Nakayama Tadayasu (中山忠能)
Tadayasu NAKAYAMA (December 17, 1809-June 12, 1888) was a kuge (court noble) and a politician who lived from the end of the Edo period to the early part of the Meiji period. He worked as gijo (official post) of the Meiji Government. His father was the eldest son of Dainagon (Major Counselor) Tadayori NAKAYAMA (中山忠頼) who was in the Kazanin line of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan, and his mother was Tsunako, a daughter of Sanetomo OGIMACHISANJO. Tadamitsu NAKAYAMA was his son. His daughter Yoshiko NAKAYAMA was Naishi no suke (a court lady of the first rank) of the Emperor Komei and delivered the Emperor Meiji, so that Tadayasu was a maternal relative of the Emperor Meiji.
Biography
In 1847 he was assigned to Dainagon. When Matthew Perry of the U.S. came to Japan and demanded the beginning of trade 1853, he insisted on the principle of excluding foreigners and criticized Hisatada KUJO, a chief adviser to the Emperor, over the conclusion of the treaty. When Masayoshi HOTTA, roju (member of a shogun's council of elders) of the Edo bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun), came up to Kyoto in 1858 and required the Imperial permission of the treaty in 1858, he opposed this with Sanenaru OGIMACHISANJO and others.
After that, he was assigned to giso (a position conveying what the congress decides to the emperor). In 1860 he was assigned to Goyogakari (a general affairs official of the Imperial Household) for the marriage between the Imperial Princess Kazunomiya Chikako and the 14th Shogun Iemochi TOKUGAWA by the Emperor Komei as the kuge of kobu-gattai (integration of the imperial court and the shogunate) group. He thereby accompanied Kazunomiya on the journey down to Edo in the following year, 1861, which angered a section of radical Sonno Joi ha (supporters of the doctrine of restoring the emperor and expelling the barbarians). In 1863 he resigned as giso and fell from power.
At the time of the Kinmon Incident in which the Choshu clan raised an army in order to regain Kyoto in 1864, he supported the movement of the Choshu clan. It seems that Tadayoshi aimed to come back to the political arena via the success of this affair in which he supported the Choshu clan. However, the Kinmon Incident failed and as a result, the Emperor Komei got angry and punished Tadayasu. After the Emperor Komei died in 1866, he was allowed to come back.
He made efforts to have the Emperor Meiji issue the secret Imperial command of attacking the shogunate, which was an Imperial command to attack seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians") Yoshinobu TOKUGAWA in 1867 with Tsuneyuki NAKAMIKADO and Sanenaru OGIMACHISANJO. After that, he cooperated in creating the Decree (of 1867) for the Restoration of Imperial Rule with Tomomi IWAKURA and was in charge of moderating at the Kogosho Conference (the meeting held in the presence of the Emperor in the Kogosho Conference Room of Kyoto Imperial Palace at the night of December 9, 1867, when the Decree for the Restoration of Imperial Rule was issued). In 1888 he died at the age of 80. He received the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum at the time of his death.
Court Rank and Career
The dates until 1871 are according to the old lunar calendar.
On January 10, 1809, he was conferred to Jugoi (Junior Fifth Rank).
On January 20, 1811, he was promoted to Jugoi.
On February 7, 1812, he was assigned to jiju (a chamberlain).
On January 27, 1813, he was promoted to Shogoi (Senior Fifth Rank) and remained in the position of jiju. He was assigned as the provisional vice governor of Awa Province at the same time.
In 1815
On March 7, he reached adulthood and was allowed to be tenjobito (a high-ranking courtier allowed into the Imperial Palace).
On March 19, he was promoted to Jushii (Junior Fourth Rank) and maintained his positions as jiju and provisional vice governor of Awa Province.
In 1817
On January 5, he was promoted to Jushii (Junior Fourth Rank) and remained in the positions of jiju and the provisional vice governor of Awa Province.
On January 28, he resigned as provisional vice governor of Awa Province.
On January 4, 1820, he was promoted to Shoshii (Senior Fourth Rank) and remained in the position of jiju.
On May 10, 1821, he was transferred to Konoefu (the Headquarters of the Inner Palace Guards).
On April 3, 1822, he was also assigned to the provisional vice governor of the Iyo Province at the same time.
