▁Early ▁life ▁ Ō k ub o ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 2 6 ▁September ▁ 1 8 3 0 ▁in ▁K ag osh ima , ▁S ats uma ▁Province ▁( present - day ▁K ag osh ima ▁Pref ect ure ) ▁to ▁ Ō k ub o ▁Ju emon ▁( 1 7 9 4 - 1 8 6 3 ; ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁T osh io ▁and ▁Sh ir ō ), ▁a ▁low - ran king ▁retain er ▁of ▁Sh im azu ▁N aria ki ra , ▁the ▁da im y ō ▁of ▁the ▁S ats uma ▁Domain , ▁later ▁given ▁a ▁minor ▁official ▁position , ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Min ay oshi ▁Fu ku ▁( 1 8 0 3 - 1 8 6 4 ), ▁daughter ▁of ▁a ▁phys ician . ▁Although ▁the ▁ Ō k ub o ▁family ▁were ▁not ▁of ▁high ▁status , ▁they ▁were ▁of ▁distinguished ▁origin , ▁thought ▁to ▁descend ▁from ▁the ▁noble ▁Fu ji w ara ▁cl an . ▁The ▁el dest ▁of ▁five ▁children , ▁ Ō k ub o ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁local ▁school ▁as ▁Sa ig ō ▁Tak am ori , ▁who ▁was ▁three ▁years ▁older . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁ Ō k ub o ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁a ide ▁to ▁the ▁S ats uma ▁Domain ' s ▁archiv ist . ▁ ▁S ats uma ▁sam ur ai ▁ ▁Sh im azu ▁N aria ki ra ▁recognized ▁ Ō k ub o ' s ▁tal ents ▁and ▁appointed