Sato Nobuhiro (佐藤信寛)
Nobuhiro SATO (January 25, 1816 - February 15, 1900) was a Japanese samurai (a feudal retainer of the Choshu clan). His childhood name was Saburo, later he called himself Kansaku or Nobuhiro. He called himself Kashu. His last rank was Shogoi (Senior Fifth Rank). He was the tenth head of the Sato family.
The former prime ministers of Japan, Nobusuke KISHI and his brother Eisaku SATO were Nobuhiro's great-grandsons. The former prime minister Shinzo ABE is his descendant.
Career
He was born as the oldest son of a retainer of the Choshu clan Genemon SATO (the ninth head of the Sato family) in current Tabuse-cho, Kumage County, Yamaguchi Prefecture. He entered Meirinkan domain school and studied under Taika YAMAGATA, then moved to Edo (Tokyo) to study the Naganuma-ryu school of military science under Sekijo SHIMIZU and taught Heiyoroku (short summary of military science) to Shoin YOSHIDA. He was the governor of Hamada Prefecture and the governor of Shimane Prefecture, etc.
He retired from his governmental position around 1878 and settled in Ebisugashita, Ogo Village, (current Tabuse-cho) Kumage County; he left many collections of poetry and personal notes, and he spent the rest of his life enjoying the companionship of nature.
He died at the age of 86 and was buried in Hiromigaoka, Tabuse Town.
Personality
In November 1876, as the governor, Nobuhiro arrested the ringleaders of the Hagi-no-ran War (turmoil of the dissatisfied warriors at Hagi) including Issei MAEBARA.
His great-grandson Eisaku SATO wrote at the beginning of his autobiography "Kyowa Ashitano Zenjitsu" (Today is the day before tomorrow) that "my ancestors were originally vassals of the Mori clan and were living in Hagi City (omission), my great-grandfather was serving directly the main Mori clan, however he was not at a high rank, yet, thinking about it now, he was a reformist at that time and when the Mori clan went to fight in Kyushu, he joined in the attacking force, after the Meiji Restoration he became the governor of Shimane Prefecture."
The relationship with his eldest son Nobuhiko was not always amicable, which caused him to favor his second son Takekane who succeeded the Tsutsumi family name and gave him all of his properties and memorabilia. However, people of the Tsutsumi family were not interested in the Sato family in Tabuse Town, so they sold all the memorabilia one after another.
After retiring from his government position, he settled in his country house in Ebisugashita and called himself 'Kashu.'
The influential people including Imperial Prince Arisugawanomiya Taruhito and Hirobumi ITO visited the country house.
Family and Relatives
Eldest son: Nobuhiko
Second son: Kanetake TSUZUMI (Army Major General and succeeded the Tsuzumi family)
Third son: Taro (Army Major and succeeded the Inoue family)
Grandchildren: Matsusuke SATO (doctor), Kanzo SATO (doctor), Sakuzo IKEGAMI (doctor), Moyo, Sawa and so on
Great-grandchildren: Nobusuke KISHI (bureaucrat, statesman and former prime minister), Eisaku SATO (bureaucrat, statesman and former prime minister)
Genealogy
Sato family
Although there is no confirmation or written record, it is said that the root of the Sato family ascend to Tadanobu SATO, a vassal of MINAMOTO no Yoshitsune. On record, the founder of the Sato family was Ichiroemon Nobuhisa SATO, a samurai who had served the Hagi clan since about 1662 and received a rice stipend of 2 koku 4 to (432.936 cubic decimeters) for two members of the family. He was a lower-ranking samurai and there was not much change in his salary after that. Depending on his position, he sometimes received a rice stipend of 4 koku 5 to (811.755 cubic decimeters) or 6 koku (1082.34 cubic decimeters). The members of the family successively called themselves Ichiroemon or Genemon. The first head of the Sato family who became famous in history was the fourth head Genemon Nobuhaya SATO. He produced some achievement and his Rokudaka (salary) was increased to 6 koku (1082.34 cubic decimeters). He left some written materials such as 'Horeki Kenchi Ezu' (Fields Atlas of the Horeki era) of Tabuse Village of Kumage County. The seventh head Katsuma SATO died from illness at the age of 12 in 1779. Until this seventh head, the Sato family had been living around Mihori, Ouchi-cho, the present southern part of Yamaguchi City. After the seventh head Katsuma had died young, the Sato family had their relatives in Hagi City, Hachibei YOSHIDA's third son Kikusaburo get married to other relatives the Fukuda family's daughter, and adopted the couple as successor. The adopted son was the eighth head Ichiemon Nobutaka and he moved the Sato family to Tabuse Town.
As a retainer of the Choshu clan, Nobuhiro SATO successively held important positions such as Okuramoto-motojime-yaku (supervisor of managers of the tribute) and Daikenshi-yaku (head of inspectors) and so on; he studied Naganuma-ryu school of the military science and taught Heiyoroku (short summary of military science) to Shoin YOSHIDA, a thinker of the end of the Edo period. In the Meiji period, he was appointed to important positions such as the governor of Shimane Prefecture and the governor of Hamada Prefecture.
Nobuhiko served two terms as councilor of the prefectural council of Yamaguchi Prefecture and he was also a great scholar of the Chinese classics. Hidesuke worked for Yamaguchi Prefectural Government and after quitting the job, he started a sake brewing factory. The crest of the Sato family is "Genjiguruma" (a cartwheel of a cattle-drawn carriage).