Imadegawa Tsunesue (今出川経季)

Tsunesue IMADEGAWA (December 31, 1594 - March 18, 1652) was Kugyo (court noble) in the early Edo period. He mainly served four Emperors from the Emperor Goyozei (the 107th) to the Emperor Gokomyo (the 110th) and he rose to Shonii Udaijin (Senior Second Rank, the minister of the right). His original name was Norisue. His father was Gon Chunagon (a provisional vice-councilor of state), Tsunesue IMADEGAWA. His mother was a daughter of Gon Dainagon (a provisional chief councilor of state), Chikamichi NAKAYAMA. His lawful wife was Yukihiro UJIIE's daughter (Takatsugu KYOGOKU's adopted daughter). His adopted son was Udaijin (minister of the right), Kinnori IMADEGAWA (Kinnobu TOKUDAIJI's son).

A peerage was conferred on him in 1598 and since then, he got promoted taking various positions such as Jiju (Imperial Household Agency staff), Konoefu shosho (Minor Captain of the Inner Palace Guards) and Konoefu chujo (Middle Captain of the Inner Palace Guards) and then, in 1613, he became Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank) to rank with Kugyo. In 1619, he assumed Gon Dainagon. In 1626, he was appointed to be Shinnoke Chokubetto (steward at an Imperial Prince's family) due to the birth of Prince Sukehito, the second Imperial Prince of the Emperor Gomizunoo. In 1627, he resigned from Gon Dainagon. In 1638, he was reappointed to be Ukone no daisho (Major Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards) and worked at Konoefu, but in 1639, he resigned from both positions. In 1644, he was appointed to be Buke tenso (staff in the Imperial Palace) and then, in 1649, he became Inbetto (chief administrator of the Retired Emperor's Office)of the retired Emperor Gomizunoo. In 1652, he was appointed to be Udaijin (the minister of the right), but died in the same year. Died at the age of 59.

He had no children, therefore, he adopted Kinnori from the Tokudaiji family and handed over the family name of IMADEGAWA to him.

[Original Japanese]