Ōkōchi Masatada Explained

Ōkōchi Masatada
Native Name:大河内 正質
Native Name Lang:ja
Birth Date:May 27, 1844
Birth Place:Sabae Domain, Echizen Province, Japan
Death Place:Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan
Nationality:Japanese

was a Japanese daimyō. He was the last lord of the Ōtaki Domain.

Biography

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

Boshin War service

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 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

Ōkōchi died in 1901. He was survived by his eldest son Ōkōchi Masatoshi.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 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 . 1918 . 竜門社 Ryūmonsha . 5 April 2024.
  2. Book: 牧原 Makihara . 憲夫 Norio . 文明国をめざして . December 26, 2008 . 小学館 Shōgakukan . Japan . 978-4096221136.
  3. Book: 水谷 Mizutani . 憲二 Kenji . 戊辰戦争と「朝敵」藩: 敗者の維新史 . April 1, 2011 . 八木書店 Yagi Shoten . Japan . 978-4840620444.