Narushima Ryūhoku

He served as tutor to the shoguns Tokugawa Iesada and Iemochi but was, according to some theories, dismissed because he wrote a poem critical of the fact that his recommendations had not been adopted.

During the Keiō period (1866–68) he served in the shogun's cavalry and also briefly as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

After the Meiji Restoration, he took up a position with the Higashi Honganji Temple, which sponsored a tour for him and four other men to Europe and the United States in 1872–73.

Soon after his return to Japan, Ryuhoku became the editor of the Chōya Shinbun (朝野新聞), and also founded the literary journal Kagetsu shinshi (花月新誌).

He had a very critical attitude towards the great functionaries of Satsuma and Chōshū, who although vassals of the former shogunate, were then acting pretentiously in their new roles as leaders of the Meiji government.