Itsutsuji Takanaka (五辻高仲)
Takanaka ITSUTSUJI (January 19, 1808 - June 5, 1896) was a 'kugyo' (a senior court noble of Third Rank and above) who lived from the end of the Edo period (alternatively called the Bakumatsu, meaning the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate) into the Meiji period. Takanaka was the thirty-third head of the Itsutsuji family which was a 'hanke' ('kuge' court noble of lower rank).
The Itsutsuji's ancestry can be traced back to the Uda-Genji (the Minamoto clan originated from the Emperor Uda)
Takanaka's biological father was Gon Dainagon (Provisional Major Counselor) Shigeyoshi NIWATA. Takanaka was adopted by Toyonaka ITSUTSUJI who was a Junii Hisangi (an advisor at large of Junior Second Rank).
Takanaka had an older brother whose name was Shigemoto NIWATA and a younger sister who was Tsuguko NIWATA (serving as the Emperor Ninko's 'naishi no suke' which was an assistant handmaid in the Kokyu palace which was the imperial harem including the empress's residence; and an 'O-oku joro kamiza' which was a top ranking upper-grade lady-in-waiting at the O-oku [literally, the great interior, which was the women's quarters in Edo Castle and was the shogun's harem])
Takanaka's lawful wife (which was called 'seishitsu' in Japanese) was from the Yamaguchi clan, and his second wife (which was called 'keishitsu' in Japanese) was a daughter of Tadayoshi MATSUYAMA. Takanaka had an adopted son, Tsugunaka ITSUTSUJI (whose biological father was Shigenari OHARA) and biological sons, Yasunaka ITSUTSUJI (who was adopted by Tsugunaka) and Fuminaka NISHIITSUTSUJI (the founder of the NISHIITSUTSUJI family). Takanaka's official court rank was shonii hisangi (an advisor at large of Senior Second Rank).
Against a shogunal plan of claiming imperial sanction to the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Japan that was to be signed in 1858, Takanaka participated in a sit-in protest staged by 88 courtiers (which is called the 'Teishin hachijuhachi kyo ressan jiken' incident in Japanese.)
In 1868 Takanaka was appointed Councilor (which is called 'sanyo' in Japanese) and Assistant Judicial Officer (which is called 'gonhanji' in Japanese) of the Department of Home Affairs (which is called the 'naikoku jimu kyoku), and became a Minor Controller (which is called 'shoben' in Japanese based on the ritsuryo system) in 1869. In 1873 Takanaka gained kudos for years of his involvement in the kagura (ceremonial Shinto music and dances) service and went into retirement. Takanaka died at the age of 80 on June 5, 1886.