Satake Yoshizumi

Satake Yoshizumi (佐竹義処, 9 October 1637 – 5 August 1703) was the 21st head of the Satake clan and 3rd daimyo of Kubota Domain in Dewa Province under the Tokugawa shogunate.

Biography

Yoshizumi was born in 1637 as the eldest son of Satake Yoshitaka, the 2nd daimyo of Kubota. His mother was the daughter of Satake Yoshiaki, the head of the southern branch of the clan. On 12 August 1646, he was presented in formal audience to Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, and was awarded lower 4th court rank and the courtesy title of Ukyō-no-daibū. He later gained the honorary titles of Jijū (侍従) and Sakon'e-shōshō (左少将). On the death of his father on 9 February 1672, he became daimyo of Kubota Domain. During his tenure, he worked very hard to place the domain on sound financial footing, sometimes to the extent of forgetting to take his meals, and occasionally coughing up blood; however, he died before his reforms became effective.

His official wife was Tsuru-hime, a daughter of Matsudaira Naomasa of Matsue Domain, and he is known to have had two concubines. His eldest son, Yoshimitsu, predeceased him at the age of 28, and second son was sent to inherit Sōma Domain, therefore his third son, Satake Yoshitada inherited Kubota. He had at least four daughters.

In 1701, he created two subsidiary domains within Kubota Domain. Iwasaki Domain (20,000 koku) was assigned to his younger brother, Satake Yoshinaga and lasted to the Meiji restoration. Kubota-Shinden Domain (10,000 koku) was awarded to his nephew Sakate Yoshikuni and lasted until 1732.

Yoshizumi died at Yokote Castle in 1703. His grave is at the clan temple of Tentoku-ji in Akita.

References

• Watabe Keizo (1980). History of the Satake clan. Mumyosha Printing. ISBN 4-89544-133-4.  (Japanese)