Tokugawa Iemitsu
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Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川 家光, August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651) was the third ''
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 Kamak ...
'' of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of
Tokugawa Hidetada was the second ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate. Early life (1579–1593) Tokugawa Hidetada was bo ...
with
Oeyo , , or : 1573 – September 15, 1626) was a prominently-placed female figure in the Azuchi–Momoyama period and early Edo period. She was daughter of Oichi and the sister of Yodo-dono and Ohatsu. When she rose to higher political status during ...
, and the grandson of
Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fello ...
.
Lady Kasuga was a Japanese noble lady and politician from a prominent Japanese samurai family of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. Born Saitō Fuku (斉藤福), she was a daughter of Saitō Toshimitsu (who was a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide). She was ...
was his
wet nurse A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds and cares for another's child. Wet nurses are employed if the mother dies, or if she is unable or chooses not to nurse the child herself. Wet-nursed children may be known as "milk-siblings", and in some cu ...
, who acted as his political adviser and was at the forefront of shogunate negotiations with the Imperial court. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651; during this period he crucified Christians, expelled all Europeans from Japan and closed the borders of the country, a foreign politics policy that continued for over 200 years after its institution. It is debatable whether Iemitsu can be considered a kinslayer for making his younger brother Tadanaga commit suicide by seppuku.


Early life (1604–1617)

Tokugawa Iemitsu was born on 12 August 1604. He was the eldest son of
Tokugawa Hidetada was the second ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate. Early life (1579–1593) Tokugawa Hidetada was bo ...
and grandson of the last great unifier of Japan, the first Tokugawa ''shōgun''
Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fello ...
.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Tokugawa, Iemitsu''" in ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, ''see'
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File
. He was the first member of the Tokugawa family born after Tokugawa Ieyasu became ''shōgun''. (There was some rumour said that he was not Hidetada's son but Ieyasu's son with Kasuga no Tsubone). Not much is known of Iemitsu's early life; his childhood name was Takechiyo (竹千代). He had two sisters,
Senhime (May 26, 1597 – March 11,February 6 in the old calendar 1666), or Lady Sen, was the eldest daughter of the '' shōgun'' Tokugawa Hidetada and later the wife of Toyotomi Hideyori. She was remarried to Honda Tadatoki after the death of her fir ...
and Masako, and a brother, who would become a rival, Tadanaga. Tadanaga was his parents' favorite. However, Ieyasu made it clear that Iemitsu would be next in line as ''shōgun'' after Hidetada. An obsolete spelling of his given name is ''Iyemitsu''.


