Tokugawa Iemitsu
Encyclopedia
Tokugawa Iemitsu was the third shogun
of the Tokugawa dynasty
. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada
, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu
. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651.
and grandson of the last great unifier of Japan, the first Tokugawa Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu
. He was the first member of the Tokugawa family born after Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun.
Not much is known of Iemitsu's early life; his childhood name was Takechiyo (竹千代). He had two sisters, Senhime
and Masako
, and a brother, who would become a rival, Tadanaga
. Tadanaga was his parents' favorite. However, Ieyasu made it clear that Iemitsu would be next in line as shogun after Hidetada.
An obsolete spelling of his given name is Iyemitsu.
. A fierce rivalry began to develop between the brothers.
From an early age Iemitsu practiced the shudo tradition. However, in 1620, he had a falling out with his lover, Sakabe Gozaemon, a childhood friend and retainer, aged twenty one, and murdered him as they shared a bathtub. (Louis Crompton, Homosexuality p. 439)
in his favor. Hidetada continued to rule as Ōgosho (retired Shogun), but Iemitsu nevertheless assumed a role as formal head of the bakufu bureaucracy.
In 1626, Shogun Iemitsu and retired Shogun Hidetada visited Emperor Go-Mizunoo
, Empress Masako
(Hidetada's daughter and Iemitsu's sister), and Imperial Princess Meisho
in Kyoto
. Shogun Iemitsu made lavish grants of gold and money to the court nobles and the court itself. Yet relations with Go-Mizunoo deteriorated after the , during which the Emperor was accused of having bestowed honorific purple garments to more than ten priests despite an edict which banned them for two years (probably in order to break the bond between the Emperor and religious circles). The shogunate intervened, making the bestowing of the garments invalid. When the wet nurse
of Iemitsu and Masako broke a taboo
by visiting the imperial court as a commoner, Go-Mizunoo abdicated, embarrassed, and Meisho became empress. The shogun was now the uncle of the sitting monarch
.
In Kan'ei 9, on the 24th day of the 2nd month (1632), Ōgosho Hidetada died, and Iemitsu could assume real power. Worried that his brother Tokugawa Tadanaga
might assassinate him, however, he ruled carefully until that brother's death by Seppuku
in 1633.
, to act as regents for Iemitsu. In 1633, after his brother's death, he dismissed these men. In place of his father's advisors, Iemitsu appointed his childhood friends. With their help Iemitsu created a strong, centralized administration. This made him unpopular with many daimyo, but Iemitsu simply removed his opponents.
He is credited with establishing the Sankin kōtai
system which forced tozama
daimyo
to reside in Edo in alternating sequence—one year in Edo and one year in the home region.
In 1637 an armed revolt arose against Iemitsu's anti-Christian policies in Shimabara
. This period domestic unrest is known as the Shimabara Rebellion
. Thousands were killed in the shogunate's suppression of the revolt and countless more were executed afterwards.
In 1639 Iemitsu officially closed off Japan from the rest of the world. This restrictive edict limiting trade to the Chinese and Dutch
merchants ensconced on the island of Deshima in Nagasaki and the proxy trade with China carried out by the Ryukyu Kingdom under the control of the Shimazu clan
.
In 1643 Empress Meisho abdicated the throne. She was succeeded by her younger half-brother (Go-Mizunoo's son by a consort) Emperor Go-Komyo, who disliked the shogunate for its violent and barbaric ways. He repeatedly made insulting comments about Iemitsu and his eldest son and heir, Tokugawa Ietsuna
.
In 1651 Shogun Iemitsu died at the age of 47, being the first Tokugawa shogun whose reign ended with death and not abdication. He was accorded a posthumous name of Taiyūin, also known as Daiyūin. He was succeeded by his eldest son and heir, Tokugawa Ietsuna
.
was among the countries in Asia
that appealed most to European traders and missionaries. In 1543, the first Europeans, from Portugal
, arrived at the island of Tanegashima
, thus inaugurating the so-called Nanban trade
(南蛮貿易 Nanban bōeki) period. From 1545 onwards, Japan saw the arrival of numerous European ships, first from Portugal
, and later from Spain
, the Netherlands
and England
. Starting in 1549, with the arrival of Francis Xavier
at Kagoshima, a large campaign of evangelization, led by the Society of Jesus
, was shaking Japan's social structures. What is more, on the island of Kyūshū
, in order to preserve the European trade in their lands, some feudal rulers known as daimyo
agreed to be converted to Christianity
. By the beginning of the 17th century half-a-million Japanese people had converted themselves to Christianity
.
