Matsudaira Sadamasa

Matsudaira Sadamasa (1847–1908) was the sixth lord of Kuwana Domain in Ise Province and a prominent Tokugawa loyalist during the Bakumatsu period. He was the younger brother of Matsudaira Katamori, lord of Aizu Domain.

Role as Kyoto Shoshidai

Appointed Kyoto Shoshidai (Protector of Kyoto) in 1864 at age seventeen, Sadamasa served as the shogunate's liaison to the imperial court while his brother Katamori commanded the city's security forces—including the Shinsengumi. He played an active role during the Kinmon Incident (1864), helping repel the Choshu attack on the imperial palace.

Boshin War and Resistance

Following the Meiji Restoration, Sadamasa remained loyal to the Tokugawa cause. He fought on the pro-shogunate side at the Battles of Toba–Fushimi (January 1868) and, after defeat, withdrew to Edo with Katamori. He later joined Enomoto Takeaki's forces and crossed to Hakodate, but before the war's end, in April 1869, he attempted to flee toward Shanghai aboard an American ship. Short of funds, he abandoned the attempt and surrendered at Yokohama in 1869. He was pardoned in 1872.

Later Life

After serving a period of house arrest, he was amnestied and spent his later years quietly in Tokyo. Together, Sadamasa and his brother Katamori are remembered as emblems of unwavering loyalty to the Tokugawa shogunate in its final hours.