Fujii Naoaki (藤井直明)
Naoaki FUJII (1720 - September 14, 1767) was an imperialist, who lived during the middle of the Edo period. His father was a surviving retainer of the Ako Domain in Harima Province, Muneshige FUJII. His original name was Kichitaro. His common name was Umon. He was born in Kosugi-machi, Imizu Country, Ecchu Province (present Imizu City).
Biography
He ran away from the home town to went up to Kyoto, and he became an adopted son of Shodaibu (aristocracy official whose rank was lower than Kugyo) Tadayoshi FUJII to take over the family reign. In Kyoto, after he got acquainted with Shikibu TAKENOUCHI, he became a professor at Kogakusho (the Imperial Learning Place) and preached Imperialism to the Kugyo (high court nobles). In 1758 when Shikibu TAKENOUCHI was arrested in the Horeki Incident, he left Kyoto and went to Edo (present Tokyo), where he called himself Umon and lodged with Daini YAMAGATA. In 1766 when the Meiwa Incident occurred, he was arrested together with Daini YAMAGATA and Shikibu TAKENOUCHI, and the next year, 1767, he was decapitated and exposed at a prison gate for the great impropriety in the content of his book Heisho zatsudan" (a talk about The Art of War).
Eulogy for an unrecognized good deed
Owing to a friendly tie that Naoaki's great grand son Tamon FUJII deepened with Tomomi IWAKURA, Naoaki's thought came to be recognized and after the Meiji Restoration, he was posthumously given Shoshii (Senior Fourth Rank). In his birth place, Imizu City, every August, the residents celebrate Kensho-sai (memorial festival of eulogy for Naoaki FUJII).
Historic sites
Residence site: Kamitachiuri-agaru-nishigawa, Karasuma-dori Street, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture (historic site of Kyoto City)
Graveyard: 6-23 Karasuyama, Setagaya Ward Tokyo (Myoko-ji Temple)
Bunkotsuto (a pagoda to place some of one's ashes separately): 4200, Hibari, Imizu City, Toyama Prefecture (next to Imizu City Shakaifukushi-kaikan [welfare hall]).