On June 19, 1824, he was transferred to Konoefu and remained in the position of the provisional vice governor of the Iyo Province. He was also assigned to kotaigo gushiki (Imperial Household Agency employee assigned to the household of the Queen Mother) at the same time.
On February 2, 1830 he resigned as provisional vice governor of Iyo Province.
On December 19, 1831, he was also assigned to Naikyobo (training center of imperial dancing girls) at the same time.
In 1834
On July 8, he was also assigned to Kurodo no to (Head Chamberlain) at the same time.
On August 4, he was allowed to put on kinjiki (literally, "forbidden colors," seven colors traditionally reserved for the imperial family and nobility).
On August 28, he was promoted to Shoshii (Senior Fourth Rank) and remained in the position of Kurodo no to Konoefu kotaigo gushiki.
On March 27, 1840, he was assigned to Sangi (councilor). He remained in the position of Konoefu kotaigo gushiki.
In 1841
On the 22nd of January, which was a leap month, since the Empress Dowager appointed the Imperial Princess Yoshiko to nyoin (a close female relative of the Emperor or a woman of comparable standing) (Shinseiwain), he resigned as kotaigo gushiki and was assigned to Shinseiwain betto (steward) at the same time.
On February 4, he was promoted to Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank) and remained in the position of Shinseiwain betto Sangi Konoefu.
On January 4, 1843, he was promoted to Shosanmi (Senior Third Rank) and remained in the position of Shinseiwain betto Sangi Ukone no gon no chujo (Provisional Middle Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards).
On December 22, 1844, he was transferred to Chunagon and remained in the position of Shinseiwain betto.
On February 18, 1845, he was promoted to Junii (Junior Second Rank) and remained in the position of Shinseiwain betto Gon Chunagon (Provisional Middle Counselor).
On June 20, 1846, he resigned as Shinseiwain betto in accordance with the death of Shinseiwain.
In 1847
On March 14, he was also assigned to Kotaigo (Empress Dowager) (Yasuko TAKATSUKASA, nyogo [a high-ranking lady in the court of the Emperor Ninko]) Gon no daibu (provisional master) at the same time.
On May 27, he was promoted to Shonii (Senior Second Rank) and remained in the position of Gon Chunagon Kotaigogu Gon no daibu.
On October 13, he resigned as Kotaigogu Gon no daibu in accordance with the death of the Empress Dowager.
On December 27, he was promoted to Dainagon.
On May 10, 1858, he was assigned to giso at the same time.
On December 9, 1862, he was assigned to Kokuji goyogakari (a general official of the Imperial Household in charge of State affairs) of the Imperial Court.
In 1863
On January 27, he was removed as giso.
On February he resigned as Dainagon.
In 1867
On September 27, he was allowed honza (the same position as the previous status).
On December 9, he was transferred to gijo of the Imperial Court in accordance with the abolishment of Kokuji goyogakari.
In 1868
On January 17, he was assigned to Jingikan (department of worship) of the Meiji government (この年に限って政府を伏す).
On February 3, he was transferred to hohitsu (to advise the Emperor with full responsibility for the results) of the government from the ministerial governor of Jingi. He remained in the position of gijo.
On the 20th of April, which was a leap month, he resigned as hohitsu of the government.
On the 21st of April, he was transferred to Jokyoku Gijo (government service of Jokyoku law-making organ) which was Giseikan (Legislature) from gijo of the government by a reform of the bureaucratic system.
On the 26th of April, he was promoted to Juichii (Junior First Rank) and was assigned to Jun-daijin (Vice Minister). He remained in the position of Jyokyoku Giso.
In 1869
On May 15, he was transferred to the governor of Jingikan from Jyokyoku Giso.
On July 8, he was transferred to Jingi haku (a chief official in charge of matters relating to Shintoism) from the governor of Jingikan and assigned to Senkyo Chokan (a chief of missionary work) a the same time by a reform of the bureaucratic system.
On June 25, 1871, he resigned as both Jingi haku and Senkyo Chokan, and was assigned to Jako no ma shiko (emperor's personal attendant in Jako room).
On November 2, 1880, he received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.
On July 7, 1884, he was conferred to marquis.
On May 14, 1888, he received the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum.
Graveyard
Toshimagaoka Cemetery in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo.
Literary works
"Diary of Tadayasu NAKAYAMA" (original title was "Seishin Seii" [all sincerity]), consisting of three volumes.