However, during this period of Europeanization, adverse feelings towards the foreigners started spreading across Japan. Moreover, after Spain’s conquest of the Philippines, the then ruler Hideyoshi lost faith in Europeans’ good intentions and started doubting the loyalty of the newly converted daimyo. The first step to the expulsion of the foreign traders and missionaries was made by him when he ordered the crucifixion of the main Catholic proselytizers and converts. But it was not until the reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu that more drastic measures were taken.
Europeans’ century-long presence in Japan ended in the 1630s when Iemitsu ordered the expulsion of every European from the country. Moreover, he gave permission to only one Dutch
ship to trade with Japan during the year. His orders were reinforced after the execution of two Portuguese
men who came to plead for the re-establishment of Japan’s earlier foreign trade policy. In the 1630s, Iemitsu issued several isolationist edicts which prohibited people and goods, with a few exceptions, to enter or leave the country.
The most famous of those edicts was the Closed Country Edict of 1635. It contained the main restrictions introduced by Iemitsu. With it, he forbade every Japanese ship and person to travel to another country. The punishment for violation was death. The same thing applied to those who came from overseas. They too were risking death if they decided to enter Japan.
The edict offered lavish gifts and awards for anyone who could provide information about priests and their followers who secretly practiced and spread their religion across the country. Furthermore, every newly arrived ship was required to be thoroughly examined for Catholic priests and followers.
The document pays extremely close attention to every detail regarding incoming foreign ships. For example, the merchants coming from abroad had to submit a list of the goods they were bringing with them before being granted permission to trade them. Also, they were not allowed to sell their merchandise to just one of the trading cities of Japan. In this way, better distribution of goods was ensured. Additional provisions specified details of trade For example, the “date of departure homeward for foreign ships shall not be later than the twentieth day of the ninth month.” In addition to this, Iemitsu forbade the changing of the originally set price for raw silk and thus made sure that competition between trading cities was brought to a minimum.
The measures Iemitsu enacted were so powerful that it was not until the reign of Tokugawa Ienobu
, more than half a century later, that the seclusion of Japan began to fade.
over the Shogunate form a part of the television series The Yagyu Conspiracy and is the basis for the film Shogun's Samurai
(at the end of the film, Shogun Iemitsu is killed and decapitated by Yagyu Jubei in an act of revenge for his father Yagyū Munenori
's betrayal).
Shogun
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...
of the Tokugawa dynasty
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...
. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada
Tokugawa Hidetada
was the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651.
Early life (1604-1617)
Tokugawa Iemitsu was born around 1604 (his exact birthdate is unknown). He was the eldest son of Tokugawa HidetadaTokugawa Hidetada
was the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
and grandson of the last great unifier of Japan, the first Tokugawa Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
. He was the first member of the Tokugawa family born after Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun.
Not much is known of Iemitsu's early life; his childhood name was Takechiyo (竹千代). He had two sisters, Senhime
Senhime
Senhime or Lady Sen was the eldest daughter of the shogun Tokugawa Hidetada and his wife Oeyo. She was born during the warring-states period of Japanese history...
and Masako
Tokugawa Masako
, also known as Kazu-ko, was an empress consort of Japan. She was the daughter of Tokugawa Hidetada, who was the second shogun of the Edo period of the history of Japan.* 1620 : Masako entered the palace as a consort of the Emperor Go-Mizunoo...
, and a brother, who would become a rival, Tadanaga
Tokugawa Tadanaga
was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period. The son of the second shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, his elder brother was the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu.- Life :...
. Tadanaga was his parents' favorite. However, Ieyasu made it clear that Iemitsu would be next in line as shogun after Hidetada.
An obsolete spelling of his given name is Iyemitsu.
Tokugawa heir (1617-1623)
Iemitsu came of age in 1617 and dropped his childhood name in favor of Tokugawa Iemitsu. He also was installed officially as the heir to the Tokugawa shogunate. The only person to contest this position was his younger brother Tokugawa TadanagaTokugawa Tadanaga
was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period. The son of the second shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, his elder brother was the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu.- Life :...
. A fierce rivalry began to develop between the brothers.
From an early age Iemitsu practiced the shudo tradition. However, in 1620, he had a falling out with his lover, Sakabe Gozaemon, a childhood friend and retainer, aged twenty one, and murdered him as they shared a bathtub. (Louis Crompton, Homosexuality p. 439)
Shogunal regency (1623-1632)
In 1623, when Iemitsu was nineteen, Hidetada abdicated the post of 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...
in his favor. Hidetada continued to rule as Ōgosho (retired Shogun), but Iemitsu nevertheless assumed a role as formal head of the bakufu bureaucracy.
