生平

會津

由於會津藩八代藩主（義建異母弟）膝下無子，容保于弘化3年（1846年）十二歲的時候，過繼至會津松平家，同時容敬也把女兒敏姬許配給他。嘉永5年（1852年）接任會津藩主。

萬延元年三月初三（上巳節）（1860年3月24日），江戶大老井伊直弼在櫻田門外之變中遭到水戶藩激進浪士的刺殺。由於井伊直弼施政風格爭議頗大，加上水戶藩為德川御三家中水戶德川家的一支，因此容保不贊成討伐水戶藩，對此他對老中和將軍發表了有說服力的見解，萬延元年十二月受到將軍賞識進升為左近權中將（官職）。

此後文久元年（1861年）他繼續派家臣到水戶藩調查水戶家的情況再向將軍家覆命，藉此調和將軍家和水戶家的對立。

井伊慘死之後，朝廷在薩摩藩的支持下向幕府施壓，幕府因此進行（1862年），一橋慶喜（即後來德川慶喜）被任為「將軍後見職」，福井藩主松平慶永則被任為「政事總裁職」。而鑑於當時京都政局混亂，天誅橫行，京都所司代無力控制京都治安，所以必須要找有信望、有軍力可以左右京都朝廷的藩控制京都局面，因此創設「京都守護職」一職。

眾藩之中剛好會津藩符合以上各條件。會津藩是親藩（御家門）、尊皇（會津家信奉神道教）又有守備經驗（有品川炮台、蝦夷及江戶近海守備經驗），再加上容保在討伐水戶藩事件中處理得宜被受幕閣注目，所以京都守護職的重任便落在他身上。

當時容保抱恙在身，家臣也建議容保不要接受這些職位，因為會津藩財政已經由於蝦夷地警備的職務及藩內經濟制度衰落陷入貧窮狀態，加上德川幕府的威望不再，所以有不少會津藩的家臣反對藩主就任守護職，導致容保再三推辭。經過慶喜強列要求及慶永不斷勸說，並引證會津藩祖保科正之的家訓「會津家訓十五箇條」其中第一條「大君之儀、一心大切、可存忠勤、不可以列國之例自處焉、若懷二心則非我子孫、面面決而不可從。」

（對將軍之義，最重要心存忠勤，不能以他國規矩用在本國（不可以滿足於與他國同程度的忠義），若對將軍家懷異心者則非我子孫，眾人決不能跟隨他。），為了貫徹家訓最後容保毅然同意。

後來家老西鄉賴母曾為此由會津到江戶說勸容保「在此最難之局就任，猶如抱薪救火，多勞少得」，不過容保還是同意擔任守護職、並且決意視京都為自己的葬身之地。

京都守護職

文久二年十二月（1863年）年容保帶領會津藩兵來到京都就任，此時京都「天誅」之舉橫行，不少佐幕派的公卿諸候受到尊皇攘夷派的恐嚇，慶喜和春嶽建議容保嚴加取締，可是容保卻認為尊攘派採用的極端手段的原因，是因為下層的意見不能傳達到上層。所以後來容保以「洞開言路」（凡關於國事事無大小可向守護職申明）的方針管理京都，直到足利三代木像梟首事件出現。事情源於文久三年二月二十三日（1863年4月9日）神道教平田篤胤門人三輪田綱一郎、諸岡節齋、宮和田勇太郎等十數人，取走京都等持院室町幕府第一代將軍足利尊氏、第2代的義詮以及第3代義滿木像頭部放到京都賀茂川原示眾，並細列三人罪狀。