Family

Parents * Father:
Tokugawa Hidetada was the second ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate. Early life (1579–1593) Tokugawa Hidetada was bo ...
(徳川 秀忠, May 2, 1581 – March 14, 1632 * Mother: Lady Oeyo (於江与; 1573 – September 15, 1626) ** Sibling from Mother: Toyotomi Sadako (1592–1658), adopted by
Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...
and
Yodo-dono or (1569 – June 4, 1615) was a prominently placed figure in the late- Sengoku period. She was the daughter of Oichi and sister of Ohatsu and Oeyo. She was a concubine and second wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was then the most powerful ...
later married
Kujō Yukiie , son of regent Kanetaka, was a ''kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the Edo period (1603–1868). His given name was initially. He held a regent position kampaku from 1608 to 1612 and from 1619 to 1623. He married Toyotomi Sadako (1592–1658), ...
, daughter of Toyotomi Hidekatsu *Wet nurse:
Lady Kasuga was a Japanese noble lady and politician from a prominent Japanese samurai family of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. Born Saitō Fuku (斉藤福), she was a daughter of Saitō Toshimitsu (who was a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide). She was ...
(春日局, Kasuga no Tsubone, 1579 – October 26, 1643) Consorts and issue: * Wife: Takatsukasa Takako (1622–1683) later Honriin, Takatsukasa Nobufusa's daughter * Concubine: Ofuri no Kata (d. 1640) later Jishōin (自証院) ** Chiyohime (千代姫, 29 April 1637 – 10 January 1699), first daughter * Concubine: Oraku no Kata (1621–1653) later Hōjuin (宝樹院), Aoki Toshinaga's daughter (青木利長娘) **
Tokugawa Ietsuna was the fourth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan who was in office from 1651 to 1680. He is considered the eldest son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, which makes him the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. E ...
(徳川 家綱, 7 September 1641 – 4 June 1680), first son * Concubine: Omasa no Kata (おまさの方) **Tokugawa Kamematsu (17 April 1643– 2 September 1647), second son * Concubine: Onatsu no Kata (順性院; 1622-1683) later Junshōin (順性院), Fujieda Shigeya's daughter (藤枝重家娘) ** Tokugawa Tsunashige (徳川 綱重, 28 June 1644 - 29 October 1678), third son * Concubine: Otama no Kata (1627–1705) later Keishoin (桂昌院), Honjo Sonsei's daughter (本庄宗正) **
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi was the fifth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the younger brother of Tokugawa Ietsuna, as well as the son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.Nussbaum, Louis-Fr ...
(徳川 綱吉, February 23, 1646 – February 19, 1709), fourth son * Concubine: Orisa no Kata (;d. 1674) later Jokoin (定光院) **Tokugawa Tsurumatsu (1 February 1647 – 22 August 1648), fifth son * Concubine: Oman no Kata (1624–1711) later Eikoin (永光院) * Concubine: Okoto no Kata (1614-1691) later Hoshin'in (芳心院) Adopted Daughters: ** Kametsuruhime (1613–1630), daughter of Tamahime with
Maeda Toshitsune was an early-Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 2nd ''daimyō'' of Kaga Domain in the Hokuriku region of Japan, and the 3rd hereditary chieftain of the Maeda clan. Toshitsune was a brother of Maeda Toshinaga and a son of Maeda Toshiie. He was ...
and married Mōri Tadahiro, son of Mōri Tadamasa of
Tsuyama Domain was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. It was associated with Mimasaka Province in modern-day Okayama Prefecture.Matsudaira Tadanao was a Sengoku to early Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 2nd ''daimyō'' of Fukui Domain in Echizen Province. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Matsudaira Tadanao"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 617] Biography Tadanao was born in Settsu P ...
and married
Kujō Michifusa , son of regent Yukiie, was a ''kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the Edo period (1603–1868). He held a regent position sesshō in 1647. He married a daughter of second head of Echizen Domain Matsudaira Tadanao. One of the couple's daughter ...
had 3 daughters: the first married Kujō Kaneharu the second and the third married
Asano Tsunaakira was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled the Hiroshima Domain. Two of his consorts were daughters of the court noble and regent Kujō Michifusa. His childhood name was Iwamatsu (). Family * Father: Asano Mitsuakira * Mother: Ma ...
** Manhime (1620–1700), daughter of Tamahime with
Maeda Toshitsune was an early-Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 2nd ''daimyō'' of Kaga Domain in the Hokuriku region of Japan, and the 3rd hereditary chieftain of the Maeda clan. Toshitsune was a brother of Maeda Toshinaga and a son of Maeda Toshiie. He was ...
and married
Asano Mitsuakira Asano Mitsuakira (September 11, 1617 – May 27, 1693) was a Japanese samurai of the early Edo period who served as ''daimyō'' of the Hiroshima Domain from 1632 to 1672. His childhood name was Ichimatsu () and later become Iwamatsu (). Family * ...
had 3 sons:
Asano Tsunaakira was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled the Hiroshima Domain. Two of his consorts were daughters of the court noble and regent Kujō Michifusa. His childhood name was Iwamatsu (). Family * Father: Asano Mitsuakira * Mother: Ma ...
, Asano Naganao, Asano Nagateru ** Oohime, daughter of
Tokugawa Yorifusa , also known as Mito Yorifusa, was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. Biography Known in his childhood as Tsuruchiyomaru (鶴千代丸), he was the eleventh son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun with his concubine, Ka ...
And married Maeda Mitsutaka had 1 son:
Maeda Tsunanori was an Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 4th ''daimyō'' of Kaga Domain in the Hokuriku region of Japan. He was the 5th hereditary chieftain of the Kanazawa Maeda clan. His childhood name was "Inuchiyo" (犬千代). Biography Tsunanori wa ...
** Tsuhime (1636–1717) daughter of
Ikeda Mitsumasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003).html" ;"title="DF 18 of 80">"Ikeda" at ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 14 DF_18_of_...
_and_married_Ichijō_Norisuke_had_1_son:_Ichijō_Kaneteru.html" ;"title="Ichijō_Norisuke.html" ;"title="DF 18 of ...
and married Ichijō Norisuke">DF 18 of ...
and married Ichijō Norisuke had 1 son: Ichijō Kaneteru">Ichijō_Norisuke.html" ;"title="DF 18 of ...
and married Ichijō Norisuke">DF 18 of ...
and married Ichijō Norisuke had 1 son: Ichijō Kaneteru


