Ota Sukemoto (太田資始)
Sukemoto OTA was a daimyo (Japanese feudal lord) and roju (senior councilor) from the late Edo period to the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate. He was the fifth lord of Kakegawa Domain in Totomi Province. He was the ninth head of the Ota family in Kakegawa Domain.
He was the third son of Masazane HOTTA, the lord of Katada Domain in Omi Province. As a son in law through marriage, he took over Suketoki OTA's position in the lord of Kakegawa Domain in Totomi Province.
He held various positions as a close retainer to the eleventh shogun Ienari TOKUGAWA, such as jisha-bugyo (magistrate of temples and shrines), Kyoto shoshidai (the Kyoto deputy) and Osaka jodai (the keeper of Osaka Castle), and became a roju in 1834. However, he did not get along with Tadakuni MIZUNO, who was the head of roju, as he made objections to Agechi-rei (confiscation command of territory), Shonai tenpu (changing the territory to Shonai Domain) and Kenyaku-rei (laws regulating expenditures); on top of these, in an attempt to drive Tadakuni out of the government, he requested Nariaki TOKUGAWA, head of Mito Domain who was then back home, to go to Edo, and plotted to hinder Tadakuni's Tenpo Reforms by masterminding Nariaki.
But Nariaki refused to go to Edo, and Tadakuni found this out, which then forced Sukemoto into resignation and retirement in June 1841. He was taken over by his eldest son Sukekatsu OTA.
He was reappointed as roju in 1858. Tairo (chief minister) Naosuke II dismissed Masayoshi HOTTA and Tadakata MATSUDAIRA, and in place of them, appointed three of those who had been roju, including OTA, as roju. It was very unusual to appoint as roju someone who had been no longer in the reign of his family and already retired. Since he was already retired, 30,000 hyo was given as an allowance. However, Sukemoto and Naosuke II locked horns again over clamp down on anti-shogunate royalists. He was dismissed from roju again in 1859.
In 1863, he became roju for the third time, but resigned after one month. The bakufu (shogunate) still tried to have the experienced Sukemoto as roju, but did not end in success when he was alive. His tomb is in Myohokke-ji Temple in Tamazawa, Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Chronological History
Born in 1799.
September 2, 1822: Became jisha-bugyo.
December 28, 1828: Became Osaka jodai.
1834: Became nishinomaru roju (roju in the western districts of a castle).
May 6, 1837: Became honmaru roju (roju in the keep of a castle).
August 9, 1841: Dismissed from roju and retired.
August 2, 1858: Reappointed as roju.
August 21, 1859: Dismissed from roju.
June 13, 1863: Appointed as roju for the third time and resigned one month later on June 29.
1867: Died. Died at the age of 68.