三輪田等人借室町幕府暗指德川幕府侵奪皇權，又暗示如德川家不知悔改將軍家茂也如木像一像的下場。容保大怒，並下令拘捕兇徒。此後，他改變對浪士的政策。

對於不法浪人嚴加取締，對於有志浪人則採懷柔政策。他把浪士組中不肯東歸江戶的近藤勇、土方歲三等13人收入麾下（壬生浪士組，即後來的新選組），此後壬生浪士組協助會津藩維持治安。當時京都尊攘過激派（長州藩）橫行，激進派屢次聯同公卿發出假詔，此舉令孝明天皇苦惱不已，於是他頒下密詔，命、會津（松平容保）及薩摩藩（島津久光）協助發動八月十八日政變（又稱禁門政變或文久政變），藉此排除激進派公卿。元治元年（1864年）六月，政變之後的激進派不甘在朝勢力盡失，聚集商討下一步對策。其中一次不巧被新選組撞破，因而發生了池田屋事件，之後激進派終於按捺不住，於七月發動禁門之變。最後結果為激進派長州大敗。尊攘激進派的長州，自此對公武合體派的會津和薩摩恨之入骨，稱之為「薩賊會奸」，從此會津與長州之間結下長久之怨。對於禁門之變長州藩對皇宮開火的叛逆行為，容保實在看不過眼，主張征討長州。

慶應2年（1866年），孝明天皇駕崩，容保本人多次陳情堅持辭去守護職，然而幕府和朝廷都未接受。根據朝廷命令，容保還是必須待在京都。可是隨著佐幕的孝明天皇逝世，德川幕府以及容保的立場逐漸變得不利。慶應3年（1867年），第15代德川幕府將軍德川慶喜實行大政奉還，隨後京都朝廷發出的王政復古大號令，使幕府、京都守護職、京都所司代等職遭廢。及後，容保隨德川慶喜撤至大阪，對於朝廷突然轉變對德川幕府的態度，以往受孝明天皇信任的容保認為是薩長軍挾持了年幼的明治天皇奪取政權，他主張與薩長一戰。未久，幕府軍和容保麾的下會津藩兵，在鳥羽伏見與明治新政府軍展開交戰（史稱鳥羽伏見之戰）。由於對著御錦旗（菊花旗）開火，使慶喜、容保等人相繼變成朝敵，加上戰況不利，慶喜暗自帶容保與定敬（京都所司代）等人，脫離戰場同乘幕府軍艦「開陽丸」回到江戶。而在江戶的舊幕臣中，則出現了提出從順明治政府的恭順派，與反對新政府的抗戰派，同樣的對立也在會津藩發生。對於陣前逃走，容保率直地向戰場歸來的臣子道歉，也讓出藩主之位予養子喜德。

會津戰爭

容保回到江戶不久，就被禁止登城，慶應四年（1868年）二月十六日他起程回會津，由於將軍慶喜對新政府態度恭順，所以容保也跟隨將軍的作法恭順以對。以仙台為首的奧羽越諸藩，對因擔任守護職而招致怨恨的會津藩寄予同情，向奧羽鎮撫總督府（新政府軍）提出寬大處理會津的請願。會津又在奧羽越諸藩的中介下，寫下數封謝罪陳情書。可是總督府卻提出如戰敗般的苛刻謝罪條件：

• 將藩主松平容保斬首。

• 監禁嗣子若狹（松平喜德）。

• 開城。

在無任何轉圜的餘地之下，一切只能以武力解決。會津藩在三月進行軍事改革，把藩士按年齡分成、白虎隊、及。四月十日會津藩與庄內藩合組「會庄同盟」，其後與奧羽越列藩同盟聯手繼續對抗新政府軍，然而江戶城在四月十一日西鄉隆盛與勝海舟談判後，兵不血刃開城投降（江戶開城），新政府軍在上野戰爭中驅逐了彰義隊（江戶的警備部隊），進而控制江戶，因此順利進軍到北陸一帶。容保在會津戰爭中率領藩士、藩民及新選組與新政府軍交戰。在會津若松城被圍困情況下力戰一個月，最後勢衰力竭投降，死傷達三千多人。

明治

依武士社會慣例，主君的過失即是臣下的過失，加上會津眾臣力求明治政府寬恕容保父子。明治政府赦免容保死罪，但是要求會津交出戰爭首謀者3人。當時會津首席家老是、及西鄉賴母，可是田中與神保均已戰死，西鄉則行蹤不明。最後家老決定一人負上戰爭罪責。

