Yamauchi, Toyoshige
(1827 - 1872)

Lord of the Kochi Clan in the final days of the Tokugawa regime. Born in Kochi as a son of Toyokita Yamauchi, a branch family of the clan lord. Triggered by the arrival of foreign warships in 1853, he pushed through reforms of clan politics. Promoting Toyo Yoshida, he made various achievements. Actively taking part in the Shogunate administration, he supported Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi as Shogunate successor, and falling foul of the opposite tairo (Shogunate regent) Naosuke Ii, he was placed under house arrest for two and a half years. Then, launching reforms of the government administration as kobu gattai (the reconciliation between the Imperial Court and the Shogunate government) group, he suppressed the Tosa Kinnoto and focused on suppressing the radical sonno joi group (supporters of the doctrine of revering the Emperor and expelling the barbarians) within the clan. In 1867, accepting the recommendation of Shojiro Goto, he submitted a memorial of taisei hokan (the restoration of political power to the Emperor) to Yoshinobu Tokugawa. He conceived of a coalition of influential clans, and in the Meiji government he served as gijo (one of the three highest posts in the beginning of the Meiji government), director-general of Seidoryo (agency preparing for the reorganization of the government offices), etc.