Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the fifth Shogun of the Edo period, famously known as the Dog Shogun, was raised as a scholar rather than a warrior due to concerns that his lively nature might pose a threat to his elder brothers' positions. Despite his brother Ietsuna assuming the role of Shogun, his premature death at 39 sparked a power struggle that eventually led to Tsunayoshi being appointed as Shogun. Unlike his predecessors, Tsunayoshi relied heavily on the counsel of his mother rather than military advisors or regents.
Tsunayoshi's reign was marked by strict and unpopular laws influenced by his strong religious and Confucian beliefs. He implemented regulations such as the prohibition of red-light districts, the ban on the use of luxurious fabrics in daily life, and the restriction of women from working in tea houses. Displaying authoritarian control, he frequently seized lands and titles from the nobility and held lengthy sessions at Edo Castle where he lectured daimyo on neo-Confucianism and other religious doctrines.
Numerous natural disasters, including devastating typhoons and the eruption of Mount Fuji, occurred during Tsunayoshi's rule, alongside significant events like the Chushingura, or the 47 Ronin Incident. Additionally, being born in the Year of the Dog, Tsunayoshi issued decrees to protect dogs, making it a punishable offense to mistreat them, which earned him the moniker "Dog Shogun." His efforts resulted in a surge of stray dogs in Edo, leading to unpleasant odors permeating the city.
Tsunayoshi's patronage extended to the arts, particularly Noh theater. In 1692, he arranged for a Dutch embassy to observe foreign behavior, rewarding them with a Noh performance. His sudden death on February 19, 1709, just before his 63rd birthday, was attributed to measles, although some speculate that he was assassinated by his wife, possibly due to his controversial plans regarding his heir. He was succeeded by his nephew, Tokugawa Ienobu.
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.
