was a Japanese ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...

'' of the late

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

, who ruled the

Owari Domain The was a feudal domain of Japan in the Edo period. Located in what is now the western part of Aichi Prefecture, it encompassed parts of Owari, Mino, and Shinano provinces. Its headquarters were at Nagoya Castle. At its peak, it was rated at ...

as its 14th (1849–1858) and 17th daimyō (1870–1880). He was the brother of

Matsudaira Katamori Matsudaira Katamori after the Meiji restoration was a samurai who lived in Bakumatsu period and the early to mid Meiji period Japan. He was the 9th ''daimyō'' of the Aizu Domain and the Kyoto Shugoshoku (Military Commissioner of Kyoto). He in ...

. His childhood name was Hidenosuke (秀之助).

Early years

Yoshikatsu was born in the Takasu Domain residence (

Yotsuya is a neighborhood in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It is a former ward (四谷区 ''Yotsuya-ku'') in the now-defunct Tokyo City. In 1947, when the 35 wards of Tokyo were reorganized into 23, it was merged with Ushigome ward of Tokyo City and Yodobas ...

neighborhood of Edo). His mother was Norihime (daughter of

Tokugawa Harutoshi was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled the Mito Domain. His childhood name was Tsuruchiyo (鶴千代). Family * Father: Tokugawa Harumori (1751-1805) * Mother: Yayohime, daughter of Ichijo Michika * Wife: Manhime, daughter of ...

Tokugawa Nariaki Tokugawa Nariaki (徳川斉昭, April 4, 1800 – September 29, 1860) was a prominent Japanese ''daimyō'' who ruled the Mito Domain (now Ibaraki Prefecture) and contributed to the rise of nationalism and the Meiji Restoration. Biography C ...

was his maternal uncle, and the future shogun

Tokugawa Yoshinobu Prince was the 15th and last ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful. He resigned of his position as shogun in late 1867, while aiming ...

was his cousin. The most recent four daimyos of the Owari Domain had been foster sons sent to Owari from lineages close to the Shogunal family:

Tokugawa Naritomo was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled the Owari Domain. His childhood name was Yasuchiyo (愷千代). He had a retreat north of Nagoya Castle called ''Shin Goten'' (新御殿 New Palace) in what is today Horibata-chō (堀� ...

(10th, 1800–1827)

Tokugawa Nariharu was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled the Owari Domain. He was son of shōgun Tokugawa Ienari. His childhood name was Naoshichiro (直七郎). Family * Father: Tokugawa Ienari * Mother: Ohana no Kata (?-1845) later Seiren'in * ...

(11th, 1827–1839),

Tokugawa Naritaka was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early late-Edo period. The son of the 11th shōgun Tokugawa Ienari, he succeeded Tokugawa Narimasa as head of the Tayasu Tokugawa house, before succeeding to the Tokugawa house of Owari Domain in 1839. His chi ...

(12th, 1839–1845),

Tokugawa Yoshitsugu was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled the Owari Domain. He was son of Tokugawa Narimasa was a Japanese samurai of the Edo period. The son of Tokugawa Harusada, head of the Hitotsubashi-Tokugawa house, he succeeded Tokugawa H ...

(13th, 1845–1849). These daimyo been remote rulers, especially the 11th, Nariharu, who had spent all his time in Edo without making a single trip to Owari, resulting in low morale amongst the Owari samurai. Because Yoshikatsu was perceived as being more sympathetic to affairs in Owari, local political circles such as the Gold & Iron Party (金鉄党) had formed, drawing strength from the low-ranking samurai, to lobby for Yoshikatsu's appointment when the matter arose in 1839 and 1845, but Naritaka and Yoshitsugu had been appointed instead. However, when Yoshikatsu was finally appointed in 1849, he did not have as much clout amongst Bakufu officials and the high-ranking samurai in Owari, due to weaker blood relations to the Shogun than his predecessors. Accordingly, forming a consensus amongst high-ranking retainers was indispensable for Yoshikatsu to exercise his authority.藤田英昭「文久・元治期における徳川慶勝の動向と政治的立場」、徳川林政史研究所『研究紀要』第53号所収、2019年３月, pp.126。 After being appointed daimyō, Yoshikatsu made administrative changes, primarily to trim costs. Meanwhile, information about the arrival of the

Perry Expedition The Perry Expedition ( ja, 黒船来航, , "Arrival of the Black Ships") was a diplomatic and military expedition during 1853–1854 to the Tokugawa Shogunate involving two separate voyages by warships of the United States Navy. The goals of thi ...

and the Bakufu's accommodation of foreign demands was reaching all the domains, and particularly disturbed Tokugawa Nariaki,

Shimazu Nariakira was a Japanese feudal lord (''daimyō'') of the Edo period, the 28th in the line of Shimazu clan lords of Satsuma Domain. He was renowned as an intelligent and wise lord, and was greatly interested in Western learning and technology. He was e ...

