Tsugaru Nobuyuki
Encyclopedia
was the 10th daimyō
of Hirosaki Domain
in northern Mutsu Province
, Honshū
, Japan
(modern-day Aomori Prefecture
). His courtesy title was Dewa-no-kami.
, the 9th daimyō of Hirosaki Domain. His elder brother inherited Kuroishi Domain
, which was elevated from a 4000 koku
hatamoto
holding into a full han during the administration of his father Yasuchika.
Yasuchika initially attempted to continue implementation many of the reforms initiated by Tsugaru Nobuakira
to restore prosperity to the disaster-prone domain, but faced stubborn opposition due top vested interests and extensive corruption issues with his retainers. However, Yasuchika enjoyed good relations with the Tokugawa shogunate
and was successful in arranging an extremely favorable marriage for Nobuyuki to a daughter from the Konoe clan, of the Kyoto court nobility
. He also arranged two daughters of Tokugawa Narimasa
, head of the Tayasu-branch of the Tokugawa clan
as his son’s concubines. These marital arrangements resulted in his promotion to the courtesy title of chamberlain
. However, the financial outlay to the Court and to the Shogunate in exchange for these marriages was tremendous, and the domain’s finances were again plunged into bankruptcy. Increasing taxation and peasant uprisings cumulated in an attempted assassination in 1821 by retainers of the Tsugaru clan's arch-rivals, the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain
, and in 1825 Yasuchika retired, nominally turned the reign over to Nobuyuki.
However, with his father Yasuchika continuing to rule behind-the-scenes from the clan's Edo
residence, and lacking a personal power base or the respect of his senior retainers, Nobuyuki was reduced to an ineffectual figurehead, and was derided as the of Tsugaru. Rumors were spread of his lack of mental acuity, drunkenness, inappropriate behavior and lasciviousness during sankin kotai
journeys to Edo
, and he was forced into retirement in 1839.
The domain was turned over to an outsider, the 7th son of Matsudaira Nobuakira, lord of Yoshida Domain
in Mikawa Province
and a Rōjū
, who was adopted into the Tsugaru clan as Tsugaru Yukitsugu
.
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...
of Hirosaki Domain
Hirosaki Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in northern Mutsu Province . It was ruled by the Tsugaru clan...
in northern Mutsu Province
Mutsu Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori prefecture and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture...
, Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, Japan
Japan
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...
(modern-day Aomori Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
). His courtesy title was Dewa-no-kami.
Biography
Tsugaru Nobuyuki was the younger son of Tsugaru YasuchikaTsugaru Yasuchika
was the 9th daimyō of Hirosaki Domain in northern Mutsu Province, Honshū, Japan . His courtesy title, initially Dewa-no-kami, was later raised to Saikyo Daiyu.-Biography:...
, the 9th daimyō of Hirosaki Domain. His elder brother inherited Kuroishi Domain
Kuroishi Domain
' was a tozama feudal domain of Edo period Japan, located in northwestern Mutsu Province, Honshū.Its territory included 2000 koku in the area around present-day city of Kuroishi, 1000 koku in present day Hiranani, and 2000 koku in what is now part of Ōta, Gunma...
, which was elevated from a 4000 koku
Koku
The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...
hatamoto
Hatamoto
A was a samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as gokenin. However, in the Edo period, hatamoto were the upper vassals of the Tokugawa...
holding into a full han during the administration of his father Yasuchika.
Yasuchika initially attempted to continue implementation many of the reforms initiated by Tsugaru Nobuakira
Tsugaru Nobuakira
was the 8th daimyō of Hirosaki Domain in northern Mutsu Province, Honshū, Japan . His courtesy title was Tosa-no-kami.-Biography:...
to restore prosperity to the disaster-prone domain, but faced stubborn opposition due top vested interests and extensive corruption issues with his retainers. However, Yasuchika enjoyed good relations with 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...
and was successful in arranging an extremely favorable marriage for Nobuyuki to a daughter from the Konoe clan, of the Kyoto court nobility
Kuge
The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...
. He also arranged two daughters of Tokugawa Narimasa
Tokugawa Narimasa
was a Japanese samurai of the Edo period. The son of Tokugawa Harusada, he succeeded Tokugawa Haruaki as head of the Tayasu branch of the Tokugawa house, which had been without a ruler for some time....
, head of the Tayasu-branch 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:...
as his son’s concubines. These marital arrangements resulted in his promotion to the courtesy title of chamberlain
Chamberlain (office)
A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
. However, the financial outlay to the Court and to the Shogunate in exchange for these marriages was tremendous, and the domain’s finances were again plunged into bankruptcy. Increasing taxation and peasant uprisings cumulated in an attempted assassination in 1821 by retainers of the Tsugaru clan's arch-rivals, the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain
Morioka Domain
The was a han or feudal domain that encompasses present-day the middle-northern part of Iwate Prefecture and eastern part of Aomori Prefecture. It is sometimes colloquially called . The domain was tozama daimyo and was governed by the Satake clan. Its income was 100,000...
, and in 1825 Yasuchika retired, nominally turned the reign over to Nobuyuki.
However, with his father Yasuchika continuing to rule behind-the-scenes from the clan's 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...
residence, and lacking a personal power base or the respect of his senior retainers, Nobuyuki was reduced to an ineffectual figurehead, and was derided as the of Tsugaru. Rumors were spread of his lack of mental acuity, drunkenness, inappropriate behavior and lasciviousness during sankin kotai
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...
journeys 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...
, and he was forced into retirement in 1839.
The domain was turned over to an outsider, the 7th son of Matsudaira Nobuakira, lord of Yoshida Domain
Yoshida Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in eastern Mikawa Province , Japan. It was centered on Yoshida Castle in what is now the city of Toyohashi, Aichi. It was ruled by a number of different fudai daimyō over the course of the Edo period, before finally passing into the hands of the...
in 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....
and a 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...
, who was adopted into the Tsugaru clan as Tsugaru Yukitsugu
Tsugaru Yukitsugu
was the 2nd daimyō of Kuroishi Domain, and later the 11th daimyō of Hirosaki Domain in northern Mutsu Province, Honshū, Japan . His courtesy title was Ōsumi-no-kami.-Biography:...
.