Tokugawa Tadanaga


Tokugawa Tadanaga was a Japanese daimyō of the early Edo period. The son of the second shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada, his elder brother was the third shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu.

Biography

Often called Suruga Dainagon, Tadanaga was born in 1606. His birth name was Kunichiyo. The date of his birth is uncertain, and is variously given as May 7, June 1, and December 3. Blessed with military and intellectual prowess and a generosity of spirit, he received support from his mother, Oeyo, who favored him over her other son Takechiyo to become the third shogun. Just after the death of their father shogun Hidetada, Iemitsu accused his brother, already under house arrest in Kōfu, of insanity, stripped him of all possessions and offices, leaving him to commit seppuku.
It is also said that Tadanaga's face was similar to that of his cousin Toyotomi Hideyori and for that reason Ieyasu hated and feared Tadanaga.
He married Masako later Shōkō-in, the daughter of Oda Nobuyoshi, who was the grandson of Oda Nobunaga through Oda Nobukatsu.
The Suruga Dainagon Residence was close to Honmaru enceinte of Edo Castle to the northwest, and is depicted on the upper right side of the "View of Edo" folding screens from the 17th century.

Events