Imagawa Norinobu

Imagawa Norinobu (今川範叙), (1829-November 3, 1887) was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period. Born the 3rd son of Imagawa Yoshiyori, he was a hatamoto who headed one of the families holding the position of "kōke" (master of ceremonies), a position whose most famous holder was Kira Yoshinaka of Chushingura fame. A direct descendant of the famed Imagawa Yoshimoto and his son Ujizane, Norinobu was influential in the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate, being appointed a wakadoshiyori shortly before its demise and working for the new government to show clemency to the Tokugawa family. Living the rest of his life in quiet obscurity, Norinobu died in 1887. Because his son Imagawa Yoshihito died young, he was left heirless, and the direct line of descent in the Imagawa family came to an end.