而明治政府則將容保軟禁在鳥取藩後來轉到和歌山藩，又將容保的養子喜德軟禁在久留米藩，明治二年（1869年）十一月，明治政府容許容保之子慶三郎（即）再興會津松平家家門，於是等眾會津家臣便與仍是嬰孩的容大一起遷到北方斗南藩。

明治四年（1871年）三月，容保與喜德改為在斗南藩軟禁，七月下旬兩人到達北方斗南藩。由於交早前頒下廢藩置縣之令，斗南藩被解散。八月容保、喜德及容大遷到東京。

明治五年（1872年）容保、喜德解除永久軟禁的處分。明治十三年（1880年）二月二日，容保以從五位的官職就任栃木縣日光市山內鎮座的日光東照宮。

明治26年（1893年）十二月五日，容保在東京目黑區的自宅中因為肺炎而過世，享年59。

容保過世的前天從明治天皇那裡蒙賜了牛奶。容保在生時頸上一直掛著一個小竹筒，後來證實是在八月十八日政變所得，當時按孝明天皇御意會津藩聯同及薩摩藩等公武合體派，排除三條實美等尊攘派公卿，事後天皇親手御書宸翰（書信）及御製和歌賜予容保。容保直到死，這個小竹筒及當中的御書始終都沒有離身。

在孝明天皇的宸翰內容中表自己對過激派公卿的事感到苦惱，感謝容保替他攘除憂患並認同容保的忠誠。就明治政府的立場來說明，這篇宸翰的存在對明治政府非常不利，因其內容足以證明當時的過激派就是違背天皇旨意的逆賊，而在戊辰之戰後變成逆賊的會津藩才應該是正統官軍，這篇宸翰對由過激派組成的明治政府來說，成為了必須抹滅的證物。

山縣有朋（長州藩出身的下級武士，日後成為日本第三任首相）聽說了這封宸翰的存在而感到震驚，為了不讓信函公開，他秘密地以5萬日圓（也有3萬日圓之說）（用現在的幣值換算的話，約等於5(或3)億日圓的價值）誘使松平家的人轉讓這封宸翰，然而會津松平家始終並沒有因為錢而把宸翰轉讓。

容保的墓地本來在東京都新宿區的，但後來改葬到福島縣會津若松市的松平家院內御廟。現在正受院內並沒有殘留容保墓碑。

官職位階履歷

※日期以舊曆為準，但明治9年以後以新曆為準。

• 1836年（天保6年）12月29日，身為美濃國高須藩主松平義建的第六個兒子的容保在江戶的藩邸誕生。

• 1846年（弘化3年）4月27日，就任為陸奧國會津藩主的繼任者。12月16日，從四位下侍從兼若狹守任職。

• 1852年（嘉永5年）閏2月25日，成為藩主。調任肥後守。侍從之位不變。12月16日，調任左近衛權少將。肥後守之位不變。

• 1860年（萬延元年）12月12日，調任左近衛權中將。肥後守之位不變。（產生「會津中將」的稱號）

• 1862年（文久2年）閏8月1日，補任京都守護職，晉升為正四位。

• 1863年（文久3年）12月30日，補任朝議參與。

• 1864年（元治元年）2月11日，免除京都守護職，補任陸軍總裁乙職。2月12日，補任參議，但是容保堅決辭退。2月13日，轉職為軍事總裁職（從陸軍總裁職易名）。3月14日，辭任朝議參與。4月7日，卸去軍事總裁職。4月22日，復職原京都守護職。

