Aoyama Tadahiro (青山忠裕)
Tadahiro AOYAMA (June 22, 1768 - May 12, 1836) was daimyo (Japanese feudal lord) and roju (member of shogun's council of elders) in Edo period.
The fourth lord of the Sasayama Domain in Tanba Province
The tenth soke (the head family or house) of Aoyama family.
The third son of Tadataka AOYAMA; the second lord. His mother was a member of the Ukai clan. His lawful wife was the daughter of Toshikata DOI (the adopted daughter of Toshisato DOI). His children were Tadanaga AOYAMA (the forth son), Yukishige AOYAMA (the seventh son), Sukenori HINO, and a daughter (the lawful wife of Tadanori SAKURAI MATSUDAIRA, later the second wife of Terasu MATSURA). His ranks were Jushiinoge (Junior Forth Rank, Lower Grade), Inaba no kuni no kami (the governor of Inaba Province), Shimotsuke no kuni no kami (the governor of Shimotsuke Province).
In 1785, Tadatsugu AOYAMA, his elder brother; the third lord, passed away at the age of 21 years old without a heir; so he took over the reigns of family. Tadahiro took an active role as a key person of the cabinet officials of the Shogunate in Bunka-Bunsei period; he was engaged in all the posts which were deemed as a gateway to the cabinet officials of the Shogunate such as jisha-bugyo (magistrate of temples and shrines), wakadoshiyori (a managerial position in Edo bakufu), Osaka jodai (the keeper of Osaka Castle), Kyoto shoshidai (The Kyoto deputy), and served as roju (member of shogun's council of elders) for 30 years after he was employed in 1804. It is recorded that he took charge of the trial of Incident of Daisaku SOMA, replacement of three provinces; the Kuwana Domain, the Oshi Domain, Shirakawa Domain during his service as roju.
He retired in 1835, and let Tadanaga (the forth son) take over the reigns of family. He died in 1836.
Fork tale of Tadahiro
Every spring and autumn, a grand sumo tournament in the presence of shogun was held at Honjoeko-in Temple. Tadahiro was grouchy during the sumo tournament every year because the sumo wrestlers of the Sasayama Domain promptly lost from the very beginning.
In 1820, one day during the spring tournament, eight sumo wrestlers; Heizaemon OCHIYAMA, Gennojo HAGANOYAMA, Sanshiro TOBINOYAMA, Yamabe KURODA, Sakon SOJIYAMA, Seigoro KODANAKA, Dokan SHICHIYAMA and Matashiro YORITAKA, came out of Sasayama, and they asked for their entry into the tournament. After he allowed them to join the game, all of them won. Tadahiro was so pleased that he was going to reward them, but they were gone. Later on, it was identified that sumo wrestlers with such names didn't exist and those names are the names of places where Inari (god of harvests) were worshipped; he worshipped all of the Inari shrines to dedicate Ema (a votive horse tablet) to them.
Policy of industrial development
Tadahiro originated Mount Oji ceramic as a local specialty. It is a ceramic ware that mainly included celadon, dyed ceramics, Akae ware (ceramics with red paintings) from China which was originated at Mount Oji ceramic (present day Kawaramachi, Sasayama City) of the feudal domain as the ceramic of the domain in 1818 under the instructions of Kamesuke KINKODO (Kyoto ceramic) who was invited.
Career
He was born in 1768
In 1785, inheritance of the territories of the Sasayama Domain
September 28, 1793 - December 27, 1796: jisha-bugyo (magistrate of temples and shrines)
In 1796, Nishi no maru (the western keep of a castle) wakadoshiyori (a managerial position in Edo bakufu)
November 17, 1800 - November 14, 1802: Osaka jodai (the keeper of Osaka Castle)
December 8, 1802 - March 4, 1804: Kyoto shoshidai (The Kyoto deputy)
March 4, 1804: Roju (member of shogun's council of elders)
In 1827, Sixty thousands Goku crop yields (ten thousands Goku crop yields added)
June 1, 1835: Resigned as Roju, and then retired.
He passed away on May 12, 1836.