
in Wakasa province
where his descendants resided until the Meiji period
. In a gesture demonstrating special favor to the Sakai, the second shogun, Hidetada
, allowed the use of his personal Tada- in the name Tadakatsu.
The head of this clan line was ennobled as a "Count" in the Meiji period.
as its twenty-first Kyoto shoshidai
in the period spanning May 20, 1752 through May 5, 1756.
In 1754, the earliest recorded post-mortem examination in Japan was supervised by Tadamochi's personal physician. This investigation by Kosugi Genteki (1730–1791) was considered highly controversial by his contemporary peers. The autopsy involved an examination of the corpse of an executed criminal somewhere within the precincts of Jidoin Temple north of Nijo Castle; and the results were eventually published in Zoshi (Description of the Organs) in 1759.
Tadamochi is buried with others of his clan at Kuniji in Obama
in what is today Fukui prefecture
.
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 the mid-Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
.
The Sakai were identified as one of the fudai
Fudai
was a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration.-Origins:...
or insider daimyō clans which were hereditary vassels or allies of the Tokugawa clan
Tokugawa clan
The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
, in contrast with the tozama
Tozama
A ' was a daimyo who was considered an outsider by the rulers of Japan. The term came into use in the Kamakura period and continued until the end of the Edo period.-Edo period:...
or outsider clans.
Sakai clan genealogy
Tadamochi is part of a cadet branch of the Sakai which had been created in 1590.The fudai Sakai clan
Sakai clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Nitta branch of the Minamoto clan, who were in turn descendants of Emperor Seiwa. Serata Arichika, a samurai of the 14th century, was the common ancestor of both the Sakai clan and the Matsudaira clan, which the Sakai later served...
originated in 14th century Mikawa province
Mikawa Province
is an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces....
. The Sakai claim descent from Minamoto Arichika. Arichika had two sons: one of them, Yasuchika, took the name Matsudaira; and the other son, Chikauji, took the name Sakai—and this samuari ancestor is the progenitor of this clan's name.
Sakai Hirochika, who was the son of Chikauji, had two sons, and their descendants gave rise to the two main branches of the Sakai clan. Hirochika's younger son, Sakai Masachika, served several Tokugawa clan leaders -- Nobutada, Kiyoyasu and Hirotada; and in 1561, Masachika was made master of Nishio Castle
Nishio Castle
is a Japanese castle located in Nishio, eastern Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Nishio Castle was home to the Ogyu Matsudaira, daimyō of Nishio Domain. The castle was also known as , , or .- History :...
in Mikawa.
Sakai Sigetada, who was the son of Masachika, received the fief of Kawagoe Domain
Kawagoe Domain
The was a feudal domain of Japan during the Momoyama and Edo periods of the history of Japan. It was located in Iruma District, now part of Saitama Prefecture, in Musashi Province . The domain had its headquarters at Kawagoe Castle in the present-day city of Kawagoe.The domain had its beginning in...
in Musashi province
Musashi Province
was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Prefecture, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama...
in 1590; and then in 1601, Sigetada was transferred to Umayabashi Domain in Kōzuke province
Kozuke Province
was an old province located in the Tōsandō of Japan, which today comprises Gunma Prefecture. It is nicknamed as or .The ancient provincial capital was near modern Maebashi. During the Sengoku period, Kōzuke was controlled variously by Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, the late Hōjō clan, and...
.
Sakai Tadakatsu
Sakai Tadakatsu
, also known as Sanuki-no-kami, was tairō, rōjū, master of Wakasa-Obama castle and daimyo of Obama Domain in Wakasa province in the mid-17th century...
(1587–1662), who was Sigetada's son, was transferred in 1634 to Obama Domain
Obama Domain
The Obama Domain was a Japanese feudal domain of the Edo period, based at Obama Castle in Wakasa Province ....
in Wakasa province
Wakasa Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today southern Fukui Prefecture. It is also known as or .The province's ancient capital was at Obama, which continued to be the main castle town through the Edo period.-Neighboring Provinces:...
where his descendants resided until the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
. In a gesture demonstrating special favor to the Sakai, the second shogun, Hidetada
Tokugawa Hidetada
was the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
, allowed the use of his personal Tada- in the name Tadakatsu.
The head of this clan line was ennobled as a "Count" in the Meiji period.
Tokugawa official
Tadamochi served the Tokugawa shogunateTokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
as its twenty-first Kyoto shoshidai
Kyoto Shoshidai
The was an important administrative and political office in the early modern government of Japan. However, the significance and effectiveness of the office is credited to the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, who developed these initial creations as bureaucratic elements in a consistent and...
in the period spanning May 20, 1752 through May 5, 1756.
In 1754, the earliest recorded post-mortem examination in Japan was supervised by Tadamochi's personal physician. This investigation by Kosugi Genteki (1730–1791) was considered highly controversial by his contemporary peers. The autopsy involved an examination of the corpse of an executed criminal somewhere within the precincts of Jidoin Temple north of Nijo Castle; and the results were eventually published in Zoshi (Description of the Organs) in 1759.
Tadamochi is buried with others of his clan at Kuniji in Obama
Obama, Fukui
is a city located in Fukui Prefecture, Japan.It faces Wakasa Bay due north of Kyoto, and is about four to five hours by train from Tokyo. As of October 1, 2005, the city had an estimated population of 32,185 and a population density of 138.22 persons per square kilometer...
in what is today Fukui prefecture
Fukui Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Fukui.- Prehistory :The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, on the Sugiyama River within the city limits of Katsuyama, has yielded the Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis and Fukuisaurus tetoriensis as well as an unnamed...
.