Matsudaira Katamori
Takamine was born to a "samurai" family in Aizuwakamatsu domain (present day Fukushima Prefecture) in 1854. After completing his studies in the feudal domain's school, "Nisshinkan", he became a page to the "daimyō" Matsudaira Katamori from April 1868 to the surrender of the domain to imperial forces in the Boshin War in November that same year.