Count was the 11th and final ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominall ...

'' of

Ōgaki Domain was a '' fudai'' feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It was located in Mino Province, in the Tōkai region of central Honshu. The domain was centered at Ōgaki Castle, in what is now the city of Ōgaki in Gifu P ...

under the

Bakumatsu period was the final years of the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate ended. Between 1853 and 1867, Japan ended its isolationist foreign policy known as and changed from a feudal Tokugawa shogunate to the modern empire of the Meiji government. ...

Tokugawa Shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in ...

of Japan. He was the 12th hereditary chieftain of the Toda clan. During the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

, he was a diplomat and served as ambassador of Japan to Switzerland and

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

Biography

Toda Ujitaka was the fifth son of the 9th ''daimyō'' of Ōgaki Domain, Toda Ujimasa. He was posthumously adopted to succeed his elder brother, Toda Ujiakira, the 10th ''daimyō'' in 1865. The following year he was awarded the courtesy titles of ''Uneme-no-kami'' and Lower Fourth court rank. In 1868, following the defeat of shogunal forces at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, he was branded an "enemy of the crown"; however, due to an eloquent petition by the domain ''

karō were top-ranking samurai officials and advisors in service to the ''daimyōs'' of feudal Japan. Overview In the Edo period, the policy of ''sankin-kōtai'' (alternate attendance) required each ''daimyō'' to place a ''karō'' in Edo and anoth ...

'' and an apology, he was pardoned and ordered to serve as messenger of the court to other domains along the

Tōsandō is a Japanese geographical term. It means both an ancient division of the country and the main road running through it. It is part of the ''Gokishichidō'' system. It was situated along the central mountains of northern Honshu, specifically th ...

to urge them to submit to the imperial government. In 1869, with the abolition of the title of ''daimyō'', he became imperial governor of Ōgaki. In 1870, he enrolled in the new ''Daigaku Nankō'' and the following year resigned from all of his posts and set sail from

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of ...

for the United States, together with his brother Toda Kindō.After his return to Japan, in October 1879, he was accepted into the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

. In 1882, he accompanied

Itō Hirobumi was a Japanese politician and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of Japan. He was also a leading member of the '' genrō'', a group of senior statesmen that dictated Japanese policy during the Meiji era. A London-educated sam ...

on an 18-month trip to Europe to study European constitutional systems to prepare for a constitution for Japan. With the establishment of ''

kazoku The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan, which existed between 1869 and 1947. They succeeded the feudal lords () and court nobles (), but were abolished with the 1947 constitution. Kazoku ( 華族) should not be confused with ...

'' peerage on July 8, 1884, he was made a

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New Yor ...

(''hakushaku''). After his return to Japan, Toda became a counselor for the

Foreign Ministry In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The enti ...

. In 1887, he was appointed envoy extraordinary and

minister plenipotentiary An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under th ...

and Switzerland. He returned to Japan in 1892 to accept a post as official huntsman for the

Imperial Household Ministry The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family, and also the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD, up until the Second World War, it wa ...

. He continued with the Imperial Household Ministry in various positions, rising to sea dof the Department of Ceremonies in 1908, holding that position until his retirement in 1928. On his death in 1936, he was one of the last of the surviving ''daimyō''. His funeral was held according to

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintoist ...

rites at the Tokiwa Jinja in Ōgaki. His wife Kiwako was a daughter of Prince

Iwakura Tomomi was a Japanese statesman during the Bakumatsu and Meiji period. He was one of the leading figures of the Meiji Restoration, which saw Japan's transition from feudalism to modernity. Born to a noble family, he was adopted by the influential Iwa ...

, and died herself less than a month later.

Honors

*1885 -

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...

, 3rd class *1897 - JPN Zuiho-sho (WW2) 2Class BAR

Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six classes, the lowest tw ...

, 2nd class *1906 - JPN Kyokujitsu-sho 2Class BAR

, 2nd class *1907 - Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class *1914 - JPN Kyokujitsu-sho 1Class BAR

, 1st class『官報』第720号「叙任及辞令」December 24, 1914 *1921 - JPN Toka-sho BAR

Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toda, Ujitaka Fudai daimyo Kazoku 1854 births 1936 deaths People of the Boshin War Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 2nd class Japanese expatriates in the United States Japanese diplomats