Kutsuki Moritsuna (朽木為綱)
Moritsuna KUTSUKI was the thirteenth (last) lord of the Fukuchiyama Domain in Tanba Province. The fourteenth head of the Kutsuki family in the Fukuchiyama Domain.
Born on December 3, 1845 as the first son of Tsunaharu KUTSUKI, the twelfth lord of the Domain. Since the adopted son of his father, Hirotsuna KUTSUKI, died young, he became the heir. When his father died in 1867, he took over as head of the family and became the thirteenth lord of the Domain. At the Battle of Toba and Fushimi in January 1868, at first he intended to support the former Tokugawa troop. However, the Tokugawa troop was defeated and he surrendered to the army led by Kinmochi SAIONJI of the new government. Therefore, he was forced to apologize by letting his top staff members to commit suicide by disembowelment, to dispatch troops to the Hokuetsu area (an area of Toyama Prefecture and a part of Niigata Prefecture), and to allow a seizure of the Daikanchi (place to govern) and shogunal demesne in Tanba of the Tango Provinces.
In July 1869, he was appointed as the governor of the Fukuchiyama Domain in accordance with the return of lands and people to the emperor. He was dismissed due to Haihan-chiken (abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures) on August 30, 1871, and returned to Tokyo in October. He let his adopted son Tsunakane KUTSUKI to take over as head of the family and retired in 1872. Then he went back to Fukuchiyama and worked on saving the warrior class. However, he then had a conflict with his adopted son Tsunakane and broke the adoption, and again took over as head of the family. Afterward, he founded 富教会 and worked harder on salvation of the warrior class.
Died on April 26, 1883. Died at the age of 39.
His real son was Tsunasada KUTSUKI, who served as Army Major General, viscount and a member of Kizokuin (the House of Peers) and was also famous for his research of gunpowder.