(daimyō of the

Satsuma Domain The , briefly known as the , was a domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1602 to 1871. The Satsuma Domain was based at Kagoshima Castle in Satsuma Province, the core of the modern city of Kagoshima, ...

Date Munenari __NOTOC__ The Marquis was the eighth head of the Uwajima Domain during the Late Tokugawa shogunate and a politician of the early Meiji era. Early life Munenari was born in Edo, the 4th son of the hatamoto Yamaguchi Naokatsu. Munenari, then k ...

(daimyō of the

Uwajima Domain 270px, Date Munenari 270px, Uwajima Date Museum was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, in what is now western Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It was centered around Uwajima Castle, and was ruled throu ...

), and others, who expressed their displeasure with the actions of high functionaries such as

Abe Masahiro was the chief senior councilor (''rōjū'') in the Tokugawa shogunate of the Bakumatsu period at the time of the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry on his mission to open Japan to the outside world. Abe was instrumental in the eventual signing o ...

.藤田英昭「嘉永・安政期における徳川慶勝の人脈と政治動向」、徳川林政史研究所『研究紀要』第44号所収、2017年３月、p119。 With a strong sense of duty as the head of the three collateral branches of the shogunal family, Yoshikatsu felt that the bakufu could only be assisted by paradoxically criticizing its policy. When the

Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Japan) The , also called the Harris Treaty was a treaty signed between the United States and Tokugawa Shogunate, which opened the ports of Kanagawa and four other Japanese cities to trade and granted extraterritoriality to foreigners, among a number ...

was signed in 1858 (Ansei 5), Yoshikatsu joined with his uncle and cousin—Tokugawa Nariaki and his son Yoshiatsu—together with

Matsudaira Yoshinaga , also known as Matsudaira Keiei,Beasley, William G. (1955). ''Select Documents on Japanese Foreign Policy, 1853–1868'', p. 335. or better known as Matsudaira Shungaku (春嶽) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period. He was head of the ...

(daimyō of the Fukui Domain) and others in making an unsolicited visit to

Edo Castle is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo and is therefore also known as . Tokugawa Ieyasu established the ...

, where they oppose the policies of the

Tairō ''Tairō'' (, "great elder") was a high-ranking official position in the Tokugawa shogunate government of Japan, roughly comparable to the office of prime minister. The ''tairō'' presided over the governing ''rōjū'' council in the event of an e ...

Ii Naosuke was ''daimyō'' of Hikone (1850–1860) and also Tairō of the Tokugawa shogunate, Japan, a position he held from April 23, 1858, until his death, assassinated in the Sakuradamon Incident on March 24, 1860. He is most famous for signing the Ha ...

. This act was censured, everyone who opposed Ii Naosuke was purged (the Ansei Purge). For his part Yoshikatsu was placed under house arrest, and he was replaced by his younger brother Mochinaga, who thus became the 15th daimyō of Owari. During this period, he became interested in Western photography, and learned how to take and develop photographs. Remaining photographs include subjects such as the Ninomaru Palace of Nagoya Castle (taken in 1870), Hiroshima Castle, and the suburban residence of the Owari Domain in Edo, almost 1000 photographs in all, which are a priceless historical record.

Return to power

The assassination of Ii Naosuke in the

Sakuradamon Incident (1860) The was the assassination of Ii Naosuke, Chief Minister (Tairō) of the Tokugawa Shogunate, on March 24, 1860 by ''rōnin'' ''samurai'' of the Mito Domain and Satsuma Domain, outside the Sakurada Gate of Edo Castle. Context Ii Naosuke, a le ...

was followed by a general pardon in 1862. Yoshikatsu went to the capitol the same year, being appointed assistant to the Shogun

Tokugawa Iemochi (July 17, 1846 – August 29, 1866) was the 14th ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office from 1858 to 1866. During his reign there was much internal turmoil as a result of the "re-opening" of Japan to western nations. ...