• 1867年（慶應3年）4月23日，補任參議（又產生「會津宰相」的稱號）。

• 1868年（慶應4年）1月10日，因為會津戰爭戰敗而解官。2月4日，藩主的地位被解除。2月8日，遭到禁止進入若松城城的處分。

• 1868年（明治元年）12月7日，長期軟禁因幡國鳥取藩藩邸的處分。

• 1869年（明治2年）12月7日，被遷往紀伊國和歌山藩藩邸。

• 1871年（明治4年）3月14日，又被替換到陸奧國斗南藩居留。8月，被遷居東京。

• 1872年（明治5年）1月6日，被免除永久軟禁的處分。

• 1876年（明治9年）11月1日，比敘從五位。

• 1880年（明治13年）2月2日，就任栃木縣日光市山內的日光東照宮宮司。3月13日，兼任東京都台東區上野的上野東照宮祀官。5月18日，晉升為正四位。

• 1884年（明治17年），免除日光東照宮宮司與上野東照宮祀官。

• 1887年（明治20年）9月，復職擔任日光東照宮宮司。也兼任栃木縣日光市山內的日光二荒山神社宮司。12月6日，晉升為從三位。

• 1888年（明治21年），兼任東京府監督。

• 1889年（明治22年），兼任栃木縣皇典講究所監督。

• 1893年（明治26年）9月22日，辭去二荒山神社宮司職務。12月4日，晉升為正三位。12月5日去世。

家系

• 父：

• 養父：（義建之弟）

• 母：千代（古森義孝之女）

• 兄弟姊妹

　• 德川慶勝（排行第二，尾張德川家第14代與第17代當主）

　• （排行第三，石見國第3代藩主）

　• 德川茂德（排行第五，第11代藩主、尾張藩第15代藩主及一橋德川家第10代當主。）

　• （排行第八，第4代藩主）

　• （排行最幼，高須藩第13代藩主）

　• （容敬的養女）

• 正室

　• 敏姬（寶鏡院、容敬之女）

• 側室

　• 佐久（田代孫兵衛之女）

　• 名賀（川村源兵衛之女）

• 子女

　• （陸軍騎兵大尉、貴族院議員）

　• 松平健雄（擔任宮司）

　• 三男（夭折）

　• 四男（夭折）

　• 山田英夫（陸軍歩兵中佐、貴族院議員、的婿養子）

　• 松平恆雄（曾任駐英大使與初代參議院議長，德川宗家第18代德川恆孝的祖父）

　• （會津松平家的第12代當主，曾任海軍少將與貴族院議員）

　• 美彌

　• 泡玉院（夭折）

• 養子

　• （水戶德川家德川齊昭的第19子，會津藩第10代藩主、陸奧國守山藩第9代藩主）

正室原為容敬的五女敏姬，14歲成為容保的正室，不幸於19歲去世，無子嗣。後再迎娶加賀藩主女兒為繼室，但因戊辰戰爭而使婚約未成立。側室為田代孫兵衛的女兒佐久（生有長男容大、次男健雄、五男英夫及七男保男）和川村源兵衛的女兒名賀（生有長女美彌、次女、三男、四男及六男恆雄）2人。佐久在容保任職京都守護職時，負責親身照顧。

