The 9th generation Prince Arisugawa. The first son of Prince Arisugawa Takahito. In 1848, he became an adopted son of Emperor Ninko, and the following year he was conferred the title of imperial prince. In 1852, he was engaged to Princess Kazunomiya, the daughter of Emperor Ninko, but the agreement was dropped because Kazunomiya married TOKUGAWA Iemochi. From the end of the Edo period onward, he was busy with national affairs, and in 1867, with the restoration of imperial rule, he assumed the post of sosai (president), and during the Boshin War, he became the Great Governor-General of the Eastern Expedition, leading the government forces to the east and into Edo. In 1877, he went to fight against the Seinan Rebellion, and later became an army general, chief of military staff, and chief of staff. He died of illness during the Sino-Japanese War.