Kuki Takatomo

Takato Kuki was a daimyō of the late Edo period, serving as the 10th and final lord of the Aibe Domain in Tanba Province. His court rank was Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade, and he held the title of Osumi-no-kami.

He was born as the eldest son of Takatsugu Kuki. His exact birth date is unknown, but it is recorded that he paid respects to the 13th shogun Tokugawa Iemadsu on December 15, 1853. On June 10, 1861, upon his father Takatsugu's retirement, he succeeded to the family headship. Later that year, on December 16, he was promoted to Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade, with the courtesy title of Osumi-no-kami.

On March 30, 1863 (Bunkyu 3), he was ordered by the shogunate to oversee security in Kyoto, and in February 1864 (Genji 1), he moved to Kyoto. In March of that year, he paid homage to Emperor Komei, and on May 5, he was promoted to Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade. During the Kinmon Incident, he was responsible for guarding the Kyoto Imperial Palace. After returning to his domain from Kyoto, he changed the domain’s school, Shin-duk-kan, to a new name, Shintoku-kan, and the following year, established six local village schools within his domain to promote education among commoners. These educational efforts laid the groundwork for modern education in the subsequent Meiji government.

During the Meiji Restoration, he was quick to support the return of political power to the imperial court, backing the shogunate’s appointee and later aligning with the new government. In 1869 (Meiji 2), through the Haitaishukusei system, he became a governor of the domain. Under the subsequent abolition of han (domains) and establishment of prefectures in 1871 (Meiji 4), he was relieved of his liege lord position. On November 20 of the same year, he retired from active governance and passed the family headship to his younger brother, Noratakam. After Noratakam’s death, he resumed his position as head of the family on June 12, 1876 (Meiji 9), and was later elevated to viscount (shishaku) in the kazoku peerage system.

He died on July 13, 1897, at the age of 64.

His genealogy is as follows: His father was Takatsugu Kuki (1801–1882); details about his mother are unknown. His brothers include Viscount Tominari Otahara, Viscount Takatsugu Kuki, Suetoku Ichiyanagi, and Hidetaka Kembē. His first wife was Takako (daughter of Matsuura Mitsuyoshi), and his second wife was the daughter of Nakaken Shōhachirō. His children of unknown mother include his fourth daughter, Fumiko (belonging to Funahashi Suiken’s family), a daughter named Chitsu Kimihiro (son of Tozu Kimihito and head priest of Usa Shrine), and another daughter, Hikosaburō Nozaki (who served as president of Shizuoka Bank and director of Shizuoka Light Railway). His eldest son was Takaji Kuki (1886–1980), who succeeded the family headship in 1897, was ennobled as a viscount, and served as president of the Kōdō Sen’yōkai and the Imperial Art Preservation Society.