Tokugawa Yoshimune facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tokugawa Yoshimune
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| Shōgun | |
| In office 1716–1745 |
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| Monarch |
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| Preceded by | Tokugawa Ietsugu |
| Succeeded by | Tokugawa Ieshige |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 November 1684 Kii Province, Tokugawa shogunate (now Japan) |
| Died | 12 July 1751 (aged 66) Edo, Tokugawa shogunate (now Tokyo, Japan) |
| Spouse | Masako-Joō |
| Children | Tokugawa Ieshige Tokugawa Ieshige Tokugawa Munetake Tokugawa Munetada Yoshihime |
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| Signature |  |
Tokugawa Yoshimune (徳川 吉宗, November 27, 1684 – July 12, 1751) was a very important leader in Japan. He was the eighth shōgun (military ruler) of the Tokugawa shogunate. He ruled from 1716 until 1745, when he stepped down.
Yoshimune was the son of Tokugawa Mitsusada. He was also the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who started the Tokugawa shogunate.
Contents
His Family Background
Yoshimune was not a direct son of a previous shōgun. Instead, he came from a special branch of the Tokugawa clan. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shōgun, knew that his main family line might not always have male heirs.
So, he created three special family branches called the gosanke. These branches were from Owari, Kii, and Mito. If the main shōgun family had no male heir, a new shōgun could be chosen from one of these gosanke families.
Yoshimune belonged to the Kii branch. This branch was started by Tokugawa Yorinobu, one of Ieyasu's sons. Yorinobu became the daimyō (ruler) of Kii.
Yoshimune's father, Tokugawa Mitsusada, later became the daimyō of Kii. After his father and two older brothers passed away, Yoshimune became the daimyō of Kii in 1705. Later, he would become the shōgun of all Japan.
Growing Up and Becoming a Leader
Tokugawa Yoshimune was born in 1684 in the Kii region of Japan. This area was rich, but it also had many debts. His father, Tokugawa Mitsusada, ruled Kii at the time.
When Yoshimune was a child, his name was Tokugawa Genroku. Later, in 1697, he changed his name to Tokugawa Shinnosuke.
In 1705, when Shinnosuke was 21, his father and two older brothers died. The shōgun at that time, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, chose him to become the new daimyō of Kii. He took the name Tokugawa Yorimasa.
Kii Province faced big money problems. It owed a lot of money to the shogunate. To make things worse, a huge tsunami hit the coastal areas of Kii in 1707. This disaster caused a lot of damage and loss of life.
Yorimasa tried his best to fix things in Kii. He looked to the government in Edo (the capital) for help.
In 1712, Shōgun Ienobu died. His young son, Tokugawa Ietsugu, became the next shōgun. Yorimasa realized he needed to act on his own to help Kii.
Then, in 1716, Shōgun Ietsugu died at only seven years old. He had no children to take his place. So, the shogunate had to choose a new shōgun from one of the special family branches. This led to Yoshimune becoming the next shōgun.
Becoming the Shōgun (1716–1745)
Yoshimune became the shōgun in 1716. He ruled Japan for 30 years. Many people believe he was one of the best Tokugawa shōguns ever.
He created new family branches called the gosankyō. These were similar to the gosanke and helped ensure there would always be a leader. Some future shōguns came from these new lines.
Yoshimune is famous for his financial changes, known as the Kyōhō Reforms. He worked to improve Japan's economy and make the government stronger.
He also wanted to bring back the art of Japanese sword-making. He held a big contest in 1721 for the best sword makers. This helped to keep the skills alive. He also ordered a book called Kyōhō Meibutsu Chō, which listed the most famous swords in Japan.
Another important change was about foreign books. Since 1640, it was very hard to get books from other countries. But Yoshimune made the rules less strict in 1720. This allowed more foreign books and ideas to come into Japan. It helped start the study of Western knowledge, called rangaku.
Retirement and Later Years (1745–1751)
In 1745, Yoshimune decided to retire. He gave his job as shōgun to his oldest son, Tokugawa Ieshige. Yoshimune took the special title Ōgosho, which means "Great Retired Shōgun". This was the same title that the first shōgun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, had used when he retired.
Yoshimune passed away on July 12, 1751, at the age of 66. He was buried at a temple called Kan'ei-ji.
Eras During Yoshimune's Rule
The time Yoshimune was shōgun is known by several different era names or nengō:
Images for kids
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Yoshimune's signature
See also
In Spanish: Tokugawa Yoshimune para niños
