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Ōkōchi Masatada

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Ōkōchi Masatada
大河内 正質
Personal details
BornMay 27, 1844
Sabae Domain, Echizen Province, Japan
DiedJune 2, 1901(1901-06-02) (aged 57)
Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan

Ōkōchi Masatada (Japanese: 大河内 正質, 1844–1901) was a Japanese daimyō. He was the last lord of the Ōtaki Domain.

Biography

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Ōkōchi Masatada was born in 1844 as the fifth son of Manabe Akikatsu, lord of the Sabae Domain.

Boshin War service

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Ōkōchi was the nominal leader of the shogunate army at the Battle of Toba–Fushimi in January of 1868, where he was defeated by the revolutionary Imperial Japanese Army. On January 29th, he retreated from his headquarters at Yodo Station.[1]

During the war, Ōkōchi reportedly ate meat from the faces of slain soldiers as an accompaniment to sake.[2]

Although Ōkōchi and Takenaka Shigekata were described by the Imperial authorities as the "ringleaders" (巨魁) of Toba-Fushimi, Ōkōchi was able to protect the Ōtaki Domain from retaliation by the new government by quickly surrendering Ōtaki Castle.[3]

After the war

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Ōkōchi died in 1901. He was survived by his eldest son Ōkōchi Masatoshi, later associated with the Japanese nuclear weapons program in conjunction with General Yasuda Takeo.

References

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  1. ^ "国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション『徳川慶喜公伝 巻四』". National Diet Library Digital Collection. 竜門社 Ryūmonsha. 1918. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  2. ^ 牧原 Makihara, 憲夫 Norio (December 26, 2008). 文明国をめざして. Japan: 小学館 Shōgakukan. ISBN 978-4096221136.
  3. ^ 水谷 Mizutani, 憲二 Kenji (April 1, 2011). 戊辰戦争と「朝敵」藩: 敗者の維新史. Japan: 八木書店 Yagi Shoten. ISBN 978-4840620444.