登場作品

;小說

• 王城的護衛者（講談社、司馬遼太郎著）

• 松平容保 悲運的會津藩主（、著）

• 會津之義 幕末藩主松平容保（集英社、著）

• 葵之殘葉（文藝春秋、著）

• 敗者烈傳（、著）

• 松平容保總總（、綱淵謙錠著）

• 松平容保絕非朝敵（中央公論新社、著）

• 會津士魂（集英社、著）

• 松平容保：生事武士之義的幕末名君（PHP研究所、著）

• （Alpha Creator、江口裕美子著）

;影視劇

• （1942年、大映、演：）

• （1953年、松竹、演：）

• （1960年、東映、演：里見浩太朗）

• （1961年、TBS、演：）

• 新選組血風錄 近藤勇（1963年、東映、演：原田甲子郎）

• （1963年、NHK大河劇、演：花柳武始）

• （1964年、NHK、演：田村正和）

• （1967年、NHK大河劇、演：）

• 龍馬來了（1968年、NHK大河劇、演：岩井大三郎）

• （1974年、NHK大河劇、演：兒玉泰次）

• （1974年、NTV、演：）

• （1980年、NHK大河劇、演：）

• （1980年、東映、演：）

• （1986年、NTV、演：風間杜夫）

• 新選組（1987年、ANB、演：）

• （1988年、NTV、演：）

• （1990年、NTV、演：野上晴久）

• 宛如飛翔（1990年、NHK大河劇、演：）

• （1990年、TX、演：）

• （1991年、松竹、演：）

• 新選組：池田屋血鬥（1992年、TBS、演：）

• （1998年、ANB、演：）

• 德川慶喜（1998年、NHK大河劇、演：）

• 新選組！（2004年、NHK大河劇、演：）

• （2007年、EX、演：東山紀之）

• （2007年、TBS、演：）

• 篤姬（2008年、NHK大河劇、演：）

• 龍馬傳（2010年、NHK大河劇、演：）

• （2011年、NHK-BS、演：）

• （2013年、TX、演：伊藤英明）

• 八重之櫻（2013年、NHK大河劇、演：綾野剛）

• 花燃（2015年、NHK大河劇、演：藤田健彥）

• 西鄉殿（2018年、NHK大河劇、演：）

• （2020年、東寶、演：）

• 直衝青天（2021年、NHK大河劇、演：）

Early life

Matsudaira Katamori was born in the Yotsuya district of Edo, on February 15, 1836, at the residence of the Takasu Domain He was the seventh son of Matsudaira Yoshitatsu, daimyō of Takasu, born by one of Yoshitatsu's concubines, a woman of the Komori family whose name is believed by some scholars to be Komori Chiyo (she was also known by her Buddhist name, Zenkyō-in.) Katamori, or as he was first known, Keinosuke, had an eventful childhood. Though the Takasu domain was small, it had a high level of prestige due to its status as a branch family of the Tokugawa clan (through the gosanke house of Owari). Furthermore, in the history of the Takasu-Matsudaira line, there were daimyō who had been adopted from senior branches of the Tokugawa clan, such as Mito. Consequently, Katamori was in a very good position to be adopted out to a senior member of the Tokugawa house. This opportunity presented itself in the form of Matsudaira Katataka, the 8th generation daimyō of Aizu Domain. Yoshitatsu readily approved of the adoption, not only because Katataka was the lord of a more senior house with a distinguished history and lineage, but the fact that Katataka was his birth brother must have also entered into the equation. Consequently, the young Keinosuke was adopted by Katataka, and married Katataka's daughter Toshihime, in 1856. Following his adoption, Keinosuke assumed the name "Katamori", which made use of one of the characters from his adoptive father's name. He was presented to the reigning shōgun, Tokugawa Ieyoshi, as well as to the Tairō Ii Naosuke, four months after his adoption, and at the end of the year was invested with the courtesy title of Wakasa-no-kami, which was traditionally held by the heir to the house of Aizu. Interested to further Katamori's education, Katataka then sent his heir to Aizu, where he was educated in the domain academy, Nisshinkan.

Succession and inheritance

Following Katataka's death in early 1852, Katamori succeeded to the family headship at age 18. As the 9th daimyō, he was granted the title of Higo-no-kami, which was traditionally held by the daimyō of Aizu. He also received the additional title of Sakonnoe-gon-shōshō (; Lesser General of the Left Guard) from the Imperial court, and formally sent his thanks to the Emperor later that year. Furthermore, Katamori inherited the family's traditional seat in the tamari-no-ma chamber, of Edo Castle where important matters of state were discussed in conjunction with the Senior Council.

Katamori and the Perry Mission

The early years following his appointment were filled with trying times for his leadership of the domain. Just one year later, Commodore Matthew C. Perry led the Perry Expedition into Edo Bay and demanded that Japan end its centuries-old national isolation policy and open to the country to American trade. The shogunate mobilized a massive number of men and ships from a broad coalition of feudal domains, and Aizu, being a prominent branch of the Shōgun's house and noted military power, was no exception. Aizu had already received orders to provide security in the coastal areas of Kazusa and Awa Provinces in the months prior to the Perry mission, and when the commodore went ashore to meet with Japanese officials, Aizu was one of the domains which provided patrol boats and coastal security for the event. Samuel Wells Williams, a translator on the Perry mission, backs up this record: "Some of the flags seen ashore, and the red jackets, too, to-day had on them." This character, read ai was the contemporary character used in the ai of Aizu, and, as seen in artistic depictions of the era, was used on the domain's banners.

