Sono Motoyoshi (園基福)
Motoyoshi SONO (March 23, 1622 - December 30, 1699) was a Kugyo (court noble) during the early Edo period. He was an uncle of Emperor Reigen. He was a retainer of the Imperial Court who served five emperors from Empress Meisho (109th) to Emperor Higashiyama (113th), and was promoted to the rank of Juichii Jun-daijin (Junior First Rank, Vice Minister). His father was Motonari SONO, Gon Dainagon (Provisional Chief Councilor of State); he was posthumously conferred the post of Sadaijin (Minister of the Left). His mother was a daughter of Moritomo TANI, the lord of Yamaga Domain. His younger sister was Shinkogimonin, Naishi no suke (a court lady of the first rank) of Emperor Gomizunoo and the biological mother of Emperor Reigen. His wife was a daughter of Naonaga NAKAMIKADO, Gon Dainagon. His keishitsu (the second wife) was a daughter of Katsutoshi MIZUNO, the lord of Bingofukuyama Domain. His sons were Motokatsu SONO, Gon Dainagon and Mototsuna ROKKAKU, Ukone no Shosho (Minor Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards).
He was conferred a peerage in 1626. After the conferment, he was promoted from Jiju (Imperial Household Agency staff) to Sakone no Shosho (Minor Captain of the Left Division of Inner Palace Guards), Sakone no Chujo (Middle Captain of the Left Division of Inner Palace Guards), Kurodo no To (Head Chamberlain), and he joined Kugyo in 1649 as he became Sangi (Councilor). Later, he became Toka no sechie (Circle-Dancing Banquet: the last of the First Month's three great banquets [sechie] which formerly took place from the fourteenth to the sixteenth of January in the Shishinden [the Throne Hall] of the Imperial Court under the moonlight) Geben (a Kugyo who supervised the Imperial Court Ceremony outside of Jomei Gate) and Gon Chunagon (Provisional Vice-councilor of State), and he became Gon Dainagon in1660. He served the position until 1669 and was conferred a rank of Juichii (Junior First Rank) in 1686 and lastly Jun Daijin (Vice Minister), which was the unprecedented promotion for a member of the Urin family. The reason for his appointment of this position was that he was the uncle of Emperor Reigen.