Tokugawa Nariaki

Tokugawa Nariaki
Tokugawa Nariaki
	Tokugawa Nariaki
9th Lord of Mito
	In office; 1829–1844
Preceded by	Tokugawa Narinobu
Succeeded by	Tokugawa Yoshiatsu
Personal details
Born	April 4, 1800
Died	September 29, 1860 (aged 60)
Nationality	Japanese

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

Calligraphy of (L-to-R) "flower", "moon", and "snow" by Tokugawa Nariaki

Clan leader

Nariaki was the 3rd son of Tokugawa Harutoshi, the seventh-generation daimyō of Mito. The family headship first passed to Harutoshi's eldest son Narinobu, before being passed on to Nariaki in 1829.[1] Nariaki was also leader of the Jōi (expel the barbarian) party and made a Bakufu adviser on national defence.[2] His childhood name was Torasaburo (虎三郎) later changed to Keisaburo (敬三郎).

Bakufu official

Nariaki was put in charge of Bakufu efforts to defend the country against encroaching foreigners. His own view was that the bakufu should strengthen its military and fight the foreigners, and was at odds with Ii Naosuke on the issue. He was pro-emperor and favored imperial restoration. Nariaki also greatly expanded the Mitogaku school established by Tokugawa Mitsukuni. He wrote a document entitled "Japan, Reject the Westerners" in 1853. in this document, he stated ten reasons why Japan should stay isolated from the rest of the world. He said that the Japanese people had a choice between war and peace, but clearly to him, the Japanese people should choose war so that Westerners would not intrude into Japan's affairs.

Despite his resistance to Westernization, Nariaki was significantly influenced by the Kokugaku school.[3] Ōkuni Takamasa, a student of Hirata Atsutane attempted to persuade him to combine ritual with technology in order to protect Japan's borders and expand Japan as an empire. This depended on reinvigorating the Japanese "national spirit".[3] Ōkuni and Nariaki therefore laid some foundations for the Meiji restoration as well as the development of State Shinto.[3]

Nariaki and Naosuke fought over who would succeed the Shōgun Iesada, with Nariaki championing his son Yoshinobu. Naosuke, who eventually prevailed, favored the Wakayama Domain daimyo Tokugawa Yoshitomi.

Legacy

In 1841, Nariaki built Kairaku-en, a garden whose fame lasts to this day.

Nariaki retired in 1844 in favor of his son Yoshiatsu, and died of a heart attack in 1860, at age 60.

Three of the leading figures of the 1860s were in fact natural brothers, all being sons of Nariaki: Hitoshubashi Yoshinobu, who became the 15th and last shōgun as Tokugawa Yoshinobu in 1866; Tokugawa Yoshiatsu of Mito; and Ikeda Yoshinori of Inaba (Tottori).[4]

Family

Father: Tokugawa Harutoshi
Mother: Toyama-dono
Wife: Arisugawa Yoshiko (1804–1893)
Concubines:
- Harigawa-dono
- Onao no Kata
- Sadako
- Yanagihara-dono
- Toshiko
- Mutsuko
- Tokuko
- Michiko
- Etsuko
Children:
- Tokugawa Yoshiatsu (1832–1868) by Yoshiko
- Tokugawa Yoshinobu by Yoshiko
- Jiromaro (1833–1834) by Yoshiko
- Mihime (1835–1835) by Yoshiko
- Masahime (1822–1839) by Harigawa
- Iromotohime (1825–1826) by Harigawa
- Iwaihime (1827–1853) married Yamanobe Yoshimasa by Harigawa
- Hirohime (1834–1835) by Onao
- Shiromaro (1835–1836) by Onao
- Yohime (1837–1843) by Onao
- Matsudaira Naoyoshi (1839–1862) of Kawagoe Domain by Onao
- Ichiyohime (1840–1843) by Onao
- Matsudaira Takeakira (1842–1882) of Hamada Domain by Onao
- Yosanmaro (1844–1844) by Onao
- Saburomaro (1835–1837) Sadako
- Matsuhime (1836–1903) married Nanbu Toshihisa by Sadako
- Ikeda Yoshinari (1837-1877) of Tottori Domain by Sadako
- Ikeda Mochimasa (1839-1899) of Okayama Domain by Sadako
- Takako (1841-1869) married Date Yoshikuni by Sadako
- Yonimaro (1844-1844) by Sadako
- Rokuromaro (1837-1838) by Yanagihara
- Seihime (1843-1844) by Toshiko
- Kitsuregawa Tsunauji (1844-1874) of Kitsuregawa Domain by Toshiko
- Matsudaira Akikuni (1849-1864) by Toshiko
- Tokugawa Sadako (1850-1872) married Prince Arisugawa Taruhito by Toshiko
- Tsuchiya Shigenao (1854-1904) of Tsuchiura Domain by Toshiko
- Tokugawa Akitake by Toshiko
- Tatsumoro (1856-1858) by Toshiko
- Matsudaira Yoriyuki (1858-1873) of Moriyama Domain by Toshiko
- Yogomaro (1849-1849) by Tokuko
- Matsudaira Tadakazu by Tokuko
- Aihime (1852-1914) married Inoue Masayori by Tokuko
- Hisahime (1853-1853) by Michiko
- Matsudaira Nobunori by Etsuko
- Yasuhime (1857-1859) by Etsuko
- Masahime (1858-1873) by Etsuko

Works

Writing by Tokugawa Nariaki

Published posthumously:

Kōdōkan ki 弘道館記 (1937). Ed. by Meiji Seitoku Kinen Gakkai 明治聖德記念學會. Tokyo: Meiji Seitoku Kinen Gakkai 明治聖德記念學會.
Meikun ippanshō 明君一斑抄 (1910–1911). Ed. by Kurokawa Mamichi 黒川真道. Tokyo: Dōbunkan 同文館.

Honours

Senior First Rank (June 27, 1903; posthumous)

Notes

徳川斉昭
McOmie, William The Opening of Japan, 1853–1855 (Folkstone, Global Oriental, 2006), p. 138
Josephson, Jason Ā. (2012). The Invention of Religion in Japan. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 125, 128.
Beasley, William. (1955). Select Documents on Japanese Foreign Policy, 1853–1868. p. 11 n3.

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References

Beasley, William G. (1955). Select Documents on Japanese Foreign Policy, 1853–1868. London: Oxford University Press. [reprinted by RoutledgeCurzon, London, 2001. ISBN 978-0-19-713508-2 (cloth)]

This article incorporates text from OpenHistory.

External links

Statue of Nariaki

Royal titles
Preceded by Tokugawa Narinobu	Daimyō of Mito 1829–1844	Succeeded by Tokugawa Yoshiatsu

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[1] 徳川斉昭

[2] McOmie, William The Opening of Japan, 1853–1855 (Folkstone, Global Oriental, 2006), p. 138

[Josephson-3] Josephson, Jason Ā. (2012). The Invention of Religion in Japan. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 125, 128.

[4] Beasley, William. (1955). Select Documents on Japanese Foreign Policy, 1853–1868. p. 11 n3.