Sanjonishi Suetomo (三条西季知)
Suetomo SANJONISHI (March 20, 1811-August 24, 1880) was a Kugyo (the top court officials) during the end of the Edo period and a High official during the Meiji Era. He was the son of Saneiso SANJONISHI. His mother was the daughter of Saneoki SANJO.
He was appointed to Gon chunagon (Provisional vice-councilor) in 1858, and trusted, however, he was obliged to leave the capital to Choshu in a conspiracy by those who advocated kobu-gattai (integration of the imperial court and the shogunate), and thereby became a man of so-called Shichikyo ochi (the exile of the Seven nobles from Kyoto) in 1863. Further, he escaped to Dazaifu (local government office in Kyushu region) and was granted amnesty by the Decree for the Restoration of Imperial Rule, and returned home to Kyoto.
After the Meiji restoration, he was designated to Dainagon (chief councilor of state), Sanyo (councilor) and Jingu saishu (head priest of the Ise Shrine).
As he was a family head of the Sanjonishi family, he was known as a master of waka poetry, and it is also famous that he was an instructor of waka poetry of the Emperor Meiji as well as Kiminari NISHIYOTSUTSUJI (Governor of Osaka Prefecture). Suetomo was taught waka by Kinsachi TAKAMATSU himself.