Kajuji Mitsutoyo (勧修寺光豊)

Mitsutoyo KAJUJI (January 17, 1576-November 18, 1612) was a Kuge (court noble) from the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the early Edo period.

He was the 15th head of the Kajuji Family, which was one of the Tosho-ke (the hereditary lineage of Court nobles occupying relatively high ranks) (Kakaku (family status) was an important noble family, the Kanroji branch of the Takafuji group of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan).

Career

He was a child of Haretoyo KAJUJI, Jun-daijin (Vice Minister). His mother was a daughter of Arisue TSUCHIMIKADO, Gyobukyo (Minister of Justice) and Onmyo no kami (Director of Onmyoryo, or Bureau of Divination). His wife was a daughter of Kazuyoshi OTA (Lord of Usuki-jo Castle), Hida no kami (Provincial Governor of Hida). His biological children included Noritoyo KAJUJI, Uhyoe no suke (assistant captain of the Right Division of Middle Palace Guards), and his adopted children included Gon Dainagon (provisional chief councilor of state) Tsunehiro KAJUJI, who was a son of his younger brother, Sangi (councilor) Toshimasa BOJO.

He was born a child of Haretoyo KAJUJI in 1576. He celebrated his attainment of manhood in 1583. He was raised to and appointed Shoshiinojo (Senior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade) and Sangi (councilor) in 1599. After the start of the Edo bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) by Ieyasu TOKUGAWA, he made efforts to be reconciled with the Bakufu as Buke tenso (liaison officer between the imperial court and the military government).

On November 17, 1612, he was promoted to Junii (Junior Second Rank) Gon Dainagon when he was ill, but he died on November 18. He died at the age of 38. He was posthumously conferred naidaijin (minister of the center).

His diary 'Mitsutoyo koki' is an important historical source for the situations in the early Edo period.

[Original Japanese]