Tokugawa heir (1617–1623)

Iemitsu came of age in 1617 and dropped his childhood name in favor of Tokugawa Iemitsu. He also was installed officially as the heir to the Tokugawa shogunate. The only person to contest this position was his younger brother
Tokugawa Tadanaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. The son of the second ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Hidetada, his elder brother was the third ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Iemitsu. Life Often called ''Suruga Dainagon'' (the major counsellor of Suruga), ...
. A fierce rivalry began to develop between the brothers. From an early age Iemitsu practiced the shūdō tradition. However, in 1620, he had a falling out with his homosexual lover, Sakabe Gozaemon, a childhood friend and retainer, aged twenty-one, and murdered him as they shared a bathtub. He married Takatsukasa Takako, daughter of Takatsukasa Nobufusa at 12 December 1623. His relationship with Takako was good but Takako had three miscarriages.


Shogunal regency (1623–1632)

In 1623, when Iemitsu was nineteen,
Hidetada was the second ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate. Early life (1579–1593) Tokugawa Hidetada was bo ...
abdicated the post of ''
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 Kamak ...
'' in his favor. Hidetada continued to rule as Ōgosho (retired ''shōgun''), but Iemitsu nevertheless assumed a role as formal head of the
bakufu , 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 Kamakura ...
bureaucracy. In 1626, ''shōgun'' Iemitsu and retired ''shōgun'' Hidetada visited
Emperor Go-Mizunoo was the 108th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Mizunoo's reign spanned the years from 1611 through 1629, and was the first emperor to reign entirely during the Edo period. This 17th-century sovereign was n ...
, Empress Masako (Hidetada's daughter and Iemitsu's sister), and Imperial Princess Meishō in
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, 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, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...
. ''Shōgun'' Iemitsu made lavish grants of gold and money to the court nobles and the court itself. Yet relations with Go-Mizunoo deteriorated after the , during which the Emperor was accused of having bestowed honorific purple garments to more than ten priests despite an edict which banned them for two years (probably in order to break the bond between the Emperor and religious circles). The shogunate intervened, making the bestowing of the garments invalid. When
Lady Kasuga was a Japanese noble lady and politician from a prominent Japanese samurai family of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. Born Saitō Fuku (斉藤福), she was a daughter of Saitō Toshimitsu (who was a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide). She was ...
and Masako broke a
taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
by visiting the imperial court as a commoner, Go-Mizunoo abdicated, embarrassed, and Meisho became empress. The ''shōgun'' was now the uncle of the sitting
monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power i ...
. In ''Kan'ei'' 9, on the 24th day of the 2nd month (1632), Ōgosho Hidetada died, and Iemitsu could assume real power. Worried that his brother
Tokugawa Tadanaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. The son of the second ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Hidetada, his elder brother was the third ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Iemitsu. Life Often called ''Suruga Dainagon'' (the major counsellor of Suruga), ...
might assassinate him, however, he ruled carefully until that brother's death by seppuku in 1633.


''Shōgun'' (1632–1651)

