Yoritake Matsudaira

Lore & Background

Yoritake Matsudaira retired from the post of International Commissioner on reaching the retirement age of 65 in 2003, and presently serves as president (Renmei-chō) of the Kagawa Scout Council. As a Scout, he traveled to Texas and New Mexico in the United States and was a guest on a military base. After graduation from Waseda University, he worked for Toshiba. One of his hobbies is horseback riding, he is an amateur radio aficionado, and he gives lectures about the advantages of Scouting activities.

His ancestry connects him to the Tokugawa clan: Yoritake is a second cousin of the present head of the Tokugawa clan, Tokugawa Tsunenari, as both are great-grandsons of Nabeshima Naohiro, the 11th and last daimyō of Saga. By virtue of his descent from the kuge Madenokōji family, he is also a sixth cousin once removed of the present Emperor, Akihito.

Reader's Guide

Yoritake Matsudaira's significance lies in his long service to Scouting at national and international levels, culminating in the 337th Bronze Wolf award in 2012, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting. His father Yorihiro Matsudaira had received the same award in 1981, marking a rare father-son legacy. As a founding member of the World Buddhist Scout Brotherhood, he helped bridge Scouting with Buddhist principles. His role as present chairman of Hongō Gakuen and president of the Kagawa Scout Council reflects continued leadership in education and Scouting. His amateur radio hobby and lectures on Scouting's advantages further extend his influence. His noble lineage as 14th head of the Matsudaira family, with ties to the Tokugawa clan and the Japanese imperial family, adds historical depth to his profile.