Tokugawa TsunayoshiThe 5th Shogun, known as the Dog Shogun

The Edo Shogunate, established by Tokugawa Ieyasu, enjoyed a period of stable rule under the third Shogun, Iemitsu, who put down the Amakusa Rebellion and other uprisings. Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, who succeeded his brother, the fourth Shogun, Ietsuna, as the fifth Shogun, implemented stable politics in the first half of his reign, but in the second half he issued the infamous "Edict to Show Compassion for Living Things." However, he also had another side, such as placing importance on Confucianism. Let's take a look at Tsunayoshi's turbulent life.

From birth to the Tatebayashi feudal lord era

He was born in Edo Castle on January 8, 1646, as the fourth son of the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu. His mother was Otama no Kata (later known as Keishoin), a concubine of Iemitsu, and his childhood name was Tokumatsu.

In April 1651, together with his third brother Nagamatsu (later known as Tokugawa Tsunashige), he was bestowed with 150,000 koku as bribes from Omi, Mino, Shinano, Suruga, and Kozuke, and was given a group of vassals.

In the same month, his father, Iemitsu, died, and in August, his eldest brother, Tokugawa Ietsuna, was proclaimed shogun and became the fourth shogun.

In August 1653, when Ietsuna was promoted to Minister of the Right, the two younger brothers came of age and were given the name Tsunashige and Tokumatsu Tsunayoshi, respectively, after receiving the character "tsuna" from their given names (they are said to have adopted the Matsudaira surname "Matsudaira Ubata no Kami Tsunayoshi"). At the same time, they were appointed Junior Fourth Rank, Left Vice-Captain of the Konoe and Ubata no Kami, and in the same year were promoted to Senior Third Rank.

In 1657, the third year of the Meireki era, his house in Takebashi was destroyed in the Great Fire of Meireki, so he moved to Kanda in September. In the leap August of 1661, he was granted 250,000 koku and became the lord of Ueno Tatebayashi Domain.

In December, he was appointed as a councilor, and around this time he became known as "Tatebayashi Saisho." It is believed that he also took the surname Tokugawa at the same time (the founding of the Tatebayashi Tokugawa family).

The shogunate continued to accompany Tsunayoshi, with nearly 380 people dispatched from his birth until he became the lord of Tatebayashi. In 1670, the 10th year of the Kanbun era, Makino Shigesada was promoted to the position of chief retainer of the Tatebayashi domain with a stipend of 3,000 koku. Although he became the lord of Tatebayashi, Tsunayoshi himself basically lived in Edo, and 80% of his retainers were stationed at the Kanda palace. For this reason, it is said that the only time Tsunayoshi ever visited Tatebayashi in his life was on the way back from a pilgrimage to Nikko in 1663, when he accompanied Shogun Ietsuna.

On the other hand, on November 19, 1668, Tsunayoshi received permission from the Shogun to visit the falconry grounds and presented him with a wild goose. Afterwards, Ishikawa Norimasa went to the Tatebayashi hunting grounds as an envoy from the Shogun to return the favor, so it is assumed that Tsunayoshi sometimes visited Tatebayashi for falconry.

From Lord of Tatebayashi to successor to the Shogun

His older brother, Tokugawa Ietsuna, the fourth shogun, did not have a male heir.
Ietsuna's concubines, Ofuru and Omanryu, became pregnant with his children, but unfortunately they suffered successive stillbirths and miscarriages, and they were unable to produce a boy to take on the name "Takechiyo," which was Ieyasu's childhood name and had been the name taken by the successor to the Tokugawa Shogunate for generations.

In the end, Ietsuna was in his mid-30s and still had no male heir to succeed him, and the issue of who would succeed him as shogun was a cause for concern. He fell ill in early May of the 8th year of the Enpo era (1680).

Ietsuna, who was in critical condition, adopted his younger brother Matsudaira Tsunayoshi (Tokugawa Tsunayoshi), the lord of Tatebayashi Domain, as his successor at the urging of Hotta Masatoshi, and died shortly thereafter on May 8. With the death of Ietsuna, the system of direct lineage of the Tokugawa Shogunate succeeding the position of Shogun by hereditary descendants collapsed.

His third brother Tsunashige, who could have been adopted by Ietsuna, had already died, so Tsunayoshi was welcomed into the Ninomaru of Edo Castle as Ietsuna's adopted heir. After Ietsuna died at the age of 40 in the same month, Tsunayoshi became Minister of the Interior and Ukon'e Taisho (General of the Right Division of the Imperial Guard), and was subsequently proclaimed Shogun. Thus, the fifth Shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, was born.

The first half of his reign was a time of good governance

Tsunayoshi deposed Sakai Tadayasu, who had served as chief advisor during the time of his brother, the fourth shogun, Ietsuna, and appointed Hotta Masatoshi, who had contributed greatly to Tsunayoshi's inauguration as shogun, as chief advisor. Tadayasu later died of illness, but Tsunayoshi, who wanted to remove the Sakai family from the position, is said to have ordered his Ōmetsuke to "dig up his grave" and to investigate to an extraordinary extent whether he had died of illness.