Hidetada left his advisors, all veteran ''
daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominal ...
s'', to act as regents for Iemitsu. In 1633, after his brother's death, Iemitsu dismissed these men. In place of his father's advisors, Iemitsu appointed his childhood friends. With their help Iemitsu created a strong, centralized administration. This made him unpopular with many ''daimyōs'', but Iemitsu simply removed his opponents. His ''
sankin-kōtai ''Sankin-kōtai'' ( ja, 参覲交代/参覲交替, now commonly written as ja, 参勤交代/参勤交替, lit=alternate attendance, label=none) was a policy of the Tokugawa shogunate during most of the Edo period of Japanese history.Jansen, M ...
'' system forced ''daimyōs'' to reside in Edo in alternating sequence, spending a certain amount of time in Edo, and a certain amount of time in their home provinces. It is often said that one of the key goals of this policy was to prevent the ''daimyōs'' from amassing too much wealth or power by separating them from their home provinces, and by forcing them to regularly devote a sizable sum to funding the immense travel expenses associated with the journey (along with a large entourage) to and from Edo. The system also involved the ''daimyōs'' wives and heirs remaining in Edo, disconnected from their lord and from their home province, serving essentially as hostages who might be harmed or killed if the ''daimyōs'' were to plot rebellion against the shogunate. In 1637, an armed revolt arose against Iemitsu's anti-Christian policies in Shimabara, but there were other reasons involved, such as overly-high taxation and cruel treatment of peasants by the local lord. The period domestic unrest is known as the Shimabara Rebellion. Thousands were killed in the shogunate's suppression of the revolt and countless more were executed afterwards. The fact that many of the rebels were Christians was used by the Bakufu as a convenient pretext for expelling the Portuguese and restricting the
Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
to Dejima in Nagasaki. Over the course of the 1630s, Iemitsu issued a series of edicts restricting Japan's dealings with the outside world. Japanese, who had since the 1590s traveled extensively in East and Southeast Asia (and, in rare instances, much farther afield), were now forbidden from leaving the country or returning, under pain of death. Europeans were expelled from the country, with the exception of those associated with the
Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
, who were restricted to the manmade island of
Dejima , in the 17th century also called Tsukishima ( 築島, "built island"), was an artificial island off Nagasaki, Japan that served as a trading post for the Portuguese (1570–1639) and subsequently the Dutch (1641–1854). For 220 years, i ...
, in
Nagasaki is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole Nanban trade, port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hi ...
harbor. Japan remained very much connected to international commerce, information, and cultural exchange, though only through four avenues. Nagasaki was the center of trade and other dealings with the Dutch East India Company, and with independent Chinese merchants. Satsuma Domain controlled relations with the
Ryūkyū Kingdom The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' was a kingdom in t ...
(and through Ryūkyū, had access to Chinese goods and information, as well as products from further afield through alternative trade routes that passed through Ryūkyū), while
Tsushima Domain Tsushima may refer to: Places * Tsushima Island, part of Nagasaki Prefecture ** Tsushima, Nagasaki, a city in Nagasaki Prefecture (coterminous with Tsushima Island) ** Tsushima Province, a historical province, coterminous with modern Tsushima Sub ...
handled diplomatic and trade relations with Joseon-dynasty
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, and
Matsumae Domain The was a Japanese clan that was confirmed in the possession of the area around Matsumae, Hokkaidō as a march fief in 1590 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and charged with defending it, and by extension the whole of Japan, from the Ainu "barbarians" ...
managed communications with the Ainu, the indigenous people of
Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The lar ...
,
Sakhalin Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, r=Sakhalín, p=səxɐˈlʲin; ja, 樺太 ''Karafuto''; zh, c=, p=Kùyèdǎo, s=库页岛, t=庫頁島; Manchu: ᠰᠠᡥᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠨ, ''Sahaliyan''; Orok: Бугата на̄, ''Bugata nā''; Nivkh ...
and the Kuril Islands, as well as limited communication with related peoples on the mainland close to Sakhalin. Japan in this period has often been described as "closed", or under '' sakoku'' (鎖国, "chained country"), but since the 1980s, if not earlier, scholars have argued for the use of terms such as "maritime restrictions" or ''kaikin'' (海禁, "maritime restrictions"), emphasizing the fact that Japan was not "closed" to the outside world, but was in fact very actively engaged with the outside world, albeit through a limited set of avenues.Arano, Yasunori. "The Entrenchment of the Concept of 'National Seclusion'". ''Acta Asiatica'' 67 (1994). pp. 83–103.
Arano, Yasunori. ''Sakoku wo minaosu'' 「鎖国」を見直す. Kawasaki: Kawasaki Shimin Academy, 2003.
Kato, Eiichi. "Research Trends in the Study of the History of Japanese Foreign Relations at the Start of the Early Modern Period: On the Reexamination of 'National Seclusion' – From the 1970's to 1990's." ''Acta Asiatica'' 67 (1994). pp. 1–29.
Tashiro, Kazui and Susan D. Videen. "Foreign Relations during the Edo Period: Sakoku Reexamined". ''Journal of Japanese Studies'' 8:2 (1982). pp. 283–306.
Toby, Ronald. "Reopening the Question of Sakoku: Diplomacy in the Legitimation of the Tokugawa Bakufu", ''Journal of Japanese Studies'' 3:2 (1977). pp. 323–363. In 1643 Empress Meisho abdicated the throne. She was succeeded by her younger half-brother (Go-Mizunoo's son by a consort) Emperor Go-Kōmyō, who disliked the shogunate for its violent and barbaric ways. He repeatedly made insulting comments about Iemitsu and his eldest son and heir,
Tokugawa Ietsuna was the fourth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan who was in office from 1651 to 1680. He is considered the eldest son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, which makes him the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. E ...
. In 1651 ''shōgun'' Iemitsu died at the age of 47, being the first Tokugawa ''shōgun'' whose reign ended with death and not abdication. He was accorded a posthumous name of Taiyūin, also known as Daiyūin (大猷院) and buried in Taiyu-in Temple, Nikko. He was succeeded by his eldest son and heir,
Tokugawa Ietsuna was the fourth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan who was in office from 1651 to 1680. He is considered the eldest son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, which makes him the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. E ...
.


