パペットホームズ、大河ドラマなどの好きなテレビ番組やラグビーについて書いています。アフィリエイトはやっていません。／Welcome to my blog. I write about some Japanese TV programmes including NHK puppetry and Taiga Drama, Sherlock Holmes and rugby. I don't do affiliate marketing.
KOMATSU Tatewaki Kiyokado was a samurai who served Satuma domain. He was born in 1835 as a son of KIMOTSUKI Kaneyoshi who ruled Kiire, a part of current Kagoshima City. Though having bee delicate, he studied hard while learning swordsmanship.
Komatsu Tatewaki (Keita Machida) in armour
In 1856, he married KOMATSU Chika, younger sister of Komatsu Kiyomoto and was adopted by him. Then he called himself Komatsu Tatewaki Kiyokado. In 1861, he made an official trip to Nagasaki and mastered the skills concerning Western navy and it made him appoint to one of the close advisers of SHIMAZU Hisamitsu. So he reformed the government of Satsuma domain with ŌKUBO Ichizō, his subordinate and played an important roles for the domain includes the negotiation of Satchō-domei (Satchō Alliance).
He was familiar with SAKAMOTO Ryōma. He also made ITŌ Hirobumi (Shunsuke) and INOUE Kaoru (Bunta) meet Thomas Blake Glover in the residence of Satuma in Nagasaki. Beside he acted as go-between Satsuma and the United Kingdom. Then he involved in Taisei Hōkan, the restoration of the government to the crown and mainly worked as diplomat in the Meiji Government. He was awarded for the efforts in the Meiji Restoration.
But around that time, he ruined his health and consulted Antonius Franciscus Bauduin. He planned to return his fief because of illness and Hanseki Hōkan, the system of returning fief and people to the emperor administered just at that moment. In the same year he moved to Osaka to recuperate as the tumor in his lower abdomen got worse.
In July 1870, he died in Osaka. His ashes were moved to the grave of his family in Kagoshima six years later.
He was a good-natured and popular man. His descendants now manage a food company Tokiwaken.
In this series, he is described as an able and bright man. He always tackles many problems with Ōkubo Ichizō (*) so they are high favour with their lord Hisamitsu.
(*) Eita, who plays the role of Ichizo acts Tatewaki in "Atsuhime" broadcast in 2008.
Tatewaki in gray kimono and black haori
Both of the images are from the official website of "Segodon".
