Yamauchi was the 15th head of the
Tosa Domain. He opposed the
treaties of the
Ansei era. In 1859, he was forced to retire. In 1862 he was appointed sanyo (参与). After the assassination of his
favourite Yoshida Tōyō in 1862, he ordered an investigation into the local
anti-foreigner samurai groups, suspecting them of terrorism. These efforts culminated in the arrest and subsequent suicide of political rogue
Takechi Hanpeita, who ordered the
hitokiri Okada Izō, in 1865. In 1867 he advised Shōgun
Tokugawa Yoshinobu to carry out
Taisei Houkan (大政奉還), the return of power to the
Emperor, which he carried out later that year. In 1871, Yamauchi was appointed governor of the new
Kochi Prefecture. == See also ==