Anti-Europeanization of Japan and the "Maritime Restrictions Edict of 1639"

During the 16th century, Japan was among the countries in
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
that appealed most to European traders and missionaries. A group of
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
arrived on the island of
Tanegashima is one of the Ōsumi Islands belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The island, 444.99 km2 in area, is the second largest of the Ōsumi Islands, and has a population of 33,000 people. Access to the island is by ferry, or by air to Ne ...
, becoming the first Europeans to enter Japan. This began the so-called ''
Nanban trade or the , was a period in the history of Japan from the arrival of Europeans in 1543 to the first '' Sakoku'' Seclusion Edicts of isolationism in 1614. Nanban (南蛮 Lit. "Southern barbarian") is a Japanese word which had been used to desig ...
'' (南蛮貿易 ''Nanban bōeki'') period. From 1545 onwards, Japan saw the arrival of numerous European ships, first from Portugal, and later from
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
, the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
and
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Starting in 1549, with the arrival of
Francis Xavier Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December ...
at
Kagoshima , abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern wor ...
, a large missionary campaign, led by the
Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
, began to shake Japan's social structures. Furthermore, on the island of Kyūshū, in order to preserve the European trade in their lands, some ''daimyōs'' agreed to be converted to
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
. By the beginning of the 17th century a half million Japanese people had converted to Christianity (out of population of 11 million). However, during this period of Europeanization, adverse feelings towards the foreigners started spreading across Japan. Following Spain's conquest of the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
between 1565 and 1597,
Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...
, the supreme military/political authority in Japan at the time, began to more strongly doubt the Europeans' good intentions, and questioned the loyalty of the Christian ''daimyōs''. Seeing the threat that Christianity potentially posed to political stability, and to the ''daimyōs'' loyalty to him over the Church, he issued Anti-Christian Edicts, expelling foreign missionaries, and ordering the crucifixion of a number of prominent Catholic proselytizers and converts. However, it was not until the reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu that anti-Christian policies were more fully expanded and more permanently put into effect. The century-long presence of Catholic traders and missionaries in Japan ended in the 1630s when Iemitsu ordered the expulsion of nearly every European from the country. European access to trade relations with Japan was restricted to one Dutch ship each year. Iemitsu's policies on this matter were reinforced after the execution of two
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
men who came to plead for the re-establishment of Japan's earlier foreign trade policy. By the end of the 1630s, Iemitsu had issued a series of edicts more extensively detailing a system of restrictions on the flow of people, goods, and information in and out of the country. The most famous of those edicts was the so-called Sakoku Edict of 1635. It contained the main restrictions introduced by Iemitsu. With it, he forbade every Japanese ship and person to travel to another country, or to return to Japanese shores. The punishment for violation was death. The edict offered lavish gifts and awards for anyone who could provide information about priests and their followers who secretly practiced and spread their religion across the country. Furthermore, every newly arrived ship was required to be thoroughly examined for Catholic priests and followers. The document pays extremely close attention to every detail regarding incoming foreign ships. For example, merchants coming from abroad had to submit a list of the goods they were bringing with them before being granted permission to trade. Additional provisions specified details of the timing and logistics of trade. For example, one clause declares that the "date of departure homeward for foreign ships shall not be later than the twentieth day of the ninth month". In addition to this, Iemitsu forbade alterations of the set price for raw silk and thus made sure that competition between trading cities was brought to a minimum. The measures Iemitsu enacted were so powerful that it was not until the 1850s that Japanese ports opened to a wider range of trading partners, Westerners were free to settle and travel within Japan, and Japanese were once more free to travel overseas. This period of "maritime restrictions", from the 1630s until the 1850s, is, as described above, very commonly referred to as ''sakoku'', or as "the Closed Country", but many scholars today argue against the notion that Japan was "closed". They argue that Japan's international relations policies during this period should be understood, rather, as simply being aimed at keeping international interactions under tight control; furthermore, they emphasize that Japan was not alone in seeking to control, and limit, international interactions, and that in fact nearly every major power at the time had policies in place dictating who could trade, at which ports, at which times, and in what manner.