Career as Kyoto Military Commissioner

Background

In 1862, senior political figures in the Tokugawa shogunate created the post of Kyoto Shugoshoku (Kyoto Military Commissioner), for the purpose of recovering public order in the city, which was under the influence of sonnō-jōi militants. The post of Kyoto Shugoshoku was one that changed much of the dynamic that had theretofore existed in the city. Previously, the holder of the Kyoto shoshidai position had held the highest power there, supervising affairs in the Kyoto-Osaka area as the representative of the Shōgun. However, the successive Shoshidai, as well as the city magistrates under their charge, were increasingly unable to secure and maintain the public order, so the post of Shugoshoku was superimposed on the existing structure. Where the Shoshidai and magistrates had been unable to secure through civil law, the Shugoshoku was to achieve through the use of military force. After much deliberation, the choice for the Shugoshoku post came down to two domains: Echizen and Aizu. Of the two, Echizen's Matsudaira Yoshinaga already held high Shogunal office as President of Political Affairs (; Seiji Sōsai-shoku), so all attention was then turned to Matsudaira Katamori. As Katamori was ill, Aizu's senior Edo-based councilor Yokoyama Tsunenori was summoned to Edo Castle instead, and given word of the assignment. Katamori sent a retainer back with a request for being excused: "As this is a shogunal order, we not only have no choice but to accept. Furthermore, our domain's founder Lord [[Hoshina Masayuki|Hoshina Masayuki]] laid down a direct command to do so in our house code. However, our lord Katamori is still young, and our men are in the north and unfamiliar with conditions in the Capital. If we were to accept this assignment without question, and a one in ten thousand chance of disaster were to strike, we of the Aizu domain could not possibly do it all alone; the Shōgun would have to get involved, as would all of Japan. We would like to consider this carefully." However, the Shogunate would not listen to this refusal. Matsudaira Yoshinaga traveled personally to the Aizu residence, and confronted Katamori with harsh words invoking Aizu's distinguished past as Shogunate functionaries: "If founder Lord Masayuki were still alive, he would accept without a second thought!" Rumors began to circulate that Katamori refused the assignment out of a desire for self-preservation, to which Katamori is said to have responded, "If people start talking like this, it will shame our domain. There is no way I could explain this to the generations of Aizu lords who have gone before me. I have no choice but to accept."

Dissent, preparation, and arrival in Kyoto

News of Katamori's acceptance of the assignment quickly reached Aizu. Two of the domain-based councilors, Saigō Tanomo and Tanaka Tosa, were particularly opposed to the position, not only for the reasons that Katamori initially had opposed it, but also from a financial stance: Aizu, having been recently charged with both coastal defense at Edo Bay and supervision in eastern Ezo ( modern-day Hokkaidō), was heavily burdened by expense, and could not afford to do any more without risking total financial ruin. The two men rode nonstop from Aizu to try dissuading their lord from this venture. Saigo, ostensibly quoting the Chinese text Huai nan-tzu, described the intent to rein in the radicals as "trying to put out a fire while carrying brushwood". However, faced with the issues of preserving Aizu's reputation, as well as the pressure of a direct Shogunal order brought about by such power figures as Tokugawa Yoshinobu, Matsudaira Yoshinaga, and others, Katamori hardly had a say in the matter; this was something that he indicated directly to his retainers. His words to the aforementioned Yokoyama (and others) show that he knew full well what Aizu was getting itself into: "What will be, will be. Be prepared to meet your grave in Kyoto."

On September 23, 1862, Katamori was formally summoned to Edo Castle and presented with the assignment. The position was not without its personal incentives: it included an office salary of 50,000 koku a year, a 30,000 ryō loan to cover the expense of traveling to Kyoto, as well as a promotion to Senior 4th court rank, lower grade (; shō-shi'i-ge). Following the assignment, a sweeping program of personnel reassignment took place in the Tokugawa government's Kyoto command structure. Assigned together with Katamori were a group of trusted, powerful daimyō and hatamoto: Nagai Naoyuki was named Kyoto City Magistrate, Makino Tadayuki, the lord of Nagaoka Domain, was made Kyoto Shoshidai, and Chūjō Nobunori as Katamori's assistant for protocol. Katamori then sent a group of seven men under the previously mentioned Tanaka Tosa ahead to Kyoto, in order to begin forming the necessary connections with domains already in Kyoto, as well as the Imperial court. After a few months of further political difficulty, he left Edo on January 27, 1863 at the head of a thousand-strong Aizu force. Entering Kyoto on February 11, he first headed to Honzen-ji temple, changing into court clothes, then going to the residence of Imperial regent Konoe Tadahiro and paying his respects. After that, he promptly set up residence in the eastern section of the city, at Konkaikōmyō-ji temple, in the Kurodani area. Soon after his arrival, Katamori was again formally received by the Court, appearing before regent Konoe together with his senior retainers Ono Gonnojō and Komori Ikkan. His warm reception and popularity with many in the Court thus set a precedent of frequent visits that was to continue for the duration of his position.

