Inuyama Domain (2/2)Finally became independent in 4th year of Keio.

Since Tokugawa Saion was the biological son of the 11th shogun, Ienari Tokugawa, he was honored to be remembered by the shogun, and received compliments and rewards such as harnesses. However, independence from the Owari clan was never achieved. Masazumi Naruse, the eighth generation lord of the castle who succeeded him, also had a strong sense of independence, and built a school for his vassals called Keidokan, devoting his efforts to nurturing loyal retainers of the Naruse family. Furthermore, he seems to have behaved in ways that were unbelievable for a chief retainer, such as leaving Edo and entering Inuyama Castle without the permission of the tenth lord of the Owari domain, Masatomo Tokugawa. On the other hand, however, Masazumi Naruse served the four feudal lords Saion, Saisho, Keitai, and Keisho, and supported the administration of the Owari domain. For this reason, he was highly trusted by the shogunate, and it is recorded that he acted as a coordinator for the succession of the family headship after Tokugawa Saion's death, when Tokugawa Saisho became the new lord of the domain. By the way, at this time, it seems that the feudal lord and his senior vassals were not on good terms, as he apparently did not consult the retired Tokugawa Masatomo at all.
However, independence still did not come true.

Birth of Inuyama clan

The Naruse family was officially recognized as a ``Daimyo'' during the time of Masahiro Naruse, the last lord of the castle and the first feudal lord. Masahiro Naruse marries Masazumi Naruse's daughter, becomes her adopted son-in-law, and inherits the headship of the family. As the era approached the end of the Edo period, the Shogunate was in turmoil. In 1858, Yoshikatsu Tokugawa, the 14th lord of the Owari domain, became embroiled in the issue of succession to the shogunate and the issue of charters for treaties with the United States and Great Britain, and was ordered to be restrained and confined by the elder lord ``Ii Naosuke.'' Due to his responsibility, he was kept away from the administration of the Owari domain for a time. However, he was later restored to power and entered Kyoto with Yoshikatsu Tokugawa in 1863, assisting the 12th Shogun Iemochi Tokugawa and acting as a coordinator with the Imperial Court. Furthermore, when Yoshikatsu Tokugawa's son Yoshinori Tokugawa became the last lord of the domain, he returned to being a central figure in the domain's politics. Later, during the Battle of Toba-Fushimi on January 3, 1868, Masahiro Naruse, who had followed Yoshikatsu to Tokyo, was involved in the requisition of Nijo Castle, and was finally recognized as an independent daimyo, creating the Inuyama domain. Did. Although the lifespan of this domain was only four years until the abolition of the domain and establishment of prefectures in 1871, Masahiro Naruse was very happy and was appointed governor of the domain in 1869, resigning from his post. After that, he became a member of the nobility and founded Inuyama Bank in 1900.
The castle was given away free of charge on the condition that the ruined Inuyama Castle be restored, and with the cooperation of the citizens, the Naruse family became the owners of Inuyama Castle.

Current Naruse family

The Naruse family continued through generations after the Meiji era, and until 2004, they were the owners of Inuyama Castle and an honorary citizen of Inuyama City, in charge of castle management and research. When Masatoshi Naruse, the 12th generation head of the family, who was the last individual owner, passed away in 2008, a funeral was held in Inuyama City to mark his farewell, with over 300 citizens paying their respects to their lord. It means I regret it. Currently, the Naruse family has established the Inuyama Castle Hakutei Bunko Foundation with Junko Naruse, the 13th generation head of the family, as the chairman, and continues to work hard as the administrator of Inuyama Castle. Junko Naruse often appears in the media and is involved in activities to preserve Inuyama Castle for future generations.

summary

A summary of the history of the Inuyama clan. Although the Naruse family, which had a family status similar to that of a feudal lord, served as the castle lord, it was a special domain that did not become independent as a domain until the first year of the Meiji era.The bloodline still remains today, and it is the guardian of Inuyama Castle, one of the oldest in Japan. It becomes. The castle tower of Inuyama Castle may have been able to remain as it was in the early Edo period, precisely because the family strongly aspired to become a feudal lord and worked hard to become a feudal lord.