Takano Sadayoshi (高野貞吉)
Sadayoshi TAKANO (1829 - February 21, 1913) was a Japanese Samurai and retainer of the Echigo-Nagaoka Domain. His official title was an accountant. His assumed name was Kemyo (喜傳次). Karoku (hereditary stipend) was 100 koku (approximately 18 cubic meters). Since Sadayoshi lost his wife twice for diseases, he married three times. All of the three women were sisters, having the same father.
The Takano family.
Sadayoshi was the natural father of Isoroku YAMAMOTO, the navarch of combined fleet. Since Isoroku was born when Sadayoshi was 56 years old, Sadayoshi named his son "Isoroku" (56). Then, Isoroku succeeded a property of the Yamamoto family, after Yoshimichi YAMAMOTO, who was a 家老次座連綿 of the Echigo-Nagaoka Domain and did not have an heir.
Sadayoshi took a part in the Boshin War and the Hokuetsu War with his father, Shichizaemon TAKANO (or Hideemon TAKANO). His father died in the capital town of Nagaoka-jo Castle. Sadayoshi was injured in Aizu-Wakamatsu, but he recovered. In the administration of the Nagaoka Domain after the Meiji Restoration, he achieved a degree of success as a person in charge of finance and accounting.
The history of the Takano family.
Insisted to observe neutrality, the Nagaoka Domain did not swear allegiance to the army forces of the government; however, their claim was not accepted, and then the war broke out which ended up in defeat. Since the territory of the domain was reduced to one third, stipends of the retainers were greatly reduced, while Sadayoshi's stipend remained almost the same. Imagined from few documents, Sadayoshi was relatively promoted at the Nagaoka Domain after the defeat.
The Takanos' original name was Uzu. Sadayoshi was a vassal of Nobuyuki SANADA, the lord of the Ueda Domain in the Shinano Province. His ancestor, Keido SHICHIZAEMON, served the Makino family, the lord of the Nagaoka Domain, in 1684 for a certain reason and changed his surname to Takano to become a middle rank retainer (Umamawarishu [the lord's mounted guard]). Kedo's first son could get into service for other domain, so the second son succeeded the Takano family. Despite of the amount of his stipend of 40 koku, Keido ranked with Ogumi (senior rank retainers).
(The first son served to the Honda family of the Zeze Domain, in which the lawful wife of Tadanari MAKINO, the first lord of the Nagaoka Domain, was born.)
Dosetsu KICHIZAEMON the third was demoted to 小組 (middle rank retainers) because of his ill health.
Nagasada HIDEUEMON the fourth was adopted from the Matsunaga family and helped Kanemon YAMAMOTO, a Karo (chief retainer), to create the family tree of the Makino family. There is an opinion that this was the start of the long relationship between the Yamamoto family and the Takano family. The lineal descendants of Sadayoshi advanced in their career, ranked with Ogumi to become Toritsugi (an attendant who serves Shogun by informing of a visitor and convey the message).
The hereditary stipend of the Takano family after rejoining the Ogumi was between 100 koku and 150 koku, having position of a Koribugyo (a magistrate of a country) and Kanjogata (accounting officer) for generations.
"Shoshi Yuishoki" and the Takano family
Nagasada HIDEUEMON the fourth played an important role in historiography of the Nagaoka Domain and edited books including "Shoshi Yuishoki." Since Nagasada HIDEUEMON edited the book, volume of description about the Takano family was as much as that of chief vassals, although there are not much description about vassals under 100 koku.