Tenure

The first difficulty that Katamori faced after taking office was the unfamiliarity of the locals with Aizu and its ability to get the job done. Aizu was so unfamiliar to many people in early 1863 that many of them pronounced its name "kaizu" or "kwaiz", with both ai and kai being common readings of the first character in "Aizu" . This issue of unfamiliarity and unease began to have some resolution in the early months of 1863, when Katamori was formally received at the Imperial court. The court nobles were very pleased to see his arrival, and had great hopes for him as an agent of the Kōbu gattai movement to promote renewed cooperation between the Court and the Shogunate. In order to achieve the objectives that the Shugoshoku position entailed, Katamori made use of city patrol units, some of them made up of his own retainers, but others consisting of hired, previously lordless men, such as the Shinsengumi. Other groups emerged in subsequent years, including the Mimawarigumi, which was under the control of the Shoshidai (which as of 1864 was Katamori's brother Matsudaira Sadaaki of Kuwana). Katamori took his role as protector of Kyoto (and the Court) very seriously, and thus played a large role in the coup d'état of September 30 (or the coup d'état of August 18), and the Kinmon incident, which both involved clashes between the allied forces under Shogunate command (including Aizu) against the men of Chōshū Domain. During the punitive First and Second Chōshū expeditions, he also advocated a hard line against the domain. These events lead to increased animosity against Katamori and Aizu Domain within the Chōshū Domain.

Katamori served as Shugoshoku from 1862 through 1864; and he served again from 1864 through 1868.

Katamori also disagreed with the Tokugawa policy of isolation and subscribed to the political notion of "Eastern ethics and Western Science". Katamori employed Prussian diplomat John Henry Schnell as an advisor and trader to procure and train his troops in western firearms. As the fortunes of the Bakufu waned, Katamori provided the seed capital for Schnell escape to California with 22 samurai retainers in an attempt to establish the first Japanese colony in America, the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony in 1869. Sadly, with the forfeit of the Aizu domain, Katamori would be unable to continue his patronage of the colony and it would fail two years later.

Boshin War and aftermath

Katamori tried to achieve peaceful resolutions after the Battle of Toba–Fushimi, apologizing to the Imperial court many times, and even formally presenting a letter of submission to Prince Rinnoji no Miya Yoshihisa, but the members of the new Meiji government refused to pay him any heed. This was because the new government was primarily composed of people from Chōshū and Satsuma Domain, who resented Katamori for his activities as the Military Commissioner. Although the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei, comprising most of the domains of northern Japan, supported Aizu Domain and Katamori, they were eventually defeated in the Aizu War. After a few years under house arrest in Tokyo, Katamori's life was spared, and he later became the head kannushi of the Nikkō Tōshō-gū Shrine. He died on December 5, 1893, and was buried by Shinto rites, receiving the posthumous Shinto name of Masane-reishin. His heir, Matsudaira Nobunori, was adopted from the Mito-Tokugawa family. However, Nobunori left the Aizu-Matsudaira clan soon after the Meiji restoration, to let Matsudaira Kataharu become the heir to the clan. Matsudaira Kataharu was Katamori's eldest biological son, born from one of Katamori's two concubines (Saku and Kiyo) after Nobunori was adopted. The clan chieftainship then passed to Kataharu's brother Morio, and subsequently to Morio's son Matsudaira Morisada, who is the present head of the Aizu-Matsudaira.

Ancestry