Utsugi Rokunojo (宇津木六之丞)
Rokunojo UTSUGI (1809 - December 27, 1862) is a feudal retainer of Hikone Domain in the end of Edo Period. He is the fourth son of the feudal retainer of Hikone Domain, Rokuuemon FURUSAWA. His name is Kageyoshi. His childhood name is Tomeyoshi.
He was born in Omi Province. In 1821, he became the adopted heir of Kagetoshi UTSUKI, and took over the family of Rokunojo UTSUGI with 350 koku (an old unit showing volume [1 koku is about 180 liter]).
In 1827, he went to the capital, Edo, and became the toritsugi (an attendant who serves Shogun by informing of a visitor and convey the message) of tsukaiban (a person responsible for order and patrol in the battlefield) of Naoaki II who was the lord of domain. It is said that he had a friendship with Seigan YANAGAWA while he was in Edo. In 1834, he went back to Hikone as he became 母衣役. In 1841, he became Monogashira (Military Commanders), and in 1846, he became 表用人. Meanwhile, 14,600 koku was given to Sagami Province for navy defense at Sagami gulf. Later, he took charge of security as the long-term shugo (provincial constable) of Soshu (Sagami Province in the Edo period). When Naosuke II, who had been having a relationship with him and took over the lord of domain, assumed the post of Tairo (chief minister) of bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) in 1858, he became koyonin of the domain. While Shuzen NAGANO collected the external information for concluding the Ansei Five-Power Treaties, he made a great effort to summarize the opinion of a domain people. Afterwards, he played an important role in handling the issues such as a problem of heir of Shogun and handling the issue of Ansei no Taigoku (suppression of extremists by the Shogunate). Even after Naosuke was assassinated in the Sakuradamongai Incident in 1860, he continued serving as a Sobayaku (Secretary) of Naonori II who assumed the post of the lord of domain. When the emphasis of opinion of a domain people was placed on Sonno Joi (slogan advocating reverence for the Emperor and the expulsion of foreigners) in 1862, he was captured and imprisoned in Hikone, together with NAGANO and others, and was executed in the same year.