. On September 13, 1863, Mochinaga retired, and Yoshikatsu's son Motochiyo (born about the time of the Ansei Purge) was adopted by Mochinaga (15th daimyō), and appointed as the 16th daimyō at the age of six, his name being changed to

Tokugawa Yoshinori was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Edo period, who ruled the Owari Domain. He was the third son of Tokugawa Yoshikatsu was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Edo period, who ruled the Owari Domain as its 14th (1849–1858) and 17th daimyō ...

. With the support of high-ranking samurai in the domain, such as Naruse Masamitsu, Tamiya Joun, Yoshikatsu was able to exert power once again. However others were critical of Yoshikatsu and formed an effective opposition around Morinaga, so the domain was split between the two retired daimyō acting behind the scenes.

Involvement in Court politics

As power shifted from the Edo bakufu to the Imperial Court, Yoshikatsu spent most of his time in Kyoto. In the spring of 1863, Emperor issued "Order to expel barbarians" (攘夷実行の勅命, jōi jikkō no chokumei), and on the last day of the year formed the conference of councillors (Sanyo Kaigi (参預会議))), a panel of powerful daimyo to serve as his military arm. Yoshikatsu was invited to join, but declined. After the

Kinmon incident The , also known as the , was a rebellion against the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan that took place on August 20 unar calendar: 19th day, 7th month 1864, near the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. History Starting with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1 ...

in the summer, in which samurai from the

Chōshū Domain The , also known as the , was a domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1600 to 1871.Deal, William E. (2005) ''Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan,'' p. 81 The Chōshū Domain was base ...

attempted a coup against the Tokugawa Bakufu, Yoshitaka served as the military commander during the punitive

First Chōshū expedition The First Chōshū expedition ( ja, 第一次長州征討) was a punitive military expedition by the Tokugawa shogunate against the Chōshū Domain in September–November 1864. The expedition was in retaliation for Chōshū's role in the attack ...

, in September–November 1864, with

Saigō Takamori was a Japanese samurai and nobleman. He was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. Living during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he later led the Satsum ...

as second-in-command. The campaign was considered a success, but, when Chōshū again challenged Bakufu authority, Yoshikatsu refused to participate in the

Second Chōshū expedition The Second Chōshū expedition (Japanese: 第二次長州征討), also called the Summer War, was a punitive expedition led by the Tokugawa shogunate against the Chōshū Domain. It followed the First Chōshū expedition of 1864. Background The ...

, which ended in a loss of prestige for the Bakufu and a secret alliance between the

Satsuma Satsuma may refer to: * Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit * ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails Places Japan * Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town * Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture * Satsuma Domain, a sou ...

and Chōshū domains, an alliance that soon overthrew the

shogunate , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

Family

* Father: Matsudaira Yoshitatsu (1800-1862) * Mother: Norihime, daughter of

* Wife: Kanehime, daughter of

Niwa Nagatomi was an Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 9th ''daimyō'' of Nihonmatsu Domain in the Tōhoku region of Japan. He was the 10th hereditary chieftain of the Niwa clan. His courtesy title was ''Saikyō-no-daifu'', and his Court rank was Junio ...

* Concubines: ** Otama no Kata ** Oyuki no Kata ** Otake no Kata ** Okatsu no Kata * Children: **

by Otama ** Michihime by Otama ** Toyohime by Otama ** Yoshihime married Tokugawa Yoshiakira by Otake ** Tomihime married Mouri Motoakira by Otake ** Tokugawa Yoshikumi (1878-1946) by Okatsu

Honours

Junior First Rank The court ranks of Japan, also known in Japanese as ''ikai'' (位階), are indications of an individual's court rank in Japan based on the system of the state. ''Ikai'' as a system was originally used in the Ritsuryo system, which was the politi ...

(1869)

References

*Totman, Conrad. ''The Collapse of the Tokugawa Bakufu, 1862–1868''. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 1980.

External links

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Tokugawa, Yoshikatsu 1824 births 1883 deaths Meiji Restoration Lords of Owari Deified Japanese people