Hijikata Katsuyuki

In this Japanese name, the surname is Hijikata.

Hijikata Katsuyuki
土方雄志
Hijikata Katsuyuki, post-Meiji restoration
Governor of Komono Domain
In office 1869–1871
Monarch	Emperor Meiji
Personal details
Born	(1856-08-31)August 31, 1856
Died	April 24, 1932(1932-04-24) (aged 75)

Hijikata Katsuyuki (土方雄志, August 32, 1856 – April 24, 1932) was the 13th (and last) daimyō of Komono Domain in Ise Province (modern-day Mie Prefecture) in early Meiji period Japan.

Biography

Hijikata Katsuyuki was the nephew of the 10th daimyō of Komono, Hijikata Katsuoki, and was heir to a 1000 koku hatamoto holding. He was adopted as heir to the 12th daimyō, Hijikata Katsunaga who was only five years his senior, in 1869, as Katsunaga was very sickly. Katsunaga retired the same year, and Katsuyuki was proclaimed daimyō; however, by this time that title had been formally abolished by the new Meiji government and his official title was that of imperial governor. In 1871, after the abolition of the han system he moved to Tokyo, and in November of the same year, he entered Keio University to study the English language

In 1878, he joined the Ministry of Industry. With the establishment of kazoku peerage on July 8, 1884, he was made a viscount (shishaku) and served as a member of the House of Peers from July 1890 to July 1897. In 1899, he was the secretary of the Camphor Bureau of the Governor-General of Taiwan. On his return to mainland Japan, he again served as a member of the House of Peers from July 1918 to July 1925.

In November 1925, he retired in favor of his nephew, Hijikata Katsutake. Katsutake's father, Hisaakira Hijikata, was Katsuyuki's younger brother and was subsequently the 12th president of the Bank of Japan. Hijikata Katsuyuki died on April 24, 1931, and his grave is at the temple of Gensho-ji in Komono.

References

• (in Japanese) Hijikata family info on "Edo Daimyo Kugyo" site
• (in Japanese) Japanese Wiki entry on Katsuyuki