Tokugawa Ieshige was the eldest son of Tokugawa Yoshimune and Osuma no Kata, the daughter of the Daimyo of Odawara, Okubo Tadanao. Unfortunately, his mother passed away when Ieshige was only two years old. Initially raised by his father's concubine, Okon no Kata, he later moved to the care of another concubine, Okume no Kata, after she gave birth to Ieshige's stepbrother, Tokugawa Munetake.
The appointment of Ieshige as heir to the 8th Shogun Yoshimune stirred controversy due to his chronic health issues, including a severe speech defect caused by malformed teeth and other ailments. Some scholars have speculated that he may have also faced cognitive challenges, as he seemed incapable of making decisions, relying heavily on his capable minister, Ooka Tadamitsu, for governance. Despite suggestions of more suitable candidates among his younger, healthier brothers, Yoshimune adhered to Confucian principles and insisted on Ieshige inheriting the position, which occurred in 1745. Even after his retirement, Yoshimune continued to exert influence in his son's name until his own passing in 1751.
In 1760, Ieshige relinquished the title of Shogun in favor of his son, Ieharu, a year before his death at the age of 49, likely due to a urinary tract infection. Throughout his 15-year rule as Shogun, his failure to tackle corruption within the Tokugawa administration, coupled with famine and natural calamities, eroded the strength of the Bakufu.
In 1958, Ieshige's tomb at Zojo-Ji temple in Tokyo was unearthed as part of the relocation of numerous Tokugawa family graves to make room for the construction of Tokyo Tower. Forensic analysis confirmed historical accounts of his deformed teeth, suggesting he may have suffered from a form of cerebral palsy. He was estimated to be 156.3cm tall and had type A blood.
See also
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Takigawa Kazumasu
Takigawa Kazumasu (1525 – October 21, 1586), also known as Takikawa Sakon or Sakonshogen, was a prominent samurai and daimyō of the Sengoku period. He served as a loyal retainer and military commander under Oda Nobunaga and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His biological son, Toshimasu, was adopted by Maeda Toshihisa, the elder brother of Maeda Toshiie, and Kazumasu served alongside Toshiie in Nobunaga’s campaigns.
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Sanada Yukitaka
Sanada Yukitaka (c. 1512 – June 8, 1574) was a renowned samurai warrior of the Sengoku period, best known as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen." He was the father of Sanada Nobutsuna and Sanada Masayuki, as well as the grandfather of the legendary Sanada Yukimura, who later served the Toyotomi clan.
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Torii Mototada
Torii Mototada (1539 – September 8, 1600) was a Japanese samurai and daimyo who lived through the Sengoku and late Azuchi–Momoyama periods. A loyal retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu, he is best remembered for his heroic last stand at the Siege of Fushimi, an event that played a crucial role in shaping Japanese history.
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Toyotomi Hideyori
Toyotomi Hideyori (August 28, 1593 – June 4, 1615) was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first unified Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was Oda Nobunaga's niece.
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Okubo Tadanori
Okubo Tadanori (January 13, 1842 – August 10, 1897) was the 9th daimyo of Odawara Domain in Sagami Province (modern-day Kanagawa Prefecture) during the late Edo period. Before the Meiji Restoration, he held the courtesy title of Kaga no Kami.
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Okubo Tadayo
Okubo Tadayo (1532 – October 28, 1594) was a samurai general who served Tokugawa Ieyasu during the Azuchi–Momoyama period and later became the daimyo of Odawara Domain in the early Edo period.
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Araki Murashige
Araki Murashige (1535 – June 20, 1586) was a samurai and retainer of Ikeda Katsumasa, the head of the powerful Settsu-Ikeda clan in Settsu Province. Initially serving under Katsumasa, he aligned himself with Oda Nobunaga after Nobunaga’s successful campaign to establish control over Kyoto.
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Yuki Hideyasu
Yuki Hideyasu (March 1, 1574 – June 2, 1607) was a Japanese samurai who lived during the Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods, serving as the daimyō of Fukui Domain in Echizen Province. Born Tokugawa Ogimaru, he was the second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Lady Oman (also known as Lady Kogō), a handmaiden to Ieyasu’s wife, Lady Tsukiyama. Due to Ieyasu’s fears of his wife’s reaction to Oman’s pregnancy, Ogimaru and his twin brother were born in secrecy at the home of Honda Shigetsugu, one of Ieyasu’s retainers. Oman’s other son eventually became a priest, while Ogimaru was raised apart from Ieyasu, whom he only met at the age of three, in a meeting arranged by his older half-brother, Matsudaira Nobuyasu.
