Kujō Yukitsune

Yukitsune Kujō was a court noble and courtier during the late Edo period. He held the ranks of Senior Second Court Rank and provisional Major Minister (gondainagon). His pseudonym was Byodō Shimoin. He was born in the sixth year of Bunsei (1823) and died in the sixth year of Ansei (1859).

His brief biography is as follows: Born in 1823 (Bunsei 6) as the third son of Regent Masamichi Taka-tsuji. He became the adopted son of Naotada Kujō. In 1834 (Tenpo 5), he was granted the ranks of Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Fourth Rank, and was appointed as Provisional Left Guard of the Guard Corps. The following year, in 1835 (Tenpo 6), he was promoted to Provisional Middle Guard of the Left, and advanced to Lower Fourth Rank. That same year, he was promoted to Third Rank, became Provisional Middle Councilor, and later progressed to Third Rank First Class. In 1842 (Tenpo 13), he became Gondainagon, and by 1845 (Kōka 2), he attained Senior Second Court Rank.

His family details are as follows: His wife was the second daughter of the Himeji domain lord, Lord Sakai Tadayoshi, named Sakai Atsuko (initially called Tsui). His heir was his adoptive son, Michitaka Kujō, who was the adopted son of Naotada Kujō. Additionally, Nitsue, the tenth daughter of Prince Fushimi-no-miya Kuniie and also his adopted son, was herself adopted into the family as well. His father was Taka-tsuji Masamichi, and his mother was a court lady.

He is genealogically a fifteenth-generation male-line descendant of Emperor Higashiyama. He inherited the Kujō family name as a direct male-line descendant of Prince Kan'in Naojin, a grandson of Emperor Higashiyama.

His official career details are as follows: In 1834 (Tenpo 5), he was promoted to Junior Fifth Rank and Lower Fourth Rank, and appointed as Provisional Left Guard of the Guard Corps. In 1835 (Tenpo 6), he was promoted to Provisional Middle Guard of the Left and elevated to Lower Fourth Rank. That same year, he was promoted to Third Rank, and in 1836 (Tenpo 7), he became Provisional Middle Councilor. In 1839 (Tenpo 10), he was promoted to Third Rank First Class and took on the role of 'Fuka-uta gaigyo' (external reciter of the Shingon liturgy). Subsequently, he became Gondainagon, and in 1845 (Kōka 2), he was promoted to Senior Second Court Rank.

References include "_Heisei Shinshu Old House Lineage Encyclopedia_" (published by Kasuiteikan) and articles such as those by Kazuo Yawata in the 36th volume, 1st issue of "Shincho 45."

Related topics include the Taka-tsuji family, Kujō family, and Imperial branch regent families.