In 1626, Shogun Iemitsu and retired Shogun Hidetada visited Emperor Go-Mizunoo
Emperor Go-Mizunoo
was the 108th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Mizunoo's reign spanned the years from 1611 through 1629.This 17th century sovereign was named after the 9th century Emperor Seiwa and , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he could be called the "Later...
, Empress Masako
Masako
Masako is a female Japanese given name. People named Masako include the following:-Living people:, a long distance runner, a voice actress, a figure skater, a voice actress, a voice actress, a politician, a voice actress, a politician, a Nippon Television announcer, a manga artist*Masako Hozumi ,...
(Hidetada's daughter and Iemitsu's sister), and Imperial Princess Meisho
Meisho
are sites in Japan which are famous for their associations with specific poetic or literary references. Used in conjunction with utamakura, meisho add layers of allusion to poetry and literary and dramatic works which would not otherwise be present....
in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. Shogun Iemitsu made lavish grants of gold and money to the court nobles and the court itself. Yet relations with Go-Mizunoo deteriorated after the , during which the Emperor was accused of having bestowed honorific purple garments to more than ten priests despite an edict which banned them for two years (probably in order to break the bond between the Emperor and religious circles). The shogunate intervened, making the bestowing of the garments invalid. When the wet nurse
Wet nurse
A wet nurse is a woman who is used to breast feed and care for another's child. Wet nurses are used when the mother is unable or chooses not to nurse the child herself. Wet-nursed children may be known as "milk-siblings", and in some cultures the families are linked by a special relationship of...
of Iemitsu and Masako broke a taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
by visiting the imperial court as a commoner, Go-Mizunoo abdicated, embarrassed, and Meisho became empress. The shogun was now the uncle of the sitting monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
.
In Kan'ei 9, on the 24th day of the 2nd month (1632), Ōgosho Hidetada died, and Iemitsu could assume real power. Worried that his brother Tokugawa Tadanaga
Tokugawa Tadanaga
was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period. The son of the second shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, his elder brother was the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu.- Life :...
might assassinate him, however, he ruled carefully until that brother's death by Seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
in 1633.
Shogun Iemitsu (1632-1651)
Hidetada left his advisors, all veteran daimyoDaimyo
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...
, to act as regents for Iemitsu. In 1633, after his brother's death, he dismissed these men. In place of his father's advisors, Iemitsu appointed his childhood friends. With their help Iemitsu created a strong, centralized administration. This made him unpopular with many daimyo, but Iemitsu simply removed his opponents.
He is credited with establishing the Sankin kōtai
Sankin kotai
was a policy of the shogunate during most of the Edo period of Japanese history. The purpose was to control the daimyo. In adopting the policy, the shogunate was continuing and refining similar policies of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In 1635, a law required sankin kōtai, which was already an established...
system which forced 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:...
daimyo
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...
to reside in Edo in alternating sequence—one year in Edo and one year in the home region.
In 1637 an armed revolt arose against Iemitsu's anti-Christian policies in Shimabara
Shimabara, Nagasaki
is a city located on the north-eastern tip of the Shimabara Peninsula, facing Ariake Bay in the east and Mount Unzen in the west, in Nagasaki Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan.-History:...
. This period domestic unrest is known as the Shimabara Rebellion
Shimabara Rebellion
The was an uprising largely involving Japanese peasants, most of them Catholic Christians, in 1637–1638 during the Edo period.It was one of only a handful of instances of serious unrest during the relatively peaceful period of the Tokugawa shogunate's rule...
. Thousands were killed in the shogunate's suppression of the revolt and countless more were executed afterwards.
In 1639 Iemitsu officially closed off Japan from the rest of the world. This restrictive edict limiting trade to the Chinese and Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
merchants ensconced on the island of Deshima in Nagasaki and the proxy trade with China carried out by the Ryukyu Kingdom under the control of the Shimazu clan
Shimazu clan
The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
.
In 1643 Empress Meisho abdicated the throne. She was succeeded by her younger half-brother (Go-Mizunoo's son by a consort) Emperor Go-Komyo, who disliked the shogunate for its violent and barbaric ways. He repeatedly made insulting comments about Iemitsu and his eldest son and heir, 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 :...
.
In 1651 Shogun Iemitsu died at the age of 47, being the first Tokugawa shogun whose reign ended with death and not abdication. He was accorded a posthumous name of Taiyūin, also known as Daiyūin. He was succeeded by his eldest son and heir, 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 :...
.
Anti-Europeanization of Japan and the “Closed Country Edict of 1635”
During the 16th century, JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
was among the countries in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
that appealed most to European traders and missionaries. In 1543, the first Europeans, from Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, arrived at the island of Tanegashima
Tanegashima
is an island lying to the south of Kyushu, in southern Japan, and is part of Kagoshima Prefecture. The island is the second largest of the Ōsumi Islands....
