Count was the 11th and final ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...

'' 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 Pre ...

under the

Bakumatsu period were the final years of the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate ended. Between 1853 and 1867, under foreign diplomatic and military pressure, Japan ended its isolationist foreign policy known as and changed from a feudal Tokugawa shogunat ...

Tokugawa Shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

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

Meiji period The was 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 colonizatio ...

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

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

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 A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

, 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 anothe ...

'' 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 List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

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 Kazoku, Prince , born , was a Japanese statesman who served as the first prime minister of Japan from 1885 to 1888, and later from 1892 to 1896, in 1898, and from 1900 to 1901. He was a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior state ...

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. It was formed by merging the feudal lords (''Daimyo, daimyō'') and court nobles (''kuge'') into one system modelled after the British peerage. Distin ...

'' 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 York: ...

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

Foreign Ministry In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral re ...

. 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 the ...

and

. 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 the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD until the Second World War, it was known ...

. 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 , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

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 modernism. Born to a noble family, he was adopted by the influential Iw ...

, and died herself less than a month later.

Honors

*1885 -

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese honors system, 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 feat ...

, 3rd class *1897 -

Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese Order (distinction), 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 c ...

, 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 Ambassadors of Japan to Austria-Hungary Japanese expatriates in the United States Japanese diplomats