A Glimpse into the Post-Meiji Networks of the Bitchū Elite 板倉勝弼

We recently came across a postal card that offers a rare look into the post-feudal connections of the former retainers and ruling class of the Bitchū Matsuyama Domain. The card was sent from 板倉勝弼 / 家扶, household of Itakura Katsusuke (1846–1896), the last daimyo of the domain. Dated September 25, 1889, and postmarked in Shitaya, Tokyo, it lists his return address as 3-chome, Yushima Tenjin-chō, Hongō Ward. The card is addressed jointly to Maeda Yoshihiko and Adachi Toshitsune (足立利庸), both of whom were associated with the Itakura clan.

Itakura Katsusuke: From Daimyo to Citizen

Itakura Katsusuke served as the final lord of the Bitchū Matsuyama Domain, later renamed Takahashi Domain in 1869. Like many former daimyo after the Meiji Restoration, he was stripped of his feudal title but permitted to retain a portion of his former holdings. He adapted to the new era by moving to Tokyo and taking on a civilian life under the kazoku peerage system. His presence in Tokyo, and his continued correspondence with former retainers like Maeda and Adachi, shows how the relationships forged under the han system often endured even after the social structure itself had been dismantled.

Katsusuke’s connection to his former retainers appears to have remained strong. This card, sent nearly two decades after the dissolution of his domain, demonstrates that he still maintained personal ties with those who had served under him—something not always visible in historical records but revealed here through everyday communication.

Adachi Toshitsune and His Role in Meiji Education

Born in 1853 in Nakanomachi, Takahashi (now part of Okayama Prefecture), Adachi Toshitsune was a samurai by birth and an educator by calling. He studied at the domain school Yūshūkan under Kamata Genkei and Kawada Ōkō, then went on to graduate from Tokyo Normal School. He returned to his home region and worked in elementary education across Okayama and Hyōgo prefectures for more than 40 years.

Adachi became a respected figure in local education, eventually serving as a circuit instructor, overseeing multiple schools—a role similar to what we now call a regional education supervisor. His contributions helped shape early Meiji-era education in the countryside, where trained teachers were still rare. In his later years, he lived in Suma, Hyōgo Prefecture. A poem he wrote at age 83 is preserved in the archives of Takahashi High School, and his writings are also found in local anthologies.

Shared Roots, Enduring Ties

Maeda Yoshihiko, another recipient of the card, was a Western-style painter and art educator based in Kobe. Like Adachi, he came from a former retainer family of the Itakura clan. The card illustrates how these men—once part of a feudal structure—carried those relationships well into the Meiji period. Though their professions had changed, they remained connected through personal bonds and shared history.

This single card helps confirm what we’ve suspected: the Itakura, Maeda, and Adachi families were not just historically connected—they actively stayed in touch, well into the 1880s. It’s a small but meaningful window into how former domain networks functioned behind the scenes in Meiji Japan.

Update: I’ve just uncovered something quite significant: Maeda Yoshihiko (前田吉彦) was married—information drawn directly from a primary source, our period postal card. The same card also reveals that his father, Maeda Chōbei (前田長兵衛), was still alive at the time, though in poor health. 

Thanks to a translator on Reddit, below is a reading of what Itakura Katsusuke (板倉勝弼, 1846–1896) wrote on September 25, 1889, followed by a refined English translation.

過日御差立之御郵書相達し拝誦 陳者御不幸ニ付御弔書之趣直チニ申上 尚御両人より御厚意御申越し相成候 御備へ物ハ作り花ニ而最早相済候故右ニ準スル代價何歟品物とモ思考候得共御都合之方可然と吉田君ニ計り御香奠として金五十銭奉供ス 扨モ御深情御感喜思召候 何れ追々御挨拶も可有之と奉存候得共御取込中不取敢御答迄 匆々不悉

九月廿五日投ス

再伸 御両君御親父母妻君之御大患ニ御憂意之趣幾重も御心事拝察候事ニ御座候 切角御自愛奉祈 ～奉希上候

I have received your kind letter the other day and have read it with gratitude.

Regarding the unfortunate news, please allow me to express my heartfelt condolences. I also sincerely thank you both for your thoughtful message.

As for the offering, since the arrangements have already been completed with artificial flowers, I considered providing a monetary equivalent or some item in its place. After consulting with Mr. Yoshida, I have respectfully offered 50 sen as an incense condolence gift.

Please accept this small token of appreciation for your deep kindness, which I sincerely cherish. I trust that I will be able to extend my greetings in due course, but for now, I wished to send this brief reply without delay amidst your busy circumstances.

Respectfully yours,

Sent on September 25

P.S.

I have heard, with much concern, about the serious illnesses of both your father and mother, as well as your wife. I can only imagine your sorrow and distress. Please take the utmost care of yourself — I earnestly pray for your well-being.