Ōkōchi Masatada
Japanese daimyō (1844–1901)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ōkōchi Masatada (Japanese: 大河内 正質; 1844–1901) was a Japanese daimyō. He was the last lord of the Ōtaki Domain.
Ōkōchi Masatada | |
|---|---|
大河内 正質 | |
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 27, 1844 |
| Died | June 2, 1901 (aged 57) |
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 1868, where he was defeated by the revolutionary Imperial Japanese Army. On January 29, 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
Ōkōchi died in 1901. He was survived by his eldest son Ōkōchi Masatoshi, later associated with the Japanese nuclear weapons program in conjunction with Gen. Yasuda Takeo.
