Background
Sōgorō Sakura was born in 1605. His real name was Kiuchi Sogoro and he was the son of the naniishi, or village head, of Kimitsu in the domain of Sakura, the province of Shimosa, in present-day Chiba Prefecture.
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Sōgorō Sakura
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The lord of the domain of Sakura, Hotta Masanobu, occupied the position of roju, a high administrative post in the shogunate, and had imposed extremely heavy taxes upon the farmers in his domain. Sogoro joined with the other peasants of the domain in appealing to the authorities for a lessening of the tax burden, but when these appeals had no effect, he made his way alone to Edo and, in spite of strict prohibitions against such action, accosted the shogun as he was passing in procession and begged him to look into the matter. It is said that his request was granted, but that he and his wife and children, four persons in all, were condemned to suffer death nevertheless.
Achievements
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The story of his deed circulated widely among the common people of the Edo period, who, like him, suffered under the burden of excessive taxation, and was even made the theme of a play performed on the kabuki stage. Though the story may have acquired fictional elements in the process of its popularization, there is historical evidence to prove that such a person as Sakura Sogoro actually existed.The story of his deed circulated widely among the common people of the Edo period, who, like him, suffered under the burden of excessive taxation, and was even made the theme of a play performed on the kabuki stage. Though the story may have acquired fictional elements in the process of its popularization, there is historical evidence to prove that such a person as Sakura Sogoro actually existed.
