Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

was the first head of the

Tokugawa clan The is a Japanese dynasty that was formerly a powerful ''daimyō'' family. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and were a branch of the Minamoto clan (Seiwa Genji) through the Matsudaira clan. The early history of this clan r ...

after the overthrow of the

Tokugawa bakufu The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedi ...

, and a significant figure in Japanese politics and diplomacy during the Meiji, Taishō and early

Shōwa period Shōwa may refer to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufacturer, affiliated with the Honda keiretsu Japanese eras * Jōwa (Heian ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. When Prince Tokugawa travelled to other nations representing Japan during his diplomatic journeys, he usually presented his name being Prince Iyesato Tokugawa. Prince Tokugawa held the influential position of president of Japan's upper house of congress the

Diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

for 30 years. Tokugawa promoted democratic principles and international goodwill. It was only after his passing in 1940 that Japanese militants were able to push Japan into joining the Axis Powers in WWII.

Early life

Tokugawa Iesato was born to the Tayasu branch of the

, under the name Kamenosuke, he became its 16th head on June 19, 1868, following the resignation of the last ''

shōgun , 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 ...

,''

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 ...

. His brothers were

Tokugawa Satotaka Count was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period who became a government official in the Meiji, Taishō, and Shōwa eras. Younger brother of Tokugawa Iesato. His childhood name was Bannosuke (群之助). Served as a member of the House ...

and Tokugawa Takachiyo, who also held the Tayasu headship at different times. Iesato was also briefly the ''

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 short-lived

Shizuoka Domain was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. The domain centered at Sunpu Castle is what is now the Aoi-ku, Shizuoka. From 1869 it was briefly called . History During the Muromachi period, Sunpu was the capital of the ...

, before the

abolition of the han system The in the Empire of Japan and its replacement by a system of prefectures in 1871 was the culmination of the Meiji Restoration begun in 1868, the starting year of the Meiji period. Under the reform, all daimyos (, ''daimyō'', feudal lords) ...

in the early 1870s. His guardian at the time was

Matsudaira Naritami was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Edo period who ruled the Tsuyama Domain of Mimasaka Province. Born Tokugawa Ginnosuke (銀之助), the 16th son of the ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Ienari, Naritami was adopted by Matsudaira Naritaka of Tsuyama. ...

, the former lord of the

Tsuyama Domain was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. It was associated with Mimasaka Province in modern-day Okayama Prefecture.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. ...

and his wife,

Kazu-no-Miya Chikako (''Kazunomiya'') was the wife of 14th ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Iemochi. She was renamed Lady Seikan'in-no-miya after she took the tonsure as a widow. She was the great-great-great aunt of Emperor Akihito, who reigned from 1989 to 2019. Biography ...

or Seikan'in no Miya (although Iesato was Iemochi's adopted son they only met once. Later Iemochi's foster mother,

Tenshō-in , also known as , was the official wife of , the 13th ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. She was the daughter of Lady Oyuki and , who was the head of the branch of the Shimazu in Satsuma. She was originally named by her parents ...

, raised Iesato). In 1866 he was sent 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 ...

as Iemochi's son and was raised by Tenshō-in and

. In 1868 he was sent to

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

by his mother,

and met with

Emperor Meiji , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...

. He married the daughter of

Konoe Tadafusa , son of regent Tadahiro with his wife Shimazu Kyoko, was a ''kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the late Edo period (1603–1868). He did not hold any regent position kampaku or sesshō. His consort was Shimazu Mitsuko, an adopted daughter o ...

, Konoe Hiroko, who bore him

Iemasa Tokugawa Prince also known as Iyemasa, was a Japanese political figure of the Taishō and early Shōwa periods. He was the 17th hereditary head of the former shogunal branch of the Tokugawa clan and the final President of the House of Peers in the ...

, the seventeenth Tokugawa family head, Yasuko Tokugawa, who married

Nobusuke Takatsukasa Duke , son of Takatsukasa Hiromichi, Hiromichi, was a Japanese nobleman and politician of the Meiji period (1868–1912) who served as a member of House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers in the Diet of Japan. Takatsukasa Nobuhiro was his brother, a ...

and bore him

Toshimichi Takatsukasa , son of Duke Nobusuke, was a Japanese researcher of trains. He was a descendant of Tokugawa Yoshinao and consequently was born into an aristocratic family, but, like all Japanese aristocrats, lost his title with the post-war legal reforms of 194 ...

, Ryōko Tokugawa, and Toshiko Tokugawa.

