Hagi Stories: Katsura Kogoro. By: Issaki, Taro. This book was given to me by Osaki Yoko, a kind lady at Hagi Museum.
Chapter 1: From Hagi to Kyoto
Page 6-7
Born in Edoya Quarters
Today, Kido Takayoshi is famed as one of the “Three Great Men” of the Meiji Restoration, along with Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi, both of Satsuma. His family home in the Kokkaku block of the Edoya Quarters still exists. A stone monument stands before the gate, announcing “Place of Kido Takayoshi’s Birth.”
On June 26, 1833, Kido Takayoshi (not yet his name) was born to a physician in the samurai class named Wada Masakage and his second wife Seiko. They named their child Kogoro. Although Kogoro’s father received a stipend of only 20 koku, he also practiced medicine on private citizens and owned and rented real estate, so it seems the family was quite prosperous.
Wada Masakage was already 52 years old when Kogoro was born. He already had a daughter, Suteko, from his first wife, and Suteko’s husband had already been adopted as the family heir. So, Kogoro was instead adopted into the Katsura family when he was eight.
The Katsura family was a member of the “Calvary” Unit (also known as the Yakugumi or Ogumi). In reality, it was this class that took charge of most of the practical affairs of government, and many became of them close associates of the Lord of Choshu.
The Katsura family’s stipend was originally 150 koku, but due to the late nature of Kogoro’s adoption (which took place as Katsura Koroheiei was on his deathbed), it was cut to 90 koku*.
Thus, Katsura Kogoro was born.
The year following his adoption, Kogoro’s adopted mother also passed away, and so Kogoro, now head of the Katsura family, went back to his old home where he was brought up by the Wadas.
* Adoption: It was fairly common practice to adopt sons from other families as heirs, but apparently adopting one right before dying was not a good thing. In the old days this was forbidden, but later they simply added a fine.
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