Kitabatake Harufusa (北畠治房)
Harufusa KITABATAKE (February 20, 1833 - May 2, 1921) is an imperialist in the end of Edo period and a judicial officer in Meiji period. His former names were Kyuhei HIRAOKA and Takeo HIRAOKA. He claimed to be the descendant of Chikafusa KITABATAKE and changed the name to Harufusa KITABATAKE after Meiji Restoration.
Personal Profile
He was born as the second son of merchant family near Horyu-ji Temple. Studying under Mitsuhira TOMOBAYASHI to study Japanese literature and culture, he concentrated on the radical thought of Sonno Joi (the principle of advocating reverence for the Emperor and the expulsion of foreigners), and then joined Tenchu-gumi (royalist party to inflict punishment) with his teacher Tomobayashi once it arose but Tenchu-gumi was suppressed and Tomobayashi was executed. Kyuhei eluded his pursuers to hide and drifted in Kyoto and Osaka. He was asked to Tengu-to party by his old friend, Isshinsai OBA, a feudal retainer of Mito Domain shortly and joined it, but he seceded at an early stage. He rallied masterless samurais of Sonno Joi party and joined the troop of Imperial Prince Arisugawanomiya Taruhito in Boshin War. He became a judicial officer after Meiji Restoration and held a head of a court in Yokohama, Kyoto and Tokyo, and also a head of Osaka court of appeal. He worked with outstanding ability and efficiency at a ruling of the Onogumi tenseki incident and put on a display of a war of words with Masanao MAKIMURA. After retirement, he was made a baron and had the rest of his life near Horyu-ji Temple.