Tokugawa Yoshinobu

Information about Tokugawa Yoshinobu

This is a Japanese name; the family name is Tokugawa.

Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Tokugawa Yoshinobu Tokugawa Yoshinobu in French military uniform, c.1867
Preceded by
Succeeded by

Nationality	Japanese

Tokugawa Yoshinobu (徳川慶喜 Tokugawa Yoshinobu (also known as Keiki), October 28, 1837–November 22, 1913) was the 15th and last shogun of the Edo Shogunate or Tokugawa shogunate of Japan.

Early life

Tokugawa Yoshinobu was born in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan, the seventh son of Tokugawa Nariaki, Daimyo of Mito, inferior of the Three Houses or Families that were eligible to hold the Tokugawa shogunate.

Born with the name Tokugawa Shichiroma (later assuming the name Yoshinobu, also read "Keiki"), he was brought up under strict supervision and tutelage by mostly male educators of his father. Taught in the arts, swordfighting, martial arts, politics and government, Keiki would be discovered as an evidently promising future leader, being highly intelligent with keen leadership skills.

At the instigation of his father, he was adopted by the Hitotsubashi family in order to have a better chance of succeeding to the shogunate. Upon the death of the 13th shogun, Shogun Iesada, in 1858, Tokugawa Keiki, daimyo of Hitotsubashi, was nominated as Shogun. Supporters demonstrated his skill in efficiently managing Hitotsubashi government at young age. But enemies led by Ii Naosuke gained support and put up Tokugawa Iemochi as 14th Shogun. Tokugawa Keiki, his supporters and his family were placed under severe house arrest.

The reign of Tokugawa Iemochi was marked by incompetence and mismanagement. Upon the assassination of Ii Naosuke in 1860, to save the Tokugawa shogunate from self-destruction, Tokugawa Keiki was nominated in 1862 to be a member of the 5-man council of elders (advisers), the Rōjū. Keiki then took numerous steps to quell the rising rebellion, and gathered allies to counter the rebellious Chōshū Domain and treaties with foreign states. In 1864, Keiki successfully defeated the Chōshū forces in their attempt to capture the imperial gates in Hamaguri, allying with the forces of the Aizu-Satsuma coalition.

Shogun Yoshinobu (1866)

In 1866, Shogun Iemochi fell ill and died, leaving the Tokugawa bakufu (shogunate) very weak and losing control, with no successor competent enough to save the government. Tokugawa Keiki was strongly supported by all Tokugawas and its allies as the only person with enough skill and experience to save Government. Tokugawa Keiki became the 15th Tokugawa Shogun in 1866, taking the name Tokugawa Yoshinobu.

The French military mission to Japan, invited by Tokugawa Yoshinobu for the modernization of his forces, in 1867.

Immediately upon Yoshinobu's ascension as shogun, major changes were initiated. A massive government overhaul was undertaken to initiate reforms that would strengthen the Tokugawa government. In particular, assistance from the Second French Empire was organized, with the construction of the Yokosuka arsenal under Leonce Verny, and the dispatch of a French military mission to modernize the armies of the Bakufu.

A national army and navy were formed and the outlook was that the Tokugawa shogunate was gaining ground towards renewed strength and power.

Boshin war (1867–1869)

Fearing the renewed strengthening of the Tokugawas under a strong and wise ruler, daimyo from Satsuma, Chōshū and Tosa formed an alliance to counter the bakufu. Under the banner of sonnō jōi and the radicals' fear of the new Shogun as the "Rebirth of Ieyasu" who will usurp the power of the Emperor, they waged the Boshin war against the Tokugawa bakufu, successfully gaining strong support from other daimyos. After a number of massive losses on the side of the Tokugawa, still reeling from its past weakness, Yoshinobu agreed that the Tokugawa could not win the civil war, and that Japan needed to be united with more potent and powerful foreigners.

In 1867, Yoshinobu stepped down as shogun, returning all power to the Emperor. Arguably, it could be said that many of the former shogun's powers, duties and responsibilities were taken over by men who were known as the "Three great nobles" of the early Meiji era: Okubo Toshimichi, Saigō Takamori and Kido Takayoshi.

Yoshinobu was placed under house arrest, and stripped of all titles, land and power. His adopted successor was the young Tokugawa Iesato, then known as Tayasu Kamenosuke. He was later on released, when he demonstrated no further interest and ambition in national affairs. He retired to Shizuoka, the place to which Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of Tokugawa shogunate, also retired. Many of the hatamoto also relocated there; a large proportion of them did not find adequate means to support themselves. As a result, many of them resented Yoshinobu, some of them to the point of wanting him dead.^[1] Yoshinobu was aware of this, and was so afraid of assassination that he redesigned his sleeping arrangement to confuse a potential assassin.^[2]

Living a life in quiet retirement, Yoshinobu indulged in many hobbies, including oil-painting, archery, hunting, photography, and even cycling. Some of Yoshinobu's photographs have been published in recent years by his great-grandson, Yoshitomo.

In 1902, the Meiji Emperor allowed him to reestablish his own house as a Tokugawa branch (bekke) with the highest rank in the peerage, that of prince (kōshaku), for his loyal service to Japan. Prince Tokugawa Yoshinobu [peer] died on November 21, 1913 at 4:10 pm.

Eras of Yoshinobu's bakufu

''Keiō (1865-1868)
''Meiji (1868-1912)

References

Notes

1. ^ Tokugawa Munefusa, Tokugawa yonbyakunen no naisho banashi, vol. 1, p. 131
2. ^ Tokugawa, pp. 131-133

Preceded by Tokugawa Iemochi	Edo Shogun: Tokugawa Yoshinobu 1867-1868	Succeeded by Meiji Restoration
Preceded by Tokugawa Shōmaru	Hitotsubashi-Tokugawa family head 1847-1866	Succeeded by Tokugawa Mochiharu
Preceded by Tokugawa Iemochi	Tokugawa family head 1867-1868	Succeeded by Tokugawa Iesato
Preceded by none	Tokugawa Yoshinobu-ke Head 1902-1913	Succeeded by Tokugawa Yoshihisa

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Mito (水戸市; -shi) is the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan and has a central location, moderately offset towards the coast in that prefecture. As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 263,748 and a total area is 217.
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Tokugawa Yoshinobu

Information about Tokugawa Yoshinobu

Early life

Shogun Yoshinobu (1866)

Boshin war (1867–1869)

Eras of Yoshinobu's bakufu

References

Notes

Further reading

See also

Events

Events

Medicine

Other