Hachijonomiya Imperial Prince Toshihito (八条宮智仁親王)
Hachijonomiya Imperial Prince Toshihito (February 3, 1579 - May 29, 1629) was a member of the imperial family who lived from the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring States) to the early Edo period. He was the first head of the Katsuranomiya family. He was the sixth son of Imperial Prince Sanehito who was Emperor Ogimachi's son. His mother was Shinjotomonin (FUJIWARA no Haruko), a daughter of Haresuke KAJUJI.. His childhood name was Rokunomiya or Kosamaro, generally called Prince Hachijo. His older brother was Gonomiya who became a yushi (an adopted son, but not legally) of Nobunaga ODA.
Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI adopted Imperial Prince Toshihito as a yushi through the mediation of Haresue KIKUTEI in 1586 following the way that Nobunaga ODA adopted Imperial Prince Kuniyoshi as his yushi. Yushi is an adopted son who doesn't have a right to inheritance. Hideyoshi's biological son, Tsurumatsu TOYOTOMI was born in 1589, then the Hachijonomiya family was created in December of the same year. In January 1591, he was given the proclamation to become the Imperial Prince. In 1600, he was given the Kokindenju (to teach someone about the interpretation of "Kokinwakashu") by Yusai HOSOKAWA and he taught that to his nephew, Emperor Gomizunoo and it marked the beginning of Goshodenju (Kokindenju done in the Imperial Palace). He built a betsugyo (villa) in Shimokatsura village which was his private domain. This Katsura gobetsugyo is present-day Katsura Imperial Villa and Hachijonomiya began to be called Katsuranomiya after that.
Immediately after the Battle of Sekigahara, his older brother, Emperor Goyozei planned to dismiss his son, monk-Imperial Prince Kakujin who was supposed to be the heir and transfer the imperial throne to his younger brother, Imperial Prince Toshihito. He sounded Ieyasu TOKUGAWA out about the transfer of the imperial throne, but Ieyasu opposed that because Imperial Prince Toshihito was a yushi of Hideyoshi. In the end in 1661, the imperial throne was transferred to Imperial Prince Kotohito (Emperor Gomizunoo) who was a younger brother of Imperial Prince Nagahito.
In 1629, he passed away at the age of 51. His descendants flourished as the Hirohata family of Katsuranomiya family and Seiga family.