Who was this person?
A member of the imperial family, soldier and statesman of the late Edo and Meiji periods. Born into the Arisugawa house in Kyoto, he was engaged to Kazunomiya, but the engagement was dissolved when she married the shōgun Iemochi. In the Boshin War he advanced on Edo as Grand Commander of the Eastern Expedition, and he later served as president of the Genrōin, Minister of the Left and chief of the General Staff.
| Name | Prince Arisugawa Taruhito (有栖川宮熾仁親王) |
|---|---|
| Born–died | 1835 – 1895 |
| Period | Late Edo–Meiji |
| Birthplace | Kyoto |
| Main achievements |
|
He was born in Kyoto as the eldest son of Prince Arisugawa Takahito. The Arisugawa house was also known for calligraphy and waka, and Taruhito was familiar with both from early childhood. He and his father would later be remembered as fine calligraphers.
After being formally adopted by Emperor Ninkō, he was granted the rank of imperial prince and appointed governor-general of Dazaifu in Kyushu. From this post he came to be called Sochi no Miya. As a young imperial prince he began taking part in court ceremonies.
His engagement to Princess Kazu, sister of Emperor Kōmei, was arranged. As she was still a child, the marriage was to wait until she grew up. The betrothal was celebrated as a union within the imperial family, but it would later be shaken by the tides of the times.
When the shogunate sought to sign the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the United States, he submitted an opinion to the court opposing a treaty concluded without the emperor's consent. As court and shogunate sharply disagreed over foreign relations, Taruhito too took the side calling for expelling foreigners.
When the shogunate asked to have Princess Kazu marry the shogun Tokugawa Iemochi for the sake of uniting court and shogunate, the engagement between Taruhito and Kazu was dissolved. Kazu accepted the marriage and later went down to Edo. For Taruhito, it was an event in which politics changed the course of his life.
He became a kokuji goyōgakari, adviser on state affairs at court, and acted in sympathy with the Chōshū domain. But after Chōshū fought in Kyoto in the Kinmon Incident, he was seen as pro-Chōshū and ordered into house confinement with his father. Days of exclusion from public life followed.
When Emperor Meiji succeeded to the throne, his confinement was lifted. At the end of that year, when a new government was formed by the proclamation of the Restoration of Imperial Rule, he was named its president, the highest post. After long confinement, he suddenly stood at the forefront of building a new nation.
When the Boshin War began, he marched on Edo as commander of the eastern expedition, bearing the imperial brocade banner. After talks between Katsu Kaishū and Saigō Takamori, Edo Castle was surrendered without a fight and the city was spared. There was also fighting with the Shōgitai holed up at Ueno, and Taruhito put down resistance by the former shogunate.
After serving as minister of military affairs, he became governor of the Fukuoka domain, then in turmoil over a counterfeit-money scandal, and later as governor of Fukuoka Prefecture worked hard to set the region in order. Shortly before, he had married Sadako, a daughter of Tokugawa Nariaki, but she died of illness while he was in Fukuoka.
After serving as a member of the Genrōin, the chamber involved in drafting laws, he became its president. The Genrōin also worked on drafts for a Japanese constitution. Though an imperial prince, he stood at the center of shaping the new nation's institutions, playing a key role linking the government and the emperor.
In the Satsuma Rebellion raised by Saigō Takamori and others, he became commander-in-chief of the government forces. At that time he approved the request of Sano Tsunetami and others to found the Hakuaisha, a society to care for wounded soldiers on both sides. The Hakuaisha later became the Japanese Red Cross Society. After the war he became a full general.
He was appointed Minister of the Left, one of the highest posts at court. Enjoying the deep trust of Emperor Meiji, he was given heavy government responsibilities. After losing his first wife he had married Tadako from the house of the lords of Shibata, who later supported him in charitable work as well.
He attended the coronation of Russian Emperor Alexander III in Moscow as the emperor's representative. On the way home he toured European countries and the United States, observing royal courts and armies. This experience was later put to use as a leader of the army.
As chief of the army general staff he directed operations in the First Sino-Japanese War, but fell gravely ill at Imperial General Headquarters in Hiroshima. He recuperated at his villa at Maiko in Hyōgo but died in January of the following year. He was given a state funeral, and many mourned his death.
A. A member of the imperial family, soldier and statesman of the late Edo and Meiji periods. Born into the Arisugawa house in Kyoto, he was engaged to Kazunomiya, but the engagement was dissolved when she married the shōgun Iemochi. In the Boshin War he advanced on Edo as Grand Commander of the Eastern Expedition, and he later served as president of the Genrōin, Minister of the Left and chief of the General Staff.
A. Period: Late Edo–Meiji. Born in 1835, died in 1895.
A. Prince Arisugawa Taruhito was born in Kyoto.
A. Prince Taruhito was engaged to Kazunomiya, sister of Emperor Kōmei. But because the shogunate wanted her as the wife of the shōgun Tokugawa Iemochi to unite court and shogunate, the engagement was dissolved. Later, as Grand Commander of the Eastern Expedition, Taruhito would lead an army toward Edo, where Kazunomiya lived.
See also: Wikipedia (ja) / Wikipedia (en) / Wikipedia (fr) / Wikipedia (zh) / Wikidata
Follow this life (autoplay)Tokugawa NariakiKatsu KaishūSaigō TakamoriPrincess KazuTokugawa IemochiSano Tsunetami
Fukuzawa YukichiIwasaki YatarōMaejima HisokaMatsukata MasayoshiEnomoto TakeakiGodai TomoatsuInoue KaoruKatō Hiroyuki
People of the Meiji period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.