Notable descendants

Chiyohime – daughter married
Tokugawa Mitsutomo was daimyō of Owari Domain during early Edo period Japan. Biography Tokugawa Mitsutomo was the eldest son of the first daimyō of Owari Domain, Tokugawa Yoshinao by a concubine. He undertook his ''genpuku'' ceremony under Shōgun Tokugawa Iemi ...
*
Tokugawa Tsunanari was ''daimyō'' of Owari Domain during early-Edo period Japan. Biography Tokugawa Tsunanari was the son of the second ''daimyō'' of Owari Domain, Tokugawa Mitsutomo by his official wife, Chiyohime later Reisen-in, the daughter of ''shōgun'' T ...
**
Tokugawa Muneharu was a ''daimyō'' in Japan during the Edo period. He was the seventh Tokugawa lord of the Owari Domain, and one of the ''gosanke''. Biography Muneharu was the 20th son
** Matsudaira Yoshitaka **
Tokugawa Tsugutomo was ''daimyō'' of Owari Domain during mid-Edo period Japan. Biography Tokugawa Tsugutomo was the 11th son of the 3rd ''daimyō'' of Owari Domain, Tokugawa Tsunanari by a concubine, who was a commoner, his childhood name was Hachisaburo (八三 ...
** Matsuhime, married
Maeda Yoshinori was an Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 5th ''daimyō'' of Kaga Domain in the Hokuriku region of Japan. He was the 6th hereditary chieftain of the Kanazawa Maeda clan. Yoshinori was the third son of Maeda Tsunanori. His mother was a comm ...
**
Tokugawa Muneharu was a ''daimyō'' in Japan during the Edo period. He was the seventh Tokugawa lord of the Owari Domain, and one of the ''gosanke''. Biography Muneharu was the 20th son
**
Tokugawa Yoshimichi was ''daimyō'' of Owari Domain during early-Edo period Japan. Biography Tokugawa Yoshimichi was the 10th son of the 3rd ''daimyō'' of Owari Domain, Tokugawa Tsunanari by a concubine, Hōju-in, who was believed to have been a commoner. His chi ...
***
Tokugawa Gorōta was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled the Owari Domain. Biography Tokugawa Gorōta was the eldest son of the 4th ''daimyō'' of the Owari Domain, Tokugawa Yoshimichi, by his official wife, Zuishō-in, the daughter of the cour ...
*** Shinjuin (1706–1757) married Kujō Yukinori **** Kujō Tanemoto **** Nijō Munemoto ***** Nijō Shigeyoshi (1751–1768) *****
Nijō Harutaka {{Infobox officeholder , name = Nijō Harutaka , image = , caption = , alt = , office = Minister of the Left , term_start = 30 May 1796 , term_end = ...
****** Nijō Suiko married Nabeshima Naotomo ******* Nabeshima Naotada ****** Nijō Narimichi ****** Saionji ******
Kujō Suketsugu {{family name hatnote, Kujō, lang=Japanese {{nihongo, Kujō Suketsugu, 九条 輔嗣, extra=October 28, 1784 – March 6, 1807, son of Nijō Harutaka with Tokugawa Yoshihime (daughter of Tokugawa Munemoto) and adopted son of Kujō Sukeie, was ...
****** Nijō Narinobu ******* Nijō Nariyuki ******* Nijō Masamaro ******** Nijō Tamemoto (1911–1985) ******** Nijō Toyomoto (1909–1944) ******
Kujō Hisatada , son of Nijō Harutaka, was a ''kuge'' or Japanese court noble of the Edo period (1603–1868). He was adopted by his brother Suketsugu as his son. He held a regent position kampaku from 1856 to 1862, and retired in 1863, becoming a buddhist m ...
*******
Empress Eishō was the empress consort of Emperor Kōmei of Japan. She is also known under the technically incorrect name . Early life As the daughter of Kujō Hisatada, who was a former '' kampaku,'' Kujō Asako could anticipate a life unfolding entirel ...
******** Imperial Princess Junko Naishinno ******** Imperial Princess Fuko ******* Kujō Michitaka *******
Takatsukasa Hiromichi , son of Kujō Hisatada and adopted son of Takatsukasa Sukehiro, was a kazoku Duke of the Meiji period who served in Imperial Japanese Army. Nobusuke and Nobuhiro were his sons. Family His son was Toshimichi Takatsukasa (d. 1966), who was ma ...
********
Nobusuke Takatsukasa Duke , son of Hiromichi, was a Japanese nobleman and politician of the Meiji period (1868–1912) who served as a member of House of Peers in the Diet of Japan. Takatsukasa Nobuhiro was his brother, and Toshimichi was his son. A keen ornitholo ...
*********
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 ...
******** Takatsukasa Nobuhiro (1892–1981) ******* Nijō Motohiro ******** Nijō Atsumoto ******* Tsurudono Tadayoshi ******* Matsuzono Hisayoshi
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi was the fifth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the younger brother of Tokugawa Ietsuna, as well as the son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.Nussbaum, Louis-Fr ...
* Tokugawa Tokumatsu (1679–1683) * Tokugawa Chomatsu (1683–1686) * Tsuruhime (1677–1704) Tokugawa Tsunashige * Matsudaira Kiyotake (1663–1724) ** Matsudaira Kiyokata (1697-1724) *
Tokugawa Ienobu (June 11, 1662 – November 12, 1712) was the sixth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Tsunashige, thus making him the nephew of Tokugawa Ietsuna and Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the grandson of Tokugawa Iemi ...
**
Tokugawa Ietsugu Tokugawa Ietsugu; 徳川 家継 (August 8, 1709 – June 19, 1716) was the seventh ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1713 until his death in 1716. He was the son of Tokugawa Ienobu, thus making him the grandson of Tokugawa Tsun ...
** Tokugawa Daigoro (1709–1710) ** Tokugawa Iechiyo (1707–1707) ** Tokugawa Torakichi (1711–1712) ** Toyo-hime (1681–1681) ** Tokugawa Mugetsuin (1699–1699)


