Marquis Nakayama Takamaro/中山孝麿 侯爵

Marquis Nakayama Takamaro (中山 孝麿, January 12, 1853 – November 27, 1919) was a prominent Japanese nobleman, politician, and close blood relation of Emperor Meiji who served as Grand Chamberlain to the Crown Prince. He held a seat in the House of Peers from 1890 onward, represented Japan at the 1902 coronation of King Edward VII, and oversaw key imperial household duties. Following his death in November 1919, he was posthumously awarded the Order of the Paulownia Flowers.

Nakayama Takamaro was born into the prestigious Nakayama family, a branch of the Fujiwara clan with Urin courtier rank. Before dedicating his life strictly to the Imperial Court, Takamaro served in local governance for Tokyo. In 1881, he was appointed the head of the Nihonbashi District. He went on to serve as the 6th District Chief (equivalent to mayor) of Kojimachi, Tokyo. Following the creation of the Imperial Diet, he held a continuous seat in the House of Peers from 1890 until his death in 1919.
He served as the Grand Chamberlain to the Crown Prince (the future Emperor Taishō) and was elevated to Grand Master of the Crown Prince's Affairs (Tōgū-daibu) in 1895. When the future Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) was born in May 1901, Marquis Takamaro personally carried the 30-day-old infant prince to the Kashiko-dokoro (Imperial Palace Sanctuary) for his formal introduction to Emperor Meiji. In 1902, he was chosen to accompany Prince Komatsu Akihito to the United Kingdom to attend the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. In his later years, he served as a prestigious Imperial Court Councilor (Kyūchū Kōminkan) and Director of the Imperial Household Audit Bureau.​

In November 1919, Takamaro traveled to Nara to attend the 1,550th anniversary festival honoring the ancestral Fujiwara clan patriarch, Fujiwara no Kamatari. During his travels, he fell gravely ill with a fatal sickness in Kyoto. He passed away on November 27, 1919, at the age of 66. For his lifelong service, he was posthumously awarded the Order of the Paulownia Flowers on the day of his death.


Peerage Title

• Marquess (Marquis / 侯爵) – June 28, 1888 (Succeeded his grandfather, Nakayama Tadayasu).

Imperial Orders

• Order of the Sacred Treasure, 4th Class (勲四等瑞宝章) – June 29, 1892.
• Order of the Sacred Treasure, 3rd Class (勲三等瑞宝章) – June 20, 1899.
• Order of the Sacred Treasure, 2nd Class (勲二等瑞宝章) – May 10, 1900.
• Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd Class / Double Rays (旭日重光章) – November 29, 1901.
• Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st Class / Grand Cordon (勲一等瑞宝章) – April 1, 1906.
• Order of the Rising Sun, 1st Class / Grand Cordon (勲一等旭日大綬章) – December 1, 1915 (Awarded following his service at the Taishō Emperor's enthronement ceremony).
• Order of the Paulownia Flowers / Grand Cordon (勲一等旭日桐花大綬章) – November 27, 1919 (Posthumously awarded on the day of his death).

Commemorative Medals

• Constitution Promulgation Commemorative Medal (大日本帝国憲法発布記念章) – November 25, 1889.
• Russo-Japanese War Medal (明治三十七八年従軍記章) – April 1, 1906.
• Japan-Korea Annexation Commemorative Medal (韓国併合記念章) – August 1, 1912.
• Taishō Enthronement Commemorative Medal (大礼記念章) – November 10, 1915.

Chronological Court Ranks

• Senior Fifth Rank (正五位) – December 26, 1887.
• Junior Fourth Rank (従四位) – November 9, 1889.
• Junior Third Rank (従三位) – July 2, 1897.
• Senior Third Rank (正三位) – November 29, 1901.
• Junior Second Rank (従二位) – December 10, 1909.
• Senior Second Rank (正二位) – December 20, 1918

 

Marquis Nakayama Takamaro was awarded the Order of Saint Anna, 1st Class (神聖アンナ第一等勲章) by the Russian Empire on October 13, 1902. This award was presented to him during his assignment as an international envoy. In 1902, he accompanied Prince Komatsu Akihito to Europe to attend the coronation of King Edward VII in the United Kingdom. During this European diplomatic tour, various foreign governments exchanged high-level honors with the Japanese delegation. On the exact same day, October 13, 1902, Takamaro also received top-class orders from Italy and Spain.​