Iwakura Tomoyasu (岩倉具慶)
Tomoyasu IWAKURA (March 12, 1807 - February 13, 1873) was a Kugyo (top court official) in the latter part of the Edo period, and reached high office during the Meiji period. He was the adopted father of Tomomi IWAKURA, a meritorious retainer in the Meiji Restoration.
He was the son of Shigenari OHARA. He became an adopted child of Tomoai IWAKURA, Kugyo and Shonii (Senior Second Rank) Gon Dainagon (provisional chief councilor of state) and became the head of the Iwakura family, following the death at an early age of both Tomoai's son Tomomitsu IWAKURA, and Tomokata IWAKURA, Tomoai's adopted child. In 1820, at the time of his genpuku (coming of age celebration), he was given a peerage. After that he made progress and in 1850 became Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank) Konoe no chujo (Middle Captain of the Palace Guards), and came to be seen as one of the Kugyo. In 1854 he was raised to Shosanmi (Senior Third Rank), but along with Tomomi IWAKURA, his adopted child, and Tomotsuna IWAKURA, his grandson, he was implicated in the incident involving eighty-eight retainers of the Imperial Court in Ansei no Taigoku (suppression of extremists by the Shogunate). In 1868, he was appointed as Sangi (councilor), and he was also successful under the new government, being appointed 補相職 of administrative officers as Uhyoe no kami (Captain of the Right Division of Middle Palace Guards), Vice President and Gijo (an official post) in the Grand Government General.
Since he had only a daughter (the later wife of Sukeyori ITO, the lord of Obi domain in Hyuga Province), he adopted Tomomi IWAKURA, a son of Junii (Junior Second Rank) Gon Chunagon (a provisional vice-councilor of State) Yasuchika HORIKAWA, in 1838.