Tokugawa Iemitsu

Tokugawa Iemitsu was the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled Japan from 1623 to 1651. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. He was the first shogun to be born after his grandfather became the supreme ruler of Japan. He had a childhood name of Takechiyo, and an obsolete spelling of his given name is Iyemitsu. He had two sisters, Senhime and Masako, and a brother, Tadanaga, who would become his rival for the succession. He was favored by his grandfather, who made it clear that he would be the next shogun after his father. He was also influenced by his wet nurse, Lady Kasuga, who acted as his political adviser and was at the forefront of shogunate negotiations with the Imperial court. Iemitsu became shogun in 1623, when his father retired in his favor, though Hidetada retained authority until his death in 1632. He inherited a stable and prosperous regime that had consolidated its power over the daimyo, or feudal lords, who had once threatened the Tokugawa rule. He further strengthened the shogunate by eliminating the few remaining prerogatives of the emperor, whose role was merely symbolic. He also established strict administrative criteria by which the government was to be run and promulgated rules for the education and behavior of the hereditary warriors attached to the Tokugawa house. He even stripped his own brother of his fief and forced him to commit suicide for inappropriate treatment of his vassals. Iemitsu also carried to completion the anti-Christian policies of his father, who had banned Christianity in 1614 and persecuted its adherents. He expelled or executed the remaining Christian missionaries in Japan and forced the entire population to register as parishioners of Buddhist temples. In 1638, he ruthlessly suppressed the Shimabara Rebellion, which was led by Christian peasants and ronin, or masterless samurai, in Kyushu. The following year, he expelled the Portuguese, who had been the main source of trade and Christian influence, to prevent the spread of seditious ideas. He thus closed his country to all commerce with the outside world except for a limited, strictly regulated trade with Korea and with Dutch and Chinese merchants at the port of Nagasaki. This policy of seclusion, or sakoku, remained unaltered for more than 200 years. Iemitsu also instituted the sankin-kotai system, which required the daimyo to spend every other year in Edo, the shogunal capital, and to leave their families there as hostages. This system ensured the loyalty of the daimyo, who had to bear the enormous cost of maintaining two residences and traveling back and forth. It also stimulated the economy and culture of Edo, which became one of the largest and most vibrant cities in the world. Iemitsu was known for his lavish and extravagant lifestyle, which contrasted with the austerity of his grandfather. He enjoyed hunting, falconry, theater, and poetry. He was also fond of handsome young men, and had several male lovers. He was married to Takatsukasa Takako, a daughter of a noble family, and had several concubines. He fathered many children, some of whom became prominent figures in the Tokugawa shogunate. His eldest son and successor, Ietsuna, was a weak and sickly ruler, who was dominated by his advisers. His third son, Tsunashige, became the lord of Kofu and the founder of the Hitotsubashi branch of the Tokugawa family. His fourth son, Tsunayoshi, became the fifth shogun and was known for his obsession with Confucianism and animal welfare. Iemitsu died of a stroke in 1651, at the age of 46. He was accorded a posthumous name of Taiyuin, also known as Daiyuin, and buried in Taiyu-in Temple, Nikko, where his grandfather was also enshrined. He was revered as one of the greatest shoguns of the Tokugawa dynasty, who secured its power and prestige for generations to come.