Takagi Teisaku (高木貞作)

Teisaku TAKAGI (December 18, 1848 - January 14, 1933) was a feudal retainer of Kuwana Domain and a member of Shinsengumi (a group who guarded Kyoto) at the end of Edo period. Later he became a professor of Hitotsubashi University. He was commonly called as Gojiro. His alias was Shiro KANBE.

At the time of Boshin Civil War, Teisaku and Masakatsu YAMAWAKI killed Gonzaemon YOSHIMURA who was a chief retainer of the deference faction, ordered by their lord, Sadaaki MATSUDAIRA. He crossed into Ezo chi (inhabited area of Ainu, the current Hokkaido) following Sadaaki. After moving to Ezo, he belonged to the Shinsengumi under the command of Toshizo HIJIKATA and joined Hakodate War.

After losing the war, Teisaku was released in 1872, but went to the United States of America to avoid accusation of killing the chief retainer. He learned the commercial law in the USA and returned to Japan in 1875.

Teisaku was involved with the establishment of Hitotsubashi University and appointed to a professorship in commercial book-keeping.

He died at his home in Tokyo in 1933. He was eighty-six years old.

His graveyard is Hojo-ji Temple in Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture.

[Original Japanese]