Shimizudani Kinnaru (清水谷公考)
Kinnaru SHIMIZUDANI (October 6, 1845-December 31, 1882) was kuge (a court noble) who lived in the end of the Edo period. He was a son of Kinnao SHIMIZUDANI who was Kugyo (the top court officials). He was the governor of Hakodate-fu.
He became a priest in his childhood and entered Mt.Hiei, but he returned to secular life because he had to succeed the Shimizudani family. In 1858 he was conferred Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade). In 1862 he was appointed jiju (a chamberlain).
When the Boshin War began in 1868, he advised the Imperial Court to suppress Ezo. Therefore, he was assigned to the governor of Hakodate Court by the new government and succeeded operations from the former Hakodate bugyo (magistrate) of bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) at Hakodate on June 16. His group consisted of a small number of people but could succeed operations very smoothly, and Shimizudani adopted some old officers of bakufu who hoped to remain there as new lower class officers. When the Hakodate Court changed its name to Hakodate-fu, he was assigned to the governor of the Hakodate-fu. Although there was no fire of war yet, the military force to guard Ezo depended on the domains in Tohoku who did not follow the new government. Therefore, isolated Ezo was threatened to fall in the shortage of goods and had a lot of troubles.
On December 3 of the same year, the Old Shogunate Army led by Takeaki ENOMOTO arrived at Ezo. Shimizudani dispatched troops to Togeshita and soon the Boshin War began. The quickie troops of Hakodate-fu could not fight well with the Old Shogunate Army who experienced many campaigns. Shimizudani withdrew by a foreign ship with his close retainers and escaped to Aomori City. On January 9, 1869, he was assigned to the general of the Aomori army, but Kiyotaka KURODA, a general staff, actually controlled military missions. On June 8, 1869, the Aomori army lined up at Esashi in Ezo. After the Old Shogunate Army surrendered on June 27, he went back to Hakodate on the following day, 28, to perform government affairs including dealing with postwar matters.
In August of the same year, he was assigned to the assistant director of Hokkaido Development Commission and was continuously in charge of the governance of Ezo. When Michitomi HIGASHIKUZE was assigned to the director in October, he resigned the assistant director and was given 250 koku (45.09 cubic meters) of rice yield as Onsho (reward grants) of the Hakodate War.
After that, he was dedicated to learning and went to Rossia for studying in 1871. In 1875 he came back to Japan. In 1882 he died. He received Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank). He was at the age of 38.