Family

* Father:

Tokugawa Yoshiyori was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period. Son of the 3rd generation Tayasu family head, Narimasa, he was head of the Tayasu house twice: in 1839–1863 and 1868–1876. He went to Shizuoka Domain in 1868, and served as the guardian of his s ...

* Mother: Takai Takeko * Adoptive Father:

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. ...

* Adoptive Mother:

* Wife: Konoe Hiroko (1867–1944) * Children: **

Tokugawa Iemasa Prince also known as Iyemasa, was a Japanese political figure of the Taishō and early Shōwa periods. He was the 17th hereditary head of the former shogunal branch of the Tokugawa clan and the final President of the House of Peers in the ...

** Tokugawa Yasuko married

** Tokugawa Ryoko married Matsudaira Yasumasa ** Tokugawa Toshiko married Matsudaira Naokuni

Career and legacy

In 1877, Iesato was sent to

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

to study. He returned to Japan in 1882, and was given the title of ''kōshaku'' (公爵, prince) under the ''

kazoku The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan, which existed between 1869 and 1947. They succeeded the feudal lords () and court nobles (), but were abolished with the 1947 constitution. Kazoku ( 華族) should not be confused with ' ...

'' peerage system. He became a member of the House of Peers of the

Diet of Japan The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...

from its creation in 1890, and served as President of the House of Peers from 1903-1933. When the administration of

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Yamamoto Gonnohyōe , was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and twice Prime Minister of Japan from 1913 to 1914 and again from 1923 to 1924. Biography Early life Yamamoto was born in Kagoshima in Satsuma Province (now Kagoshima Prefecture) as the sixth son ...

was brought down by the Siemens scandal, there was a strong movement to have Tokugawa Iesato nominated to be his successor as the new Prime Minister. Japan not only militarily supported her western allies’ in their war efforts, she also aided the Allies’ sick and wounded during and after the war. In 1917, out of empathy for the suffering resulting from the enormous death and destruction in Europe during World War One, Prince Iyesato Tokugawa and his close friend and ally Baron Shibusawa Eiichi (aka Baron Eiichi Shibusawa) along with their other Japanese associates published a condolence booklet honoring their western allies. This 1917 condolence booklet describes the Japanese creating an association that collected a monetary fund that was given to Allied nations to help with their war related health costs. This association was headed by Prince Iyesato Tokugawa its president, and Baron Eiichi Shibusawa and S. Shimada as its vice-presidents. Many of Japan’s top leaders contributed articles to this booklet expressing their support of the Allies. This condolence booklet was published in a French and English edition. The condolence booklet was titled: Japan to her Allies: A Message of Practical Sympathy from the Japan Association for Aiding the Sick and Wounded Soldiers and Others Suffering from the War in the Allied Countries. Published in Tokyo, Japan, 1917. The illustrated biography The Art of Peace by Stan S. Katz highlights the alliance between Prince Iyesato Tokugawa and Baron Eiichi Shibusawa as they promoted democracy and international goodwill. Kijūrō Shidehara, Tomosaburō Katō and Iesato Tokugawa

Kijūrō Shidehara, Tomosaburō Katō and Iesato Tokugawa

Following

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Iesato headed the Japanese delegation to the

Washington Naval Conference The Washington Naval Conference was a disarmament conference called by the United States and held in Washington, DC from November 12, 1921 to February 6, 1922. It was conducted outside the auspices of the League of Nations. It was attended by nine ...

. His support of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

position on the 10:10:6 division of naval strength between the United States,

and Japan drew considerable wrath from the ultra-rightist movements and conservative factions within the

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...

. Iesato is remembered for having recovered the political fortunes and reputation of the Tokugawa family, holding many senior government positions before his retirement, including In 1928, being appointed as the 7th President of the

Japanese Red Cross The is the Japanese affiliate of the International Red Cross. The Imperial Family of Japan traditionally has supported the society, with the Empress as Honorary President and other imperial family members as vice presidents. Its headquarters i ...

Society, head of the Japan-America Society, and President of the national organizing committee for the 1940 Olympics. Iesato is quoted as once having said about his adoptive father: "Yoshinobu destroyed the Tokugawa house; I rebuilt it." His grave is at the Tokugawa family cemetery at the temple of

Kan'ei-ji (also spelled Kan'eiji or Kaneiji) is a Tendai Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 1625 during the Kan'ei era by Tenkai, in an attempt to emulate the powerful religious center Enryaku-ji, in Kyoto. The main object of worship is .Nihon Re ...

in Ueno, Tokyo. He was succeeded by his son

(also known as Tokugawa Iyemasa). In 1930,

Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, prof ...

wished to recognize and honor Prince Iyesato Tokugawa’s lifelong devotion to maintaining international goodwill by selecting him to be the Keynote speaker at their Silver (25th) Anniversary Convention celebration. There are 1930 photos available that present the founder of Rotary International, Paul Harris, along with the current President of Rotary (1929-1930) M. Eugene Newsom, introducing their Keynote speaker Prince Tokugawa to the 15,000 Rotarians attending the event from around the world. One of Prince Tokugawa's close allies during the 1930s in the promotion of goodwill between Japan and the United States was Ambassador Joseph Grew. In 1932, Prince Tokugawa honored Grew with a reception when he first became U.S. Ambassador to Japan. From late 1933 and into 1934, Prince Iyesato Tokugawa went on a world tour. He first arrived in the U.S. in San Francisco, California. He had only recently retired from his distinguished thirty year career as President of the Japan's upper house of congress, the ''House of Peers''. He arrived aboard the ''Chichibu Maru'' ocean liner enroute to England. During his travels, he stated he wished to renew old friendships. Prince Tokugawa first visited America in 1882, after completing his studies in England. The Prince mentioned he looked forward to visiting the World’s Fair being held in Chicago. Besides being a pleasant vacation, Prince Tokugawa's world travels were very much directed at attempting to further strengthen Japan’s relationship with its allies in the U.S. and Europe so as to better resist a rising global militarism and fascism. While in the U.S., Prince Tokugawa delivered a radio address to the American public describing the long enduring and friendly relations between United States and Japan; he also met with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as well as other U.S. congressional leaders, encouraging a united front to prevent a potential upcoming war. During his visit, Prince Iyesato Tokugawa in 1934 received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

. The president of the university, Dr.

Rufus B. von KleinSmid Rufus Bernhard von KleinSmid (1875 – July 9, 1964), also spelled Kleinsmidt, was the seventh president of the University of Arizona (1914–1921) and the fifth president of the University of Southern California (1921–1947). Life and career ...

, hands the degree to Prince Tokugawa. This presentation took place during a special luncheon given March 19, 1934 in Los Angeles, hosted by George I. Cochran, the president of the school's Board of Trustees. The Los Angeles Times stated that this honorary degree was given to Prince Tokugawa "in recognition of distinguished service in international statesmanship", and for his "support of many philanthropic and educational movements." In accepting the honor, Prince Tokugawa respectfully said, "He wished to receive it in the name of the Japanese people as a whole rather than as a personal distinction." Prince Iyesato Tokugawa was accompanied by his son Iyemasa, who was the newly appointed Minister to Canada, and by his grand-daughter Miss Toyo Tokugawa. The Los Angeles Times also stated that a banquet dinner was to be hosted that evening by the Japan-America Society of Los Angeles to honor the Prince Tokugawa's visit. The Japan-America Society of Los Angeles is part of the

National Association of Japan-America Societies National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

. The Los Angeles Times stated that California Governor

James Rolph James "Sunny Jim" Rolph Jr. (August 23, 1869 – June 2, 1934) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected to a single term as the 27th governor of California from January 6, 1931, until his death on June ...

and the former Mayor of Los Angeles John C. Porter planned to attend .

References

Bibliography

* Katz, Stan S. ''The Emperor and the Spy,'' is an historical novel that honors the accomplishments of Prince Tokugawa Iesato as he strove to maintain good relations between Japan and America during the first 40 years of the 20th century. (2015 and 2017 Revised Edition) *Banno, Junji. ''The Establishment of the Japanese Constitutional System''. Routledge (1992). * Fraser, Andrew. ''Japan's Early Parliaments, 1890–1905''. Routledge (1995). * Lebra, Sugiyama Takie. ''Above the Clouds: Status Culture of the Modern Japanese Nobility''. University of California Press (1995). * Sims, Richard. ''Japanese Political History Since the Meiji Renovation 1868–2000''. Palgrave Macmillan.

External links

Message of condolences by the British government following the death of Tokugawa, June 11, 1940, ''House of Lords Debates'', vol. 116 cc508-9
* * *Introduction to illustrated biography about Prince Tokugawa Iesato: * *Video presentation on U.S. Japan relations that highlights Prince Iesato Tokugawa: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute - University of California San Diego:
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Tokugawa, Iesato 1863 births 1940 deaths Kazoku Daimyo People from Tokyo People of Meiji-period Japan Tokugawa clan Members of the House of Peers (Japan) People educated at Eton College Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers International Olympic Committee members Recipients of the Order of the Plum Blossom