In the end, no evidence was found that was sufficient to warrant a purge, and in the end, Tadanao's younger brother, Tadanao, was falsely accused and stripped of his position.

Unlike Ietsuna, who was not very involved in politics, Tsunayoshi was proactive in getting involved in politics, such as re-adjudicating the succession issue of the Echigo Takada Domain (the Echigo Disturbance), for which punishment had been confirmed, and auditing the politics of various domains. Thanks to this, it can be said that he worked to restore the authority of the Shogun, which had declined during the time of Ietsuna, who was maligned as "Sadasama."

He also established the Kanjo Ginmiyaku (financial auditors) to audit the shogunate's accounts, and tried to appoint capable small-ranked samurai. In fact, Ogiwara Shigehide was appointed from this position. In addition, he made an effort to appoint capable personnel, including some outside daimyo to the shogunate.

He also eliminated the brutal atmosphere of the Warring States period and promoted a civil government that valued virtue. This was influenced by the Confucianism that his father, Iemitsu, instilled in Tsunayoshi. Having almost come to an end in a fight over the succession with his younger brother, Iemitsu seemed to want Tsunayoshi to "know his place as a younger brother and not show disrespect to Ietsuna."

Tsunayoshi was a Shogun who loved learning, often summoning Hayashi Nobuatsu to discuss the Classics, and lecturing on the Four Books and the Book of Changes to the Shogunate officials. He also built the Yushima Seido Hall as a center of learning. Influenced by Confucianism, he was known as the Shogun who had the deepest respect for the Emperor among all the Shoguns, and donated an increased amount of Imperial land from 10,000 koku to 30,000 koku. He also surveyed the Imperial tombs in Yamato and Kawachi provinces, and spent huge sums to restore those that needed repair, to a total of 66 tombs.

The nobles' estates also roughly doubled during Tsunayoshi's time, suggesting that their relationships with the Imperial Court were also good.
Later, Tsunayoshi forced the lord of Ako, Asano Naganori, to commit seppuku on the same day, an unprecedented move for a feudal lord, and this was largely due to Tsunayoshi's rage at the ruin of a formal ceremony with the Imperial Court. Tsunayoshi's respect for Confucianism also led to the emergence of such scholars as Arai Hakuseki, Muro Kyusu, Ogyu Sorai, Amemyo Hoshu, and Yamaga Soko, creating the foundation for the flourishing of Confucianism during this period.
Because of these political stances, the first half of Tsunayoshi's reign was praised as "Tenwa no Chi" (Tenwa era), as it was basically a period of good governance.

The latter half of his reign was criticized as a bad one.

However, in 1684, after Hotta Masatoshi was stabbed to death by the junior councilor Inaba Masayasu, Tsunayoshi no longer appointed a chief advisor, and instead placed greater emphasis on chamberlains such as Makino Shigesada and Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, keeping the senior councilors at a distance.

Tsunayoshi was also influenced by the Confucian concept of filial piety, and gave special treatment to his mother, Keishoin, including bestowing the unprecedented high rank of Junior First Rank on her by the Imperial Court. It is also said that special arrangements were made for the Honjo and Makino families (lords of Komoro Domain) who had close ties to Keishoin.

It was from this time that the government began to implement a series of policies that would later be described as "bad governance," including the famous "Edict to Show Compassion for Living Things."
It is said that the "Edict to Show Compassion for Living Things" was issued based on the words of Priest Ryuko, who was his mother's favorite, but this theory is considered to be unreliable.

However, the commonly held belief that this was a "harsh and evil law" is being reconsidered in the context of a review of Edo period history. There were many other laws issued, which contributed to the deterioration of the Shogunate's finances. As a result, the Shogunate implemented a plan to recoin currency, as proposed by the Kanjo Ginmiyaku (later Kanjo Bugyo) Ogiwara Shigehide. However, due to the fact that the timing of the recoinage had been somewhat over, the imbalance in the decline in the quality of Genroku gold and Genroku silver, and the hoarding of good quality old currency by the wealthy, this ended up disrupting the economy instead.

After the death of his eldest son, Tokumatsu, the successor to the shogunate was decided, and Tokugawa Tsunanori (Kishu Tokugawa family), who was Tsunayoshi's son-in-law (husband of his daughter, Tsuruhime), was a candidate, but there is a theory that Tokugawa Mitsukuni opposed it. In 1704, the sixth shogun was decided to be Tsunayoshi's nephew (son of his elder brother Tsunashige), Tsunayoshi (later Ienobu) of the Kofu Tokugawa family.

Tsunayoshi died of adult measles (smallpox) on January 10, 1709, at the age of 64.
After Tsunayoshi's death, the Edict to Show Compassion for Living Things was quickly abolished.

Order to Show Compassion for Living Things

"The Law for the Compassionