Ii Naosuke
In 1858 after Hotta Masayoshi's disastrous attempt to obtain the emperor's approval for the Harris treaty the Tokugawa "shōgun" Tokugawa Iesada chose Ii Naosuke to be the "Tairō" (Great Elder); a decision influenced by the Kii Party. The position of Tairō, a post traditionally held by members of the Ii family, was rarely filled; in fact there had only been three Tairō between 1700 and Ii Naosuke's rise to power 158 years later. Ii's promotion to the post of Tairō annoyed many of the "shinpan daimyōs" ("daimyōs" related to the "shōgun", they were unable to be members of the bakufu, but in the event of the "shōgun" dying heirless the next "shōgun" would be chosen from one of the "shinpan" families) including Tokugawa Nariaki. As the Tairō Ii Naosuke had both prestige and power second only to the "shōgun"; Ii also enjoyed the full backing of the "fudai daimyōs". An intelligent and capable politician Ii Naosuke was determined to restore the power of the bakufu in Japanese policy making, both in a domestic and a foreign role.