Tokugawa Ienari (徳川 家斉; 18 November 1773 – 22 March 1841) 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 (1721–1764), head of the Hitotsubashi branch of the family, and his grandson Harusada (1751–1827).
Ienari died in 1841 and was given the Buddhist name Bunkyouin and buried at Kan'ei-ji.
Contents
Events of Ienari's bakufu
1787 (Tenmei 7): Ienari becomes the 11th shōgun of the bakufu government.
1788 (Tenmei 7): Riots in rice shops in Edo and Osaka.
6 – 11 March 1788 (Tenmei 8, 29th day of the 1st month – 4th day of the second month): 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 (March 8); and embers smolder until extinguished by heavy rain on the 4th day of the second month (March 11). 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 (Kansei 5, on the 18th day of the 1st month): Collapse of the peak of Mount Unzen.
17 March 1793 (Kansei 5, on the 6th day of the 2nd month): Eruption of Mt. Biwas-no-kubi
15 April 1793 (Kansei 5, on the 1st day of the 3rd month): The Shimabara earthquake.
10 May 1793 (Kansei 5, on the 1st day of the 4th month): Eruption of Mt. Miyama.
September 1817, the Shōgun orders the expulsion of Titia Bergsma, the first European woman to visit Japan
1833–1837, the Tenpō famine
1837 (Tenpō 7): Tokugawa Ieyoshi becomes the 12th shōgun of the bakufu government.
Family life
First wife
In 1778, the four-year-old Hitotsubashi Toyochiyo (豊千代), 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:
Hachisuka Narihiro, Tokushima Domain
Hachisuka Mochiaki
Hachisuka Masaaki (1871–1932)
Hachisuka Masauji (1903–1953)
Hachisuka Masako (1941)
Hachisuka Toshiko (1896–1970)
Matsudaira Naritami, Tsuyama Domain
Tokugawa Narikatsu (1820–1849), Shimizu Tokugawa family then to Wakayama Domain
Matsudaira Narisawa, Fukui Domain
Tokugawa Nariyuki (1801–1846), Wakayama Domain
Tokugawa Iemochi
Tazawa Hidenari, Tazawa Domain, as Tazawa Hideyasu's adopted son
Parents and siblings
Father: Tokugawa Harusada (1751–1827)
Mother: O-Tomi no Kata (d. 1817)
Adoptive Father: Tokugawa Ieharu
Siblings:
Kiihime married Hosokawa Naritatsu of Kumamoto Domain
Matsudaira Yoshisue (1785–1804) of Takasu Domain
Kuroda Naritaka (1777–1795) of Fukuoka Domain
Tokugawa Harukuni (1776–1793)
Tokugawa Nariatsu
Hisanosuke
Honnosuke
Tokugawa Narimasa
Yunosuke
Wife and concubines
Wife: Shimazu Shigehime, later Kodaiin (1773–1844), daughter of Shimazu Shigehide of Satsuma Domain
Concubine:
Omiyo no Kata (1797–1872) (There is legend said that Omiyo was daughter of Tokugawa Ieharu with a servant) later Senkoin
O-ito no kata
Oyae no Kata (d. 1843) later Kaishun'in
Oraku no Kata (d. 1810) later Korin'in
Otase no Kata (d. 1832) later Myosoin
Ohana no Kata (d. 1845) later Seiren'in
Ohachi no Kata later Honrin'in (d. 1850)
Ohachi no Kata (d. 1813) later Chisoin
Osode no Kata (d. 1830) later Honshoin
Oyachi no Kata (d. 1810) later Seishoin
Osato no Kata (d. 1800) later Chosoin
Ocho no Kata (d. 1852) later Sokuseiin
Oshiga no Kata (d. 1813) later Keimeiin
Outa no Kata (d. 1851) later Hoschiin
Oume no Kata (d. 1794)later Shinsei-in
Oman no Kata (d. 1835) later Seishin'in
Obi no Kata (d. 1808) later Hoshin'in
Children
Toshihime (1789–1817) married Tokugawa Naritomo by Oman
Koso-in (b. 1790) by Oman
Takechiyo (1792–1793) by Oman
Tokugawa Ieyoshi (1793–1837) by Korin'in
Hidehime (b. 1794) later Tansei-in by Oume
Ayahime (1795–1797; infant when died and replaced by her younger sister, Asahime) Married Date Chikamune of Sendai Domain by Oman
Tokugawa Keinosuke (1795–1797) by Outa
Tokugawa Atsunosuke (1796–1799) born by Shigehime inherited Shimazu-Tokugawa family
Sohime (1796–1797) by Oshiga
Tokugawa Toyasaburo (b. 1798) by Outa
Kakuhime (1798–1799) by Osato
Gohyakuhime (1799–1800) by Outa
Tazawa Hidenari
Tokugawa Hidemaru
Mine-hime (1800–1853) born by Otase and married Tokugawa Narinobu of Owari Domain
Tokugawa Nariyuki (1801–1846) inherited Shimizu-Tokugawa family later inherited Kii Domain and born to Otase
Toruhime (1801–1802) by Ocho
Jiyohime (1802–1803) by Oume
Asahime (1803–1843) married Date Chikamune later married Matsudaira Naritsugu of Fukui Domain by Obi
Notable descendants
Tokugawa Nariyuki (1801–1846)
Kikuhime
Yohime
Tokugawa Iemochi
Asahime (1803–1843) married Matsudaira Naritsugu
Kikuhime (1829–1829)
Yoshimaru (1835–1835)
Kuninosuke
Tokugawa Naritaka
Shomaru (1846–1847) inherited Hitotsubashi-Tokugawa family
Rihime married Asano Yoshiteru
Fuhime married Matsudaira Noritoshi
Yo-hime (1813–1868) married Maeda Nariyasu
Ikeda Yoshitaka (1834–1850)
Kanoshimaru
Maeda Yoshiyasu
Maeda Toshitsugu (1858–1900)
Namiko married Toshinari Maeda
Maeda Toshitatsu (1908–1989)
Maeda Toshiyasu (b. 1935)
Maeda Toshinori (b. 1963)
Matsudaira Naritami
Matsudaira Yasutomo
Hitoshimaru
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 (1781–1789)
Kansei (1789–1801)
Kyōwa (1801–1804)
Bunka (1804–1818)
Bunsei (1818–1830)
Tenpō (1830–1844)