Honours

*
Senior 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 ...
(July 4, 1651; posthumous)


Eras of Iemitsu's ''bakufu''

The years in which Iemitsu was ''shōgun'' are more specifically identified by more than one
era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin ''regnum'' meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year of ...
or ''
nengō The , also known as , is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being ""), followed by the literal ...
''.Titsingh, pp. 410–412. * ''
Genna was a coming after '' Keichō'' and before ''Kan'ei.'' This period spanned the years from July 1615 to February 1624. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 1615 : The era name was changed to mark the enthronement of Go-Mizunuoo and bec ...
'' (1615–1624) * ''
Kan'ei was a after ''Genna'' and before ''Shōhō.'' This period spanned the years from February 1624 through December 1644. The reigning emperors and empress were , and .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834) ''Annales des empereurs du japon'', p. 411./ref> Chang ...
'' (1624–1644) * ''
Shōhō was a after ''Kan'ei'' and before ''Keian''. This period spanned the years from December 1644 through February 1648. The reigning emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834) ''Annales des empereurs du japon'', p. 412./ref> Change of era * 1644 : The ...
'' (1644–1648) * ''
Keian : ''For the Zen Buddhist monk, see Keian Genju (1427–1508).'' was a after '' Shōhō'' and before '' Jōō.'' This period spanned the years from February 1648 through September 1652. The reigning emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834) ''Annales d ...
'' (1648–1652)


Ancestry


Notes


References

* Bodart-Bailey, Beatrice. (1999). ''Kaempfer's Japan: Tokugawa Culture Observed''. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ;
OCLC 246417677
* Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). ''Japan Encyclopedia''. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
OCLC 48943301
* Screech, Timon. (2006). ''Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779–1822''. London: RoutledgeCurzon.
OCLC 65177072
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). '' Nihon Ōdai Ichiran''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon''.
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland
OCLC 5850691
* Totman, Conrad. (1967). ''Politics in the Tokugawa Bakufu, 1600–1843''. Cambridge: Harvard University Press
OCLC 279623
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tokugawa, Iemitsu 1604 births 1651 deaths 17th-century shōguns Tokugawa shōguns Tokugawa clan People of Edo-period Japan 17th-century LGBT people