Tokugawa Yoshinobu

**Tokugawa Yoshinobu** (徳川 慶喜, also known as *Keiki*; October 28, 1837) is the 15th and current Shōgun of Japan, and the strongman behind Japan's government. He assumed the throne of the *bakufu* in 1866 upon the death of Tokugawa Iemochi.

## History

### Early life

Tokugawa Yoshinobu was born in Edo as the seventh son of Tokugawa Nariaki, *daimyō* of Mito under the name of Matsudaira Shichirōmaro (七郎麻呂). Shichirōmaro was brought up under strict, spartan supervision and tutelage. He was taught in the literary and martial arts, as well as receiving a solid education in the principles of politics and government at Kōdōkan. He was later adopted by the Hitotsubashi-Tokugawa family in order to have a better chance of succeeding to the shogunate and changed his first name to Akimune (昭致). He became family head in 1847, changing his name to Yoshinobu. He was nominated as a potential successor to the bakufu's throne, with many praising his skill and efficiency in managing family affairs. However, the cnservative faction, led by Ii Naosuke, won out. Their candidate, the young Tokugawa Yoshitomi, was chosen, and became the 14th *shōgun* Iemochi. Soon after, Yoshinobu and others who supported him were placed under house arrest, and Yoshinobu himself was made to retire from Hitotsubashi headship.

In 1860, Yoshinobu was reinstated as family head, and was nominated in 1862 to be the *shōgun*'s guardian, receiving the position soon afterwards. At the same time, his two closest allies, Matsudaira Yoshinaga and Matsudaira Katamori, were appointed to other high positions: Yoshinaga as chief of political affairs, Katamori as Guardian of Kyoto. The three men then took numerous steps to quell political unrest in the Kyoto area, and gathered allies to counter the activities of the rebellious Chōshū Domain. They were instrumental figures in the *kōbu gattai* political party, which sought a reconciliation between the shogunate and the imperial court. In 1864, Yoshinobu, as commander of the imperial palace's defense, defeated the Chōshū forces in an attempt to capture the Imperial Palace.

### Ascension and Boshin War

In 1865, anti-bakufu elements launched a new coup d'etat in Chōshū Domain which toppled the pro-shogunate administration. The shogunate ordered a second punitive expedition, but this time it was defeated by the modernized Chōshū Domain's troops. In late 1866, Tokugawa Iemochi died childless, and the 29-year old Yoshinobu was chosen as the new Shōgun, followed by Emperor Komei, succeeded by his son Mutsuhito who would be enthroned as Emperor of Japan. Yoshinobu managed to negotiate a ceasefire with Chōshū, but the defeat had exposed that the bakufu lacked military reforms, and invited French and Dutch military missions to Japan, which would arrive in late 1867.

On November 9, 1867, a secret order was created by Satsuma and Chōshū in the name of Emperor Meiji commanding the "slaughtering of the traitorous subject Yoshinobu". Just prior to this, however—and following a proposal from the *daimyō* of the Tosa Domain—Yoshinobu resigned his post and authority to the emperor, agreeing to "be the instrument for carrying out" imperial orders.

### Personal Life

Tokugawa Yoshinobu married Ichijo Mikako in 1855, aswell as four other concubines. Ichijo died in 1894 having given birth to no heir, and Yoshinobu remarried with his concubine Isshiki Saga.

Children:

* Akiko (1862-1862) by Yoshiko
* Sumiko (1863) by Yoshiko
* Nagako (1878–1878) by Nobu
* Namiko (1880) by Nobu married Matsudaira Hitoshi, son of Matsudaira Naritami
* Kuniko (1882) by Nobu married Okouchi Kiko
* Itoko (1883) by Nobu married Shijo Ryuai
* Danshi (1884–1884) by Nobu
* Yashi (1885–1886) by Nobu
* Yoshiko (1891–1891) by Nobu
* Kaneko (1875–1875) by Nobu
* Genji (1871–1872) by Nobu
* Takuma (1873–1873) by Nobu
* Kaito (1871–1872) by Saga
* Tokugawa Kyoko (1873–1893) married Tokugawa Satotaka (1856–1941) by Saga
* Tokugawa Tetsuko (1875) married Tokugawa Satotoshi by Saga
* Hitoshi (1878–1878)
* Ryohime (1880–1880)
* Tokugawa Eiko (1887) married Tokugawa Satotaka
* Tokugawa Yoshihisa (1884) by Saga, the heir apparent to the shogunal throne.
* Tokugawa Atsushi (1874–1879) by Nobu was heir apparent to the shogunal throne until his death during a smallpox epidemy in Edo in 1879.
* Tokugawa Makoto (1887) by Nobu
* Katsu Kuwashi (1888) by Saga
* Ikeda Nakahiro (1877) inherited Tottori Domain by Saga
* Hachisuka Fudeko (1876–1907) married Hachisuka Masaaki by Nobu
* Tokugawa Tsuneko (1882) married Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu by Saga