Hashimoto Saneakira (橋本実麗)
Saneakira HASHIMOTO (December 3, 1809 – October 8, 1882) was a court noble who was active from the late Edo period to the end of Edo period. In the Meiji period, he was raised to a count. He served as Shonii Sangi Dainagon (chief councilor of state at senior second rank). And he was the head of the Hashimoto family which originated from the Urin family. His father was Sanehisa HASHIMOTO; his mother was Nyobo (a lady-in-waiting) of the Hashimoto family. Among his children, Saneyana HASHIMOTO, Reiko, Matsuko and Natsuko who served Emperor Meiji as Naishi no suke (handmaid) are known. His younger sister Tsuneko HASHIMOTO (Kangyoin) served Emperor Ninko as Naishi no suke; she was the mother of Imperial Princess Kazunomiya Chikako. So Saneakira was an uncle of Imperial Princess Kazunomiya Chikako.
When the Tokugawa shogunate offered the lawful marriage of the 14th shogun Iemochi TOKUGAWA with Kazunomiya Chikako to seek Kobu-gattai (the reconciliation between the shogunate and the imperial court), Saneakira and his sister Kangyoin (Tsuneko HASHIMOTO) bitterly opposed the plan; however, at last, Kazunomiya Chikako herself gave way to the shogunate's insistent demands and married Iemochi. For the unwilling agreement, the imperial court made the shogunate accept five conditions including when anything happened in Edo (the hub of the shogunate), Kazunomiya Chikako could call Saneakira (living in Kyoto) to Edo.
Saneakira's youngest daughter Natsuko became a concubine of Emperor Meiji.