Abe Masakoto
Biography. Abe Masakoto was the son of Abe Masahisa, 6th "daimyō" of Shirakawa Domain, and was born to a maid at the domain's Edo residence. Due to his low birth and as he was only an infant when his father died, the position of "daimyō" when to a cadet branch of the family in the form of Abe Masakiyo. Abe Masakiyo was transferred from Shirakawa Domain to Tanagura Domain by the Tokugawa shogunate. However, following the defeat of the "Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei" during the Boshin War, the victorious Meiji government reduced the "kokudaka" of Tanagura from 100,000  to 60,000 "koku", and forced Abe Masakiyo into retirement. Abe Masakoto, at the age of seven was appointed "daimyō" of Tanagura. However, only six months later, with the abolition of the han system, the position of "daimyō" was abolished, and he became Imperial governor of Tanagura. During his short tenure, he authorized the formation of a han school. In 1871, Tanagura was absorbed into the new Fukushima Prefecture, and Abe Masakoto relocated to Tokyo. From 1873, he enrolled in Keio University. He also invested heavily in land in the Azabu neighborhood of Tokyo and was a major shareholder in the  No.15 Bank. He also learned English and was an avid amateur archaeologist. In 1884, he received the "kazoku" peerage title of "shishaku" (viscount). HIs wife was a daughter of Tokudaiji Kin'ito.