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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Takeda Nobuyoshi
Takeda Nobuyoshi (1128–1186 or later) was a prominent Japanese samurai lord of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods and the founder of the Takeda clan.
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Tokugawa Iemochi
Tokugawa Iemochi (1846–1866) was the fourteenth shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate and ruled from 1858 until his death. His reign came during the turbulent final years of the shogunate, when Japan faced growing Western pressure and serious internal political conflict.
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Tokugawa Ienari
Tokugawa Ienari (1773–1841) was the eleventh shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate and ruled from 1787 to 1837, making him the longest-serving Tokugawa shōgun. He was a great-grandson of the eighth shōgun, Tokugawa Yoshimune.
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Matsudaira Nobuyasu
Matsudaira Nobuyasu was only twenty years old when his father ordered him to commit seppuku. The reason was not a defeat in battle, but a crisis inside the Tokugawa family that had become too dangerous to ignore.
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Yamagata Masakage
Masakage was one of Takeda Shingen’s most loyal and capable commanders. He was included in the famous list of the “Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen” and also belonged to the inner circle of four especially trusted warlords known as the Shitennō.
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Yagyu Munenori
Yagyū Munenori began his service under Tokugawa Ieyasu while his father, Yagyū Muneyoshi, was still at his side. In 1600, Munenori took part in the decisive Battle of Sekigahara. As early as 1601, he was appointed a kenjutsu instructor to Tokugawa Hidetada, Ieyasu’s son, who later became the second shogun of the Tokugawa clan.
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Yagyu Muneyoshi
A samurai from Yamato Province, he was born into a family that had been defeated in its struggle against the Tsutsui clan. Muneyoshi first took part in battle at the age of sixteen. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he was forced to enter the service of the Tsutsui house and later served Miyoshi Tōkei. He subsequently came under the command of Matsunaga Hisahide and in time became a vassal first of Oda and later of Toyotomi.
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Endo Naozune
Naozune served under Azai Nagamasa and was one of the clan’s leading vassals, renowned for his bravery and determination. He accompanied Nagamasa during his first meeting with Oda Nobunaga and at that time asked for permission to kill Nobunaga, fearing him as an extremely dangerous man; however, Nagamasa did not grant this request.