, thus inaugurating the so-called Nanban trade
Nanban trade
The or the in Japanese history extends from the arrival of the first Europeans to Japan in 1543, to their near-total exclusion from the archipelago in 1614, under the promulgation of the "Sakoku" Seclusion Edicts.- Etymology :...
(南蛮貿易 Nanban bōeki) period. From 1545 onwards, Japan saw the arrival of numerous European ships, first from Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and later from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Starting in 1549, with the arrival of Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta was a pioneering Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a student of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits, dedicated at Montmartre in 1534...
at Kagoshima, a large campaign of evangelization, led by the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, was shaking Japan's social structures. What is more, on the island of Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, in order to preserve the European trade in their lands, some feudal rulers known as daimyo
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...
agreed to be converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. By the beginning of the 17th century half-a-million Japanese people had converted themselves to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
However, during this period of Europeanization, adverse feelings towards the foreigners started spreading across Japan. Moreover, after Spain’s conquest of the Philippines, the then ruler Hideyoshi lost faith in Europeans’ good intentions and started doubting the loyalty of the newly converted daimyo. The first step to the expulsion of the foreign traders and missionaries was made by him when he ordered the crucifixion of the main Catholic proselytizers and converts. But it was not until the reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu that more drastic measures were taken.
Europeans’ century-long presence in Japan ended in the 1630s when Iemitsu ordered the expulsion of every European from the country. Moreover, he gave permission to only one Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
ship to trade with Japan during the year. His orders were reinforced after the execution of two Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
men who came to plead for the re-establishment of Japan’s earlier foreign trade policy. In the 1630s, Iemitsu issued several isolationist edicts which prohibited people and goods, with a few exceptions, to enter or leave the country.
The most famous of those edicts was the Closed Country Edict of 1635. It contained the main restrictions introduced by Iemitsu. With it, he forbade every Japanese ship and person to travel to another country. The punishment for violation was death. The same thing applied to those who came from overseas. They too were risking death if they decided to enter Japan.
The edict offered lavish gifts and awards for anyone who could provide information about priests and their followers who secretly practiced and spread their religion across the country. Furthermore, every newly arrived ship was required to be thoroughly examined for Catholic priests and followers.
The document pays extremely close attention to every detail regarding incoming foreign ships. For example, the merchants coming from abroad had to submit a list of the goods they were bringing with them before being granted permission to trade them. Also, they were not allowed to sell their merchandise to just one of the trading cities of Japan. In this way, better distribution of goods was ensured. Additional provisions specified details of trade For example, the “date of departure homeward for foreign ships shall not be later than the twentieth day of the ninth month.” In addition to this, Iemitsu forbade the changing of the originally set price for raw silk and thus made sure that competition between trading cities was brought to a minimum.
The measures Iemitsu enacted were so powerful that it was not until the reign of Tokugawa Ienobu
Tokugawa Ienobu
was the sixth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Tsunashige, thus making him the nephew of Tokugawa Ietsuna and Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the grandson of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the great-grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the great-great grandson of Tokugawa...
, more than half a century later, that the seclusion of Japan began to fade.
Eras of Iemitsu's bakufu
The years in which Iemitsu was shogun are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.- GennaGennawas a coming after Keichō and before Kan'ei. This period spanned the years from July 1615 to February 1624. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
(1615–1624) - Kan'ei (1624–1644)
- ShōhōShohowas a after Kan'ei and before Keian. This period spanned the years from December 1644 through February 1648. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1644 : The era name was changed to Shōhō to mark the enthronement of the new emperor Go-Kōmyō...
(1644–1648) - KeianKeianwas a after Shōhō and before Jōō. This period spanned the years from February 1648 through September 1652. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
(1648–1652)
In popular culture
Iemitsu's rivalry with his brother Tokugawa TadanagaTokugawa Tadanaga
was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period. The son of the second shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, his elder brother was the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu.- Life :...
over the Shogunate form a part of the television series The Yagyu Conspiracy and is the basis for the film Shogun's Samurai
Shogun's Samurai
also "Intrigue of the Yagyu clan" and "Yagyu Clan Conspiracy," is a 1978 Japanese historical martial arts period film, directed by Kinji Fukasaku. The film is one of a series of period films by Fukasaku starring Sonny Chiba as Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi....
(at the end of the film, Shogun Iemitsu is killed and decapitated by Yagyu Jubei in an act of revenge for his father Yagyū Munenori
Yagyu Munenori
was a Japanese swordsman, founder of the Edo branch of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, which he learned from his father Yagyū "Sekishusai" Muneyoshi. This was one of two official sword styles patronized by the Tokugawa Shogunate...
's betrayal).