Asano Nagakoto

In this Japanese name, the family name is "Asano".
Asano Nagakoto
Asano Nagakoto
Lord of Hiroshima
In office
1869–1871
Preceded by Asano Nagamichi
Succeeded by none
Personal details
Born 1842
Died 1937
Nationality Japanese

Asano Nagakoto (浅野 長勲, August 28, 1842 - February 1, 1937) was a daimyō of Hiroshima Domain for a short time after the Meiji Restoration. For the rest of the Meiji period, he was a politician and diplomat, and was one of the last surviving Japanese daimyō (Hayashi Tadataka and Wakebe Mitsunori outlived him).

Biography

Adopted by Asano Nagamichi, he served as assistant to his adoptive father through the 1860s, and attended many of the meetings and events surrounding the restoration of Imperial rule, and as such was one of many who advised the shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu to return power to the Emperor of Japan. Unlike many from domains such as Satsuma and Chōshū, however, Asano was opposed to taking military action against the shogunate.

Nagakoto became the twelfth daimyō of Hiroshima in 1869 upon Nagamichi's retirement. The domains (han) were abolished in 1871, but Asano was granted the title of Marquis (kōshaku) under the Kazoku system of peerage which was instituted at that time.

He became a member of the Genrōin (Chamber of Elders) in 1880, was appointed ambassador to Italy two years later, and served in the House of Peers for a time as well. Though living and serving in Tokyo, he worked to support industry and other enterprises in his home area, newly dubbed Hiroshima Prefecture.

The Asano Library (now the Hiroshima Central City Library) opened in 1926, and Asano died in 1937 at the age of 96.

Preceded by
Asano Nagamichi
Lord of Hiroshima
1869-1871
Succeeded by
none

References