Ogasawara Nagashige (小笠原長重)
Nagashige OGASAWARA (June 5, 1650 to September 19, 1732) was a fudai-daimyo (Japanese territorial lord) and a roju (a person in charge of general affairs directly under the shogun) during the Edo period. Nagashige was the third lord of the Yoshida Domain in Mikawa Province and, later on, the first lord of the Iwatsuki Domain in Musashi Province. Nagashige was the fourth head of the OGASAWARA family of the Chuchi clan.
Biography
Nagashige was born on June 5, 1650 as the second son of Nagatsugu OGASAWARA who was the second lord of the Yoshida Domain in Mikawa Province. On April 18, 1664, Nagashige was allowed an audience with the Shogun, Ietsuna TOKUGAWA. After that, Nagashige worked for the bakufu (the samurai government) as a second son of a fudai-daimyo and was appointed as chuoku-kosho (a servant in the semi-deep portion of the castle) on August 26, 1670 and, on February 7th, was supplied with 500 pyo (originally, hyo, a unit of rice amount equivalent to 60 kg/hyo) of kirimai (seasonally supplied special salary rice). On May 22, 1672, Nagashige transferred to the position of osoba-kosho (a servant working beside the shogun) and was given the rank of Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) and was appointed as the governor of Sado Province. On November 30, 1677, a sword of Kuniyoshi ENJU was presented to Nagashige. On May 21, 1678, due to the death of his father, Nagatsugu, Nagashige's elder brother, Nagasuke OGASAWARA succeeded their father as the head of the family and became the lord of the Yoshida Domain in Mikawa Province. Nagashige on the other hand was dismissed due to the passing away of the Shogun Ietsuna and joined yoriai-hatamoto for a time, however, on August 19, 1681 in the next year, he returned to the bakufu as bangashira of goshoin-ban (the chief of the governmental library). On June 26, 1682, Nagashige obtained an increase of his kirimai by 1,000 pyo, which made the total of his kirimai 1,500 pyo.
On August 8, 1685, Nagachiyo, a child of Nagasuke died young and, therefore, Nagashige, who was Nagaksuke's younger brother, was suddenly adopted by his elder brother and, Nagashige on the 11th returned the 1,500 pyo of kirimai which had been supplied to him. On July 22, 1690, Nagashige succeeded the territory of the late elder brother, Nagasuke and, on November 10th, was appointed as the fourth lord of the Yoshida Domain, which annually produced 45,000 koku (a unit of amount of rice: one koku of rice could feed one person for one year) in the Mikawa Province.
As for his positions in the bakufu, Nagashige was appointed on January 1, 1691, as a soshaban (a person in charge of delivering shogun's gifts to visitors who could directly see the shogun during annual big events) and jisha-bugyo (temple-shrine police chief) and, on September 18, 1691, as the Kyoto-shoshidai. At the same time, Nagashige held the ranks of Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade) and Jiju. On November 9th, when Nagashige was traveling to Kyoto on business, the Shogun, Tsunayoshi TOKUGAWA gave him a sword of Bizen Kanenaga, a haori (a Japanese half-coat) and 20 gold. Nagashige visited the Imperial Palace for the first time on January 13th and met the Emperor Higashiyama. The Emperor presented an imperial cup to Nagashige. On February 26th in 1697, Arisugawa no Miya Sachiko Queen entered the Imperial Palace and, as a gift to celebrate this entrance, the Emperor Higashiyama presented permission for Nagashige to be promoted to Jushiinojo (Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade) this being irregular for a Kyoto-shoshidai, however, Nagashige humbly turned it down. On June 7th, Nagashige was appointed as roju by the bakufu while being in Kyoto as Kyoto-shoshidai. At the same time additionally, 10,000 koku of rice was added to his salary and was transferred to the lord of Iwatsuki Domain in Musashi Province.
On January 30, 1703, Nagashige attended as the guest of honor the tea party held by the KIRA family on the eve of the raid on KIRA's mansion.
On October 14, 1705, Nagashige followed Ienobu TOKUGAWA who entered the nishi-no-maru (west building) of Edo-jo castle and was transferred to the position of nishi-no-maru roju and his salary was increased by 10,000 koku which made the total amount of his salary in rice 60,000 koku
On June 25, 1709, Nagashige resigned his position due to suffering from an eye disease. On June 14, 1710, Nagashige retired and let his own son, Nagateru OGASAWARA succeed him as the head of the family. When the Kyoho period started, the eighth shogun, Yoshimune TOKUGAWA made a system of zenkan-reigu (to welcome retired persons to the field they had experience in) for fudai-daimyo, especially, the persons who had experience as roju in order to enhance the basis of the shogun's political support, and treated especially kindly three people, which included Nagashige together with Tadataka SAKAI and Masayuki INABA who had already retired, as the remaining persons who had experienced the previous generation and who had rich academic knowledge. Nagashige was also ordered to come occasionally to the castle and make an appearance in the goyo-beya (the office of roju). On September 2, 1722, the shogun Yoshimune presented Nagashige a lark that he caught during falconry.
Nagashige died on September 19, 1732 in Edo. He died at the age of 83. Nagashige's grave is located at the Ryuko-ji temple in Honkomagome in Bunkyo Ward in Tokyo. His Buddhist name was Jikusen-in-eigakushuyu-koji. There is also a mausoleum for Nagashige at the Rinzai-ji temple (Toyohashi City) in Toyohashi City in Aichi Prefecture.
swordplay
Though Nagashige was a daimyo, he was also good at swordplay and from when he was young he trained at the Shinkage-ryu school and Itto-ryu school in Ono faction, and it is said that his swordplay manner was feared being called 'tough style' since he was young. During the Ienobu administration, Nagashige made efforts to revive ceremonies such as: The practice-starting ceremony in the new year season of the Shinkage-ryu school and Itto-ryu school which had been abolished in the days of Tsunayoshi; exhibition matches in front of the shogun; etc. In 1709, Nagashige became a disciple of Tsukitan TSUJI and practiced Mugai-ryu school.
Career
1650: Nagashige was born in Edo. 1672: Was appointed as kubo-kosho. 1681: Was appointed as shoinban-gashira. 1685: Was adopted by his elder brother, Nagasuke. 1690: Nagasuke died on July 22. Nagashige Succeeded the Yoshida Domain on November 10th. He was appointed as soshaban and jisha-bugyo (December 3rd in the old calendar).
1691: Was appointed as Kyoto-shoshidai (August 26th in the old calendar). 1697: Was additionally appointed as roju (on April 19th in the old calendar). He moved to Iwatsuki.
1705: Resigned as shoshidai and transferred to nishinomaru of Edo-jo castle (on August 27th in the old calendar) and 10,000 koku was added to his salary. 1709: Transferred from nishinomaru to honmaru as roju (on January 10th in the old calendar). 1710: Resigned from the position of roju and retired (on May 18th in the old calendar). 1732: Died at the age of 83.
Official ranks
1672: Jugoinoge and the governor of Sado Province. 1691: Jushiinoge, a rank for a samurai warrior during the Edo period.