Irie Kuichi

Kuinchi Irie (いりえ くいち, born April 5, 1837 – July 19, 1864), was a retainer of the Choshu Domain in Japan. He was also known by the alias Kōjima Kotarō.

He was born in the Choshu Domain (present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture), belonging to the lower samurai class. His father was Iriye Kadenji, a foot soldier (ashigaru), and his mother was Manchi, the daughter of Murakami Yosaburō. He had a younger brother, Yasuda Nomura (Yas), and a sister, Sumi Ito, who was the first wife of Ito Hirobumi. His wife was Kume, the daughter of Hori Otoneemon, a colleague of his father.

He was born on April 5, 1817 (the 8th year of Tempō). In 1856 (the 3rd year of Ansei), his father passed away, and he inherited the family estate. In 1857 (the 4th year of Ansei), his younger brother Yasuda entered the Shōchai Gakkō (Yoshida Shōin's students' school), but Kuinchi, needing to support his family, found it difficult to attend. He entered the school later, in 1858 (the 5th year of Ansei). That same year, when Shōin was re-imprisoned, Kuinchi, though a short-term student, was highly regarded by Shōin and was counted among the "Four Heavenly Kings of the Shōin School," along with Honkaku Kōsaku, Takasugi Shinsaku, and Yoshida Minzō.

During this period, Shōin was opposed to the signing of the convention of Kanagawa (Japan-US Treaty of Amity and Commerce) and plotted to overthrow the shogunate. Kuinchi and his brother supported this plan and participated in the conspiracy to assassinate Shōin. Shōin reportedly called him "a boy who can die for his country."

Additionally, as part of Shōin's strategy, the brothers were ordered to carry out the "Fushimi Yōka Plan"—a plan to abduct the lord of the domain and force him to declare sonnō jōi (Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians) before the court. They were subsequently discovered by the domain authorities and imprisoned in Iwakura Prison along with his brother. While in prison, Kuinchi supported himself through in-prison work.

In 1860 (the first year of Man'en), they were released, but continued their pro-sonnō jōi activities. In 1863 (the 3rd year of Bunkyū), he was promoted from samurai (bushi) to samurai rank officially, although he was unpaid. That same year, he helped establish the Kiheitai (remarkable military corps) and served as an advisor.

On July 19, 1864 (the first year of Genji), during the Ikedune Mission incident (The Kinmon Incident), he participated as a member of a ronin militia unit stationed at Tennōzan and fought in the assault on the Imperial Palace, but was defeated. When Honkaku Kōsaku committed seppuku, Kuinchi was asked to deliver a message. He was killed after being stabbed in the face by a spear from an Echizen soldier. He was 28 years old. His head was recovered by Fukuoka domain samurai and was buried at Jōzen-ji Temple in Fukui Prefecture.

Posthumously, the Chōshū Domain enshrined him as a patriotic hero. He was honored at Sakura Mountain Shrine, Asahi Mountain Shrine in Yamaguchi, the Reizan Gokoku Shrine in Kyoto, and the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. His remains are also kept at Chōju-ji in Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Regarding Kuinchi's family, his wife’s younger brother, Otarō, was adopted but died after studying in America. Later, he adopted Nomura Yas' second son, Kan'ichi, as his heir. His grave sites are located in Yamaguchi Prefecture and New Jersey, USA.