Tokugawa Ienari


Tokugawa Ienari was a Japanese samurai, daimyo and the eleventh and longest-serving shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan who held office from 1787 to 1837. He was a great-grandson of the eighth shōgun Tokugawa Yoshimune through his son Munetada, head of the Hitotsubashi branch of the family, and his grandson Harusada.
Ienari died in 1841 and was given the Buddhist name Bunkyouin and buried at Kan'ei-ji.

Events of Ienari's ''bakufu''

1787 : Ienari becomes the 11th shōgun of the bakufu government.1788 : Riots in rice shops in Edo and Osaka.6 – 11 March 1788 : Great Fire of Kyoto. A fire in the city, which begins at 3 o'clock in the morning of March 6 burns uncontrolled until the 1st day of the second month ; and embers smolder until extinguished by heavy rain on the 4th day of the second month. The emperor and his court flee the fire, and the Imperial Palace is destroyed. No other re-construction is permitted until a new palace is completed. This fire was considered a major event. The Dutch VOC ''Opperhoofd in Dejima noted in his official record book that "people are considering it to be a great and extraordinary heavenly portent."28 February 1793 : Collapse of the peak of Mount Unzen.17 March 1793 : Eruption of Mt. Biwas-no-kubi15 April 1793 : The Shimabara earthquake.10 May 1793 : Eruption of Mt. Miyama.September 1817, the Shōgun orders the expulsion of Titia Bergsma, the first European woman to visit Japan1833–1837, the Tenpō famine1837 : Tokugawa Ieyoshi becomes the 12th shōgun'' of the bakufu government.

Family life

First wife

In 1778, the four-year-old Hitotsubashi Toyochiyo, a minor figure in the Tokugawa clan hierarchy, was betrothed to Shimazu Shigehime or Tadakohime, the four-year-old daughter of Shimazu Shigehide, the tozama daimyō of Satsuma Domain on the island of Kyūshū. The significance of this alliance was dramatically enhanced when, in 1781, the young Toyochiyo was adopted by the childless shōgun, Tokugawa Ieharu. This meant that when Toyochiyo became Shōgun Ienari in 1786, Shigehide was set to become the father-in-law of the shōgun. The marriage was completed in 1789, after which Tadako became formally known as Midaidokoro Sadako, or "first wife" Sadako. Protocol required that she be adopted into a court family, and the Konoe family agreed to take her in but this was a mere formality.

Other relationships

Ienari kept a harem of 900 women and fathered over 75 children.
Many of Ienari's children were adopted into various daimyō houses throughout Japan, and some played important roles in the history of the Bakumatsu and Boshin War. Some of the more famous among them included:

Parents and siblings

Wife and concubines

  • Wife: Shimazu Shigehime, later Kodaiin, daughter of Shimazu Shigehide of Satsuma Domain
  • Concubine:
  • * Omiyo no Kata later Senkoin
  • * O-ito no kata
  • * Oyae no Kata later Kaishun'in
  • * Oraku no Kata later Korin'in
  • * Otase no Kata later Myosoin
  • * Ohana no Kata later Seiren'in
  • * Ohachi no Kata later Honrin'in
  • * Ohachi no Kata later Chisoin
  • * Osode no Kata later Honshoin
  • * Oyachi no Kata later Seishoin
  • * Osato no Kata later Chosoin
  • * Ocho no Kata later Sokuseiin
  • * Oshiga no Kata later Keimeiin
  • * Outa no Kata later Hoschiin
  • * Oume no Kata later Shinsei-in
  • * Oman no Kata later Seishin'in
  • * Obi no Kata later Hoshin'in

Children

Notable descendants

Tokugawa Nariyuki
Asahime married Matsudaira Naritsugu
  • Kikuhime
  • Yoshimaru
  • Kuninosuke
Tokugawa Naritaka
Yo-hime married Maeda Nariyasu
Matsudaira Naritami
  • Matsudaira Yasutomo
  • Hitoshimaru
  • daughter married Miura Yoshitsugu
  • Matsudaira Yasutami
  • * Matsudaira Yasuyoshi
  • * Matsudaira Yasuharu
  • * Takako married Ichishima Noriatsu
  • * Teruko married Shuta Yasuto
  • * Watanabe Akira
  • * Tsuruko married Matsudaira Yoritsune
  • * Sansuko married Isahaya Fujio
  • * Matsudaira Shiro
  • * Matsudaira Fumihiro
Suehime
  • Yakuhime
Kiyo-hime
  • Tokudairo
  • Kisohime married Sakai Tadatomi
Tokugawa Narikatsu
  • Ryuchiyo
  • Tatsujiro
  • Nobehime
  • Akihime
  • Junhime
  • Kikuhime
Hachisuka Narihiro
Tokugawa Ieyoshi
  • Takechiyo
  • Tatsuhime
  • Tomohime
  • Saigen-in
  • Yochiyo
  • Entsuin
  • Tokugawa Iesada
  • Maihime
  • Tokugawa Yoshimasa of Hitotsubashi-Tokugawa Family
  • Teruhime married Tokugawa Yoshiyori and later known as Teimei-in
  • Hanhime by Okaju
  • Tokugawa Harunojo
  • Tokugawa Atsugoro
  • Tokugawa Jikimaru
  • Tokugawa Ginnojo
  • Satohime
  • Chiehime
  • Yoshihime
  • Tokugawa Kamegoro
  • Maijihime
  • Wakahime
  • Shoyo-in
  • Okuhime
  • Tokugawa Tadashimaru
  • Shikihime
  • Sashin-in
  • Tokugawa Choyoshiro

Eras of Ienari's ''bakufu''

The years in which Ienari was shōgun are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.Tenmei Kansei Kyōwa Bunka Bunsei