Matsudaira Sadaaki

Matsudaira Sadaaki (Kōka 3 (1847) – Meiji 41 (1908)) was a daimyo and bakufu retainer of the late Edo period (bakumatsu). He was the lord of Kuwana Domain in Ise Province (present-day Kuwana, Mie Prefecture). His elder brother Matsudaira Katamori was lord of Aizu Domain. Both brothers fought on the bakufu side through the upheavals of the bakumatsu period, all the way to the Boshin War.

Activities as Kyoto Shoshidai

Sadaaki was appointed Kyoto Shoshidai in Genji 1 (1864) at the young age of 17. While his elder brother Katamori maintained public order as Kyoto Shugoshoku (Protector of Kyoto), Sadaaki served as the liaison with the imperial court and supported his brother's administration of bakufu affairs, which included overseeing the Shinsengumi. During the Kinmon Incident (1864), he took part in the fighting to prevent the Chōshū forces from attacking the Imperial Palace and worked to uphold the authority of the bakufu.

Boshin War and Resistance

Even after the Taisei Hōkan (Restoration of Imperial Rule) in Keiō 3 (1867), Sadaaki remained loyal to the bakufu. He fought as a bakufu force at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi (January 1868, the 1st month of Keiō 4). After the defeat, he retreated to Edo with his elder brother. He then joined Enomoto Takeaki and others and crossed to Hakodate. However, in the 4th month of Meiji 2 (1869), before the war had ended, he sailed on an American ship via Yokohama to Shanghai. He gave up the plan to flee abroad due to lack of funds, and on the 18th day of the 5th month of the same year he returned to Yokohama and surrendered. In the 1st month of Meiji 5 (1872), he received a pardon.

After Meiji

After his pardon, he studied English and went to the United States. In Meiji 10 (1877), he led former Kuwana Domain retainers and fought in the Satsuma Rebellion. From Meiji 27 (1894) to Meiji 29 (1896), he served as chief priest of Nikkō Tōshō-gū. He died in Meiji 41 (1908) at the age of 61. The brothers Katamori and Sadaaki, who survived the turbulent bakumatsu period together, are remembered as symbols of loyalty to the bakufu.