Kutsuki Tanemasa (朽木稙昌)
Tanemasa KUTSUKI is the second lord of the Tsuchiura Domain in Hitachi Province.
Later the first lord of the Fukuchiyama Domain in Tanba Province
The second head of the Kutsuki family in the Fukuchiyama Domain.
He was born on July 4, 1643, as the oldest son of Tanetsuna KUTSUKI (the third son of Mototsuna KUTSUKI), the first lord of the Tsuchiura Domain. In 1660 his father died, so the next year he succeeded to the family estate and became the second lord of the Tsuchiura Domain. On this occasion he distributed 3,000 koku to his younger brother Noritsuna KUTSUKI.
In 1667 he was assigned to sojaban (an official in charge of ceremonies). In September 1669, he was ordered to change his territory with additonal properties of 5,000 koku, totalling 32,000 koku, into the Fukuchiyama Domain in Tanba Province. However, the financial situation of the Domain was deteriorated due to the expenses for the moving, natural disasters, and so on, then in 1691 he conducted hanch (reducing emplyees' payment into half) of enfeoffment for his vassals for five years. In addition, he executed mass dismissal of ashigaru (common foot soldiers) and suspended to issue han bills (bills usable only in a particular feudal clan), and so on. He also contributed to cultural development.
On August 11, 1708, he retired, giving the family estate to his oldest son Tanemoto. He died on April 7, 1714. He died at the age of 72.