Hirano Nagahiro (平野長裕)
Nagahiro HIRANO (November 30, 1845 - July 29, 1872) was the first feudal lord of Tawaramoto Domain, Yamato Province. His father was 平野長発 (Nagahiro was a second son). His mother was a daughter of Naohiro MATSUDAIRA. His lawful wife was a daughter of Harumasa YAMAZAKI. He served as Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade), Kura no suke (Deputy chief of Kuraryo, Bureau of Palace Storehouses) and Totomi kokushu (daimyo of Totomi).
He was born in November 30, 1845. His childhood name was Kamematsumaru. Although he was a second son, his eldest brother, Kamemaru HIRANO, died young, therefore, Nagahiro succeeded as the head of a family and became hatamoto (direct retainers of the bakufu, which is a form of Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) with fief of 5,000 koku (crop yields). During the end of Edo period, Nagahiro acted with great tact between Sabaku-ha (supporters of the Shogun) and Sonno-ha (a group of activists who admired the Emperor), and on August 31, 1868, he was awarded an increase of 10,000 koku at the discretion of the new government and ranked among feudal lords, and founded the Tawaramoto Domain there.
After that, he was received in audience by the Emperor Meiji, and served as a security guard in Kyoto Prefecture. Then, he became the governor of domain on August 27, 1869. Although, he appointed Muteki HIMEJIMA as the office of an administrator and forced through reformation of domain duties, he was dismissed from office due to Haihan-chiken (abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures) on August 29, 1871. He died in Tokyo on July 29, the following year. He died at the age of 28.
Graveyard: Sengaku-ji Temple located in Takanawa, Minato Ward, Tokyo