Nanbu Toshihisa

The graves of Nanbu Toshihisa and his wife at Gokoku-ji in Tokyo

• Born: 1826/12/28 (25 Jan 1827)
• Died: 1896/10/30
• Titles: 美濃守 (Mino no kami), 伯爵 (hakushaku, Count)
• Other Names: 寿之助 (Junosuke), 鉄五郎 (Tetsugorô), 利敦 (Toshiatsu)
• Art-names: 節斎 (Sessai), 中和 (Chûwa), 素心斎 (Soshinsai), 致堂 (Chidô), 桜園 (Yôen)
• Japanese: 南部 利剛 (Nanbu Toshihisa)

Nanbu Toshihisa was the 40th head of the Nanbu clan, and second-to-last daimyô of Morioka han. He is also known as a poet.

Born in Morioka, he was the third son of Nanbu Toshitada, and the younger brother of Nanbu Toshitomo. He became head of the Nanbu clan in 1849, and married Tokugawa Akiko (Matsu-hime), younger sister of Tokugawa Yoshiatsu, lord of Mito han, shortly afterward. Toshihisa then served in a maritime defense post and as Kyoto shugo before being named Sakon'e no chûjô in 1864. He studied under Mamiya Nagayoshi and Esashi Tsunehisa, and rose to the court rank of Upper Third Rank.

Toshihisa fought alongside the Ôetsu Reppan Dômei, and lost in battle against the new Meiji government. Declared an enemy of the court, he was forced to forfeit his domain in 1868/9, and to relocate to Tokyo, where he was effectively placed under house arrest. His son Nanbu Toshiyuki, meanwhile, succeeded him as 41st head of the Nanbu clan, and as lord of Iwashiro Shiraishi han.

Following his death in 1896, Toshihisa was buried along with his wife at Gokoku-ji in Tokyo. His son was later buried nearby.

References

• "Nanbu Toshihisa," Asahi Nihon rekishi jinbutsu jiten.
• "Nanbu Toshihisa," Nihon jinmei daijiten.
• "Nanbu Toshihisa," Bijutsu jinmei jiten, Shibunkaku.