Sakai Tadakiyo
Encyclopedia
, also known as Uta-no-kami, was a daimyō
(feudal lord) in Kōzuke Province
, and a high-ranking government advisor and official in the Tokugawa shogunate
of Japan.
The Sakai were identified as one of the fudai
or insider daimyō clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan
, in contrast with the tozama
or outsider clans.
The fudai Sakai clan
originated in 14th century Mikawa province
. The Sakai claim descent from Minamoto Arichika. Arichika had two sons: one of them, Yasuchika, took the name Matsudaira; and the other son, Chikauji, took the name Sakai -- and this samuari ancestor is the progenitor of this clan's name.
Sakai Hirochika, who was the son of Chikauji, had two sons, and their descendants gave rise to the two main branches of the Sakai clan. Hirochika's younger son, Sakai Masachika, served several Tokugawa clan leaders -- Nobutada, Kiyoyasu and Hirotada; and in 1561, Masachika was made master of Nishio Castle
in Mikawa.
Sakai Sigetada, who was the sun of Masachika, received the fief of Kawagoe Domain
in Musashi province
in 1590; and then in 1601, Sigetada was transferred to Umayabashi Domain in Kōzuke province
.
In 1749, the descendants of Tadakiyo were transferred to Himeji Domain
(150,000 koku) in Harima province
, where they continued to live up through the Meiji Restoration
.
The head of this clan line was ennobled as a "Count" in the Meiji period
.
Tokugawa Ietsuna
as one of the Rōjū
(chief advisor) from 1653-1666, and then as Tairō
, head of the Rōjū council, from 1666-1680.
Generally regarded today as self-indulgent and corrupt, his policies (or lack thereof) are generally said to have been responsible for initiating the shift to hedonism, and debauchery which characterized the Genroku
era (1688-1704). Though a Golden Age
for the arts, this era was regarded by the following generation of officials as one of immorality, impropriety, and excessive extravagance.
By the time Tadakiyo became head of the Rōjū in 1666, most of the capable and stalwart politicians who might have opposed him, such as Matsudaira Nobutsuna
had died. Abe Tadaaki
remained as his only significant critic, until his death in 1671. Tadaaki constantly rebuked Tadakiyo for his poor sense of proper policy, and his laidback nature. He accused Tadakiyo of taking bribes, and of handling situations on a case-by-case basis, without any sense of overall policy or progress towards a goal. Tadakiyo was also criticized by a number of daimyō, including a member of the Ikeda clan
of Okayama Province, who warned of poor conditions and discontent in the provinces, and the threat of peasant revolt.
From 1658 to 1674, Tadakiyo took a personal interest in the affairs of the Date clan of Sendai, and particularly in the Date Disturbance
, a now-famous succession dispute within the clan over leadership of the family and the role of daimyō. Tadakiyo was friendly with the former daimyō of the clan, Date Tadamune
, whose son Date Tsunamune
, was arrested in 1660, and forced to retire from his post on accusations of drunkenness and debauchery. The regents who governed over his successor, Tsunamune's infant son Date Tsunamura
, were then accused in turn of corruption and poor government. This element of the affair dragged out for ten years before Tadakiyo summoned the key parties involved to Edo
in order to conduct a formal inquiry; this ultimately ended in the death of one Sendai retainer at the hands of another, who was in turn cut down by the Tairō's guards.
Some historians believe that Tadakiyo could have, and should have, seen the entire affair to an end years earlier, and judge it likely therefore that he was taking bribes from Tsunamura's regents, who sought to draw out the situation and avoid any action being taken against them.
When Shogun Ietsuna died in 1680, Tadakiyo suggested that his successor be chosen from the princely houses
of the Imperial family
. This reportedly infuriated Rōjū Hotta Masatoshi
, who had been appointed the previous year, and who vehemently objected to this obvious attempt on Tadakiyo's part to seize power for himself; Rōjū and Tairō wielded significant power, but were not meant to control shogunal succession, as this would also imply the ability to gain power over the shogun himself. Tadakiyo resigned his post, and Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
, Ietsuna's younger brother, was installed the following day, appointing Masatoshi as Tadakiyo's successor as Tairō. Tadakiyo died the following year.
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
(feudal lord) in Kōzuke Province
Kozuke Province
was an old province located in the Tōsandō of Japan, which today comprises Gunma Prefecture. It is nicknamed as or .The ancient provincial capital was near modern Maebashi. During the Sengoku period, Kōzuke was controlled variously by Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, the late Hōjō clan, and...
, and a high-ranking government advisor and official in the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
of Japan.
The Sakai were identified as one of the fudai
Fudai
was a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration.-Origins:...
or insider daimyō clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan
Tokugawa clan
The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
, in contrast with the tozama
Tozama
A ' was a daimyo who was considered an outsider by the rulers of Japan. The term came into use in the Kamakura period and continued until the end of the Edo period.-Edo period:...
or outsider clans.
Sakai clan genealogy
Tadakiyo was part of the senior branch of the Sakai.The fudai Sakai clan
Sakai clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Nitta branch of the Minamoto clan, who were in turn descendants of Emperor Seiwa. Serata Arichika, a samurai of the 14th century, was the common ancestor of both the Sakai clan and the Matsudaira clan, which the Sakai later served...
originated in 14th century Mikawa province
Mikawa Province
is an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces....
. The Sakai claim descent from Minamoto Arichika. Arichika had two sons: one of them, Yasuchika, took the name Matsudaira; and the other son, Chikauji, took the name Sakai -- and this samuari ancestor is the progenitor of this clan's name.
Sakai Hirochika, who was the son of Chikauji, had two sons, and their descendants gave rise to the two main branches of the Sakai clan. Hirochika's younger son, Sakai Masachika, served several Tokugawa clan leaders -- Nobutada, Kiyoyasu and Hirotada; and in 1561, Masachika was made master of Nishio Castle
Nishio Castle
is a Japanese castle located in Nishio, eastern Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Nishio Castle was home to the Ogyu Matsudaira, daimyō of Nishio Domain. The castle was also known as , , or .- History :...
in Mikawa.
Sakai Sigetada, who was the sun of Masachika, received the fief of Kawagoe Domain
Kawagoe Domain
The was a feudal domain of Japan during the Momoyama and Edo periods of the history of Japan. It was located in Iruma District, now part of Saitama Prefecture, in Musashi Province . The domain had its headquarters at Kawagoe Castle in the present-day city of Kawagoe.The domain had its beginning in...
in Musashi province
Musashi Province
was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Prefecture, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama...
in 1590; and then in 1601, Sigetada was transferred to Umayabashi Domain in Kōzuke province
Kozuke Province
was an old province located in the Tōsandō of Japan, which today comprises Gunma Prefecture. It is nicknamed as or .The ancient provincial capital was near modern Maebashi. During the Sengoku period, Kōzuke was controlled variously by Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, the late Hōjō clan, and...
.
In 1749, the descendants of Tadakiyo were transferred to Himeji Domain
Himeji Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo Period, located in Harima Province .-List of lords:*Ikeda clan #Terumasa#Toshitaka#Mitsumasa*Honda clan #Tadamasa#Masatomo#Masakatsu...
(150,000 koku) in Harima province
Harima Province
or Banshu was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is the southwestern part of present-day Hyōgo Prefecture. Harima bordered on Tajima, Tamba, Settsu, Bizen, and Mimasaka Provinces. Its capital was Himeji....
, where they continued to live up through the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
.
The head of this clan line was ennobled as a "Count" in the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
.
Events in Tadakiyo's life
Tadayiko served under ShogunShogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Tokugawa Ietsuna
Tokugawa Ietsuna
was the fourth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan who was in office from 1651 to 1680. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, thus making him the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.-Early Life :...
as one of the Rōjū
Roju
The ', usually translated as Elder, was one of the highest-ranking government posts in Tokugawa Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council as a whole; under the first two shoguns, there were only two Rōjū...
(chief advisor) from 1653-1666, and then as Tairō
Tairo
Tairō was a high-ranking official position in the bakuhan taisei government of Japan. The tairō would preside over the governing Rōjū council in the event of an emergency. A tairō would be nominated from among a group of samurai families who supported Tokugawa Ieyasu...
, head of the Rōjū council, from 1666-1680.
Generally regarded today as self-indulgent and corrupt, his policies (or lack thereof) are generally said to have been responsible for initiating the shift to hedonism, and debauchery which characterized the Genroku
Genroku
was a after Jōkyō and before Hōei. This period spanned the years from September 1688 through March 1704. The reigning emperor was .The years of Genroku are generally considered to be the Golden Age of the Edo Period. The previous hundred years of peace and seclusion in Japan had created relative...
era (1688-1704). Though a Golden Age
Golden Age (metaphor)
A golden age is a period in a field of endeavour when great tasks were accomplished. The term originated from early Greek and Roman poets who used to refer to a time when mankind lived in a better time and was pure .-Golden Age in society:...
for the arts, this era was regarded by the following generation of officials as one of immorality, impropriety, and excessive extravagance.
By the time Tadakiyo became head of the Rōjū in 1666, most of the capable and stalwart politicians who might have opposed him, such as Matsudaira Nobutsuna
Matsudaira Nobutsuna
was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period, who ruled the Kawagoe Domain. First serving Tokugawa Iemitsu as a page, Nobutsuna was renowned for his sagacity. He was named a rōjū in 1633. Nobutsuna led the shogunal forces to their final victory over the rebellion at Shimabara...
had died. Abe Tadaaki
Abe Tadaaki
was a high-ranking government official in Japan under Tokugawa Iemitsu and Ietsuna, the third and fourth Tokugawa Shogun. Daimyo of the Oshi Domain in modern-day Saitama prefecture, with an income of 80,000 koku , Abe was appointed wakadoshiyori in 1633, and rōjū shortly afterwards.Iemitsu died...
remained as his only significant critic, until his death in 1671. Tadaaki constantly rebuked Tadakiyo for his poor sense of proper policy, and his laidback nature. He accused Tadakiyo of taking bribes, and of handling situations on a case-by-case basis, without any sense of overall policy or progress towards a goal. Tadakiyo was also criticized by a number of daimyō, including a member of the Ikeda clan
Ikeda clan
The was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji. In the Edo period, several of the clan's branches were daimyo families, most notably of the Tottori Domain, and Okayama Domain. Takamasa Ikeda, present head of the Okayama Ikeda house is a husband of Atsuko Ikeda, fourth daughter...
of Okayama Province, who warned of poor conditions and discontent in the provinces, and the threat of peasant revolt.
From 1658 to 1674, Tadakiyo took a personal interest in the affairs of the Date clan of Sendai, and particularly in the Date Disturbance
Date Sodo
The Date Sōdō , or Date Disturbance, was a noble family dispute within the Date samurai clan, which occurred in 1671.-History:In 1660, the daimyō of the Sendai Domain, and clan head, Date Tsunamune was arrested in Edo, for drunkenness and debauchery...
, a now-famous succession dispute within the clan over leadership of the family and the role of daimyō. Tadakiyo was friendly with the former daimyō of the clan, Date Tadamune
Date Tadamune
was a Japanese samurai of the early Edo period. The 2nd son of the famous and powerful daimyō Date Masamune, he succeeded his father as lord of Sendai. Although he was the 2nd son, his half-brother Date Hidemune was born by Lady Iisaka, a concubine, and was not eligible to rule...
, whose son Date Tsunamune
Date Tsunamune
was the daimyō of Sendai han for about two years, from 1658 to 1660. His father, Date Tadamune, died in 1658, but Tsunamune's succession and rule was soon opposed by a number of his kinsmen and vassals...
, was arrested in 1660, and forced to retire from his post on accusations of drunkenness and debauchery. The regents who governed over his successor, Tsunamune's infant son Date Tsunamura
Date Tsunamura
was a daimyo in mid-17th century Tokugawa Japan whose life was at the center of the Date Sōdō or "Date Disturbance", a very famous noble conflict of the period....
, were then accused in turn of corruption and poor government. This element of the affair dragged out for ten years before Tadakiyo summoned the key parties involved to Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
in order to conduct a formal inquiry; this ultimately ended in the death of one Sendai retainer at the hands of another, who was in turn cut down by the Tairō's guards.
Some historians believe that Tadakiyo could have, and should have, seen the entire affair to an end years earlier, and judge it likely therefore that he was taking bribes from Tsunamura's regents, who sought to draw out the situation and avoid any action being taken against them.
When Shogun Ietsuna died in 1680, Tadakiyo suggested that his successor be chosen from the princely houses
Shinnoke
was the collective name for the four cadet branches of the Imperial Household of Japan, which were until 1947 entitled to provide a successor to the Chrysanthemum throne if the main line failed to produce an heir...
of the Imperial family
Imperial House of Japan
The , also referred to as the Imperial Family or the Yamato Dynasty, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning Emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the emperor is the symbol of the state and unity of the people...
. This reportedly infuriated Rōjū Hotta Masatoshi
Hotta Masatoshi
was a daimyō in Shimousa Province, and top government advisor and official in the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He served as rōjū to Shogun Tokugawa Ietsuna from 1679–80, and as Tairō under Tokugawa Tsunayoshi from the 12th day of the 11th lunar month of 1681 until his death on 7 October...
, who had been appointed the previous year, and who vehemently objected to this obvious attempt on Tadakiyo's part to seize power for himself; Rōjū and Tairō wielded significant power, but were not meant to control shogunal succession, as this would also imply the ability to gain power over the shogun himself. Tadakiyo resigned his post, and Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
was the fifth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the younger brother of Tokugawa Ietsuna, thus making him the son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu....
, Ietsuna's younger brother, was installed the following day, appointing Masatoshi as Tadakiyo's successor as Tairō. Tadakiyo died the following year.