Churo Omura Uemon and his retainers on the eve of the Aizu campaign 1868.
Omura Uemon Kimihisa was born the fourth son of the 250 Koku Karo Inada Matazaemon Masakane in the 10th year of Bunsei (1827) and was later adopted by Karo Omura Jirozaemon Akitada. (This branch of the Omura Akitada line descended from the 16th generation warrior Shibue Kiminari, who helped the 16th Omura Lord, Omura Sumikore in his struggle with the Arima).
By the time 1867 came, Omura Uemon was a senior Churo and was chosen by the Omura Lord Sumihiro (1830-1882)to lead his domain's contingent with Satsuma to chastise the northern alliance of the pro-Tokugawa faction of the Aizu, Sendai and Shonai hans.
The picture shows him with his retainers before their embarkation. He is seated in the centre with the sword that was made for him by Satsuma Naminohira Yukiyasu.
He returned from the campaign in 1869 and died on 25th December 1893 at the age of 67. This picture is of his gravesite in Nagasaki as the Omura Domain had later become.
Omura Lords 1450-1868
As a matter of interest, in about Meiji 5 (1872) he changed his name of Ogashima which was the ancestor of the Shibui, the paternal house of the Inada. His eldest son Ogashima Hatasu later married the daughter of Baron Watanabe Kiyoshi who did so much to cement the alliance between Satsuma and Omura recently. Ogashima (later Ishii) Fudeko (1861-1944) is well known in Japan today as the the founder of the first school for the mentally handicapped children. This was inspired because her own two daughters were born with this affliction. Her school still exits today which is called Takinogawa Gakuin. Sadly, Omura's son, Hatasu died early and Fudeko later remarried a man named Ishii, under whom, her subsequent marital name she is known in Japan today. When General Grant visited Japan in 1879, he met Fudeko and praised her at the 'most intelligent woman in the country'.
