Imadegawa Kinkoto (今出川公言)

Kinkoto IMADEGAWA (September 14, 1738 - October 7, 1776) was Kugyo (a Court noble) in the middle of the Edo period. He mainly served two Emperors, the Emperor Sakuramachi (the 115th) and the Emperor Momozono (the 116th) and rose to the official rank of Shosanmi (Senior Third Rank), Gon Chunagon (a provisional vice-councilor of state). After he died, the official rank of Junii (Junior Second Rank) was conferred on him. His father was Gon Dainagon (a provisional chief councilor of state), Nobusue IMADEGAWA. His mother was a daughter of Gon Dainagon, Kinakira IMADEGAWA. His adopted son is Naidaijin (the minister of the Interior), Sanetane IMADEGAWA (a son of Kinaki SAIONJI). His daughter is a wife of Sangi (a councilor), Yoshiaki KAJUJI.

Since the peerage was conferred on him in 1746, he got promoted quickly as the head of the Seiga family. After taking various positions such as Jiju (Imperial Household Agency staff) and Sakonoe no shosho (Minor Captain of the Left Division of the Inner Palace Guards), he rose to the official rank of Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank), Ukonoe no chujo (Middle Captain of the Right Division of the Inner Place Guards) to rank with Kugyo. In addition, he served as Gon Chunagon from 1756 to 1758.

Since he had Sonno no kokorozashi (the thought of reverence for the Emperor), he was oppressed by the Edo bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) and was forced to become a monk in the event of the Horeki Incident in 1760. The Emperor Momosono who gave him an important position had no choice but to stop promoting him until he died because of the pressure from the bakufu. However, after the bakufu collapsed, he regained his lost honor and was posthumously conferred the official rank of Junii (Junior Second Rank) in 1901.

[Original Japanese]