Umeda Unpin (梅田雲浜)

Unpin UMEDA (July 13, 1815 - October 9, 1859) was a Confucian scholar in the end of Edo period. His common name was Genjiro. His names wereYoshimoto and Sadaaki. Konan was also included in his titles, as well as Unpin.

Career
His title, Unpin, was named after the Obama coast in Wakasa Province. He was born the second son of Yoshichika YABE, a feudal retainer of the Obama domain and studied at hanko (a domain school), Junzokan. In 1830, he learned Ansai YAMAZAKI's study from a Confucian scholar of the domain, Kanzan YAMAGUCHI, and after that, he succeeded his grandfather's family line, the Umeda clan. He opened Konanjuku in Otsu with the knowledge that he learned in Obama. In 1843, he went up to Kyoto to become an instructor of the domain school, the Bonanken.

However, since Unpin offended the lord of the domain, Tadaaki SASAKI (the lord of the Obama domain, in Wakasa Province) for the reason that Unpin offered counsel to him, his hanseki was taken away. Next year, at the time of the arrival of Commodore Perry from the United States, he spearheaded the royalists who looked for Sonno Joi (slogan advocating reverence for the Emperor and the expulsion of foreigners) with calling for opposition to the treaty and Joi Movement (the Movement advocating reverence for the Emperor and the expulsion of foreigners), and criticized shogunate government fiercely. However, he was charged with this, at the time of Ansei no Taigoku (suppression of extremists by the Shogunate) by the then Tairo (chief minister), Naosuke II, and he became the second person to be arrested.

After the arrest, he was sent to Edo from Kyoto, and although he was tortured by receiving lashes all over his body during interrogation, he told nothing and died of illness in prison. There is another theory of the cause of death that he died of festering wound through torture. He died at the age of 45.

Unpin's graveyards extend across the country, and were established in Kaizen-ji Temple (Taito Ward, Tokyo Prefecture), Anshoin (Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City) and Shogen-ji Temple (Obama City, Fukui Prefecture).

Unpin's monument was erected in Kyoto Ryozen Gokoku-jinja Shrine which is famous for Ryoma SAKAMOTO and close to Anshoin and many people who respect him still visit his monument.

A death poem

My sentiment for the Emperor's world is straight and I do not care for my body even though it exist.

[Original Japanese]