Ii Naosuke, Matsumune Sensei is involved in various events in addition to his duties. He becomes the guardian for the shogun and the political secretary and takes charge of the ransom. Despite being suspended from his position, he willingly took on new duties. He had been the mainstay of the Ihata faction and decided to carry out a political reform with Ji-ei, Fukuian’s only specialty, and was also suspended as a criminal for entering the city.
In the wake of the Sakuradamon Incident that resulted in the assassination of Ii Naosuke, the Tokugawa shogunate reversed its conciliatory policy and ordered Kiei to be released and assist Kamemoshita as an advisor. In addition to that, in Sakuradamon Incident Keiki and Ji-ei were forbidden from leaving their houses. Keiki took the role of the oligarch, as well as the role of the political supervisor, and, prompting the Tokugawa political reform campaign.
The process to apprehend Keiki and Jiei when they infiltrated the city from the outside was a disappointment. The Sakuradamon Incident that occurred after Ii Naosuke’s assassination in Bunn Gran was a turning point. The Tokugawa shogunate changed its conciliatory policy and ordered Keiki to be released and assist Kamemoshita as an advisor. Despite being banned from leaving the houses of Keiki and Ji-ei, Fukuin’s only specialty, and being suspended as a criminal for entering the city.
Introduction: Who was Tokugawa Yoshinobu?
Tokugawa Yoshinobu was the son of Mito domain lord Tokugawa Nariaki, and the last shogun of the Edo shogunate. When the issue of the successor to the shogunate arose, Yoshinobu’s name was put forward as a candidate for the next shogun, but he ultimately did not ascend to the position. It is said that he hesitated to become shogun, but later rose to become the 15th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.
As anti-shogunate forces expanded, the shogunate lost its position, and Yoshinobu succeeded the shogun’s office. He lived through turbulent times, but what kind of person was the real Yoshinobu Tokugawa? Let’s solve the mystery based on historical facts.
In the NHK TV Drama “Ooku Season 2” in 2023, Yoshinobu Tokugawa is portrayed as the head of the Hitotsubashi family, supporting the shogun as a guardian (portrayed by Shunsuke Daito), and later becoming the 15th shogun.
Contents
Introduction: Who was Tokugawa Yoshinobu?
The Era in Which Tokugawa Yoshinobu Lived
The Life and Major Events of Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Generalization
The Era in Which Tokugawa Yoshinobu Lived
Yoshinobu Tokugawa was born in 1837. The year before his birth, an unprecedented “Great Famine of Tenpo” occurred, causing many people across the country to starve to death. The shogunate was unable to implement appropriate policies and public dissatisfaction erupted. Riots and uprisings occurred in various places.
From the moment of Yoshinobu’s birth, the direction of the shogunate was questioned.
The Life and Major Events of Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Yoshinobu Tokugawa was born in 1837 and passed away in 1913. Let’s uncover his life and the events that unfolded.
Born as Tokugawa Nariaki’s son and involved in the succession of the shogunate.
Yoshinobu Tokugawa was born in 1837 as the son of Mito domain lord Tokugawa Nariaki. He was originally named Ichimaro, but in 1847, he inherited the Hitotsubashi family and changed his name to Yoshinobu. A few years after Yoshinobu became the head of the Hitotsubashi family, Commodore Perry’s “Black Ships” arrived at Uraga.
The arrival of large foreign ships caused a great commotion throughout Japan. At the time, shogun Iesada was weak and had no heir. As a result, the succession of the shogunate became a crucial political issue, as voices calling for a strong leader to repel external threats grew louder. Since Yoshinobu had been intelligent from a young age, he was supported as a candidate for the next shogun. Kii domain lord Tokugawa Yoshiyuki (later Keisho) was also seen as a candidate for the next shogun. Eventually, a fierce rivalry began between the Hitotsubashi faction supporting Yoshinobu and the Nanki faction supporting Yoshiyuki for the position of the next shogun.
However, with the appointment of Naosuke Ii, the lord of Hikone domain and the chief of the Nanki faction, Yoshitaka Yoshinobu, the fight for the position of the next shogun between the Hitotsubashi and Nanki factions was thwarted.
Served as the shogun’s guardian despite suspension from office.
In 1858, Naosuke Ii, who had been appointed as Tairō by the 13th shogun, Iesada, concluded the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Japan without the permission of the Imperial Court. Naosuke succeeded in appointing Iemochi as shogun, but angered the Hitotsubashi head Nariaki Tokugawa and the Owari domain lord Yoshikatsu Tokugawa by making his decision alone, and they personally ascended to Edo castle to ask Naosuke. This was called “Touzan.”
This was a big disappointment for the Hitotsubashi group, but the situation changed dramatically when Naosuke was assassinated in the incident at the Sakuradamon gate in 1860. The shogunate changed its conciliatory policy, released Yoshinobu, and ordered him to assist Iemochi as an guardian. The lord of the Fukui domain, Yoshinobu Matsudaira, who was under suspension for the crime of unauthorized entry into Edo, was chosen as the political superintendent, and served as a shogunal assistant. Yoshinobu decided to cooperate with Yoshihisa to carry out political reforms.
