Okubo Tadanori (January 13, 1842 – August 10, 1897) was the 9th daimyo of Odawara Domain in Sagami Province (modern-day Kanagawa Prefecture) during the late Edo period. Before the Meiji Restoration, he held the courtesy title of Kaga no Kami.
Born as the fifth son of Matsudaira Yorihiro, daimyo of Takamatsu Domain in Sanuki Province, Tadanori was a nephew of Tokugawa Nariaki and thus a cousin of Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu. Following the death of Okubo Tadanao in 1859, he was adopted into the Okubo clan, becoming its 11th head and assuming the position of daimyo of Odawara Domain. He served in several important roles within the Tokugawa shogunate, including Soshaban (Master of Ceremonies) in November 1863. In 1864, he accompanied Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi on his visit to Kyoto. Briefly, from September to December 1867, he held the post of Kofu Jodai (Castellan of Kofu).
During the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration, Tadanori initially allowed the pro-Imperial forces of the Satcho Alliance to cross the Hakone Pass unopposed. However, in May 1868, he met with Hayashi Tadataka and other pro-Tokugawa resistance leaders, signaling his willingness to support their cause. When Edo fell to the Imperial forces, he changed sides again and attempted to plead his case before the leaders of the Satcho Alliance. Perceived as a traitor, he was ordered to retire from public life, and his titles were transferred to Okubo Tadayoshi, daimyo of Ogino-Yamanaka Domain, a cadet branch of the Okubo clan.
Tadanori was later reinstated as head of the Okubo clan in July 1875, following Tadayoshi’s retirement. In 1884, with the establishment of the kazoku peerage system, he was granted the title of viscount (shishaku). He passed away on August 10, 1897, and was laid to rest at the clan’s temple, Saisho-ji, in Setagaya, Tokyo.
See also
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Kasuya Takenori
There are several versions regarding the origins of Takenori. According to one account, he was the second son of Kasuya Tadayasu, a samurai who served the Bessho clan in Harima Province. In 1577, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched his campaign in Harima, on the advice of his close retainer Kuroda Yoshitaka, also known as Kanbei, he took Takenori into his service as a page. In this position, the young warrior participated in the siege of Miki Castle, which lasted from 1578 to 1580 and was aimed at suppressing the rebellion led by Bessho Nagaharu.
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Kajiwara Kagetoki
One of the finest generals and most loyal allies of Minamoto no Yoritomo, Kagetoki gained a notorious reputation as a jealous rival and persecutor of Yoshitsune, the legendary commander of the Genpei War. Kagetoki was an intelligent, calculating, and cautious man.
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Kawakubo (Takeda) Nobuzane
Nobuzane was the seventh son of Takeda Nobutora and the half-brother of the famous Takeda Shingen. The identity of his mother is unknown, as is the exact year of his birth. It is believed that he was born sometime in the 1530s. When Nobuzane reached adulthood, he was sent to the village of Kawakubo, located in the northern part of Kai Province near the border with the Saku region. His duty was to guard the road leading north. In that village, he built a residence and changed his family name to Kawakubo.
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Imagawa Sadayo
Imagawa Sadayo was one of the most outstanding figures of his era. Alongside Kusunoki Masashige and Kitabatake Chikafusa, he was considered one of the greatest generals and strategists of his time. In addition to his military talents, Sadayo was also a poet and historian, and his literary abilities earned him a prominent place at court and in scholarly circles.
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Ikeda Motosuke
Motosuke was the son of Ikeda Tsunooki and the older brother of the famous military commander Ikeda Terumasa. Sources differ on his year of birth—it was either 1559 or 1564. Motosuke was married to the sister of Oda Nobutada, the eldest son of Oda Nobunaga. Thus, Nobutada's son, Oda Hidenobu, was his nephew.
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Watanabe (Hanzo) Moritsuna
Moritsuna was the son of Watanabe Takatsuna, a vassal of the Matsudaira clan. He was the same age as Tokugawa Ieyasu and was held hostage with him by the Imagawa clan. In 1557, Moritsuna joined Ieyasu.
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Ban Naoyuki
He was also known as Ban Danemon. In the early stages of his military career, he served under Kato Yoshiaki, one of the so-called “Seven Spears of Shizugatake,” who later became the ruler of the Aizu region in Mutsu Province. Naoyuki held the position of commander of the arquebusiers (teppo taishō).
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Asakura Toshikage
The Asakura family, who claimed kinship with several emperors, lived in the province of Echizen. Its representatives were considered hereditary vassals of the Shiba clan. From the mid-15th century until their defeat by Oda Nobunaga's army in 1573, which resulted in the final destruction of the Asakura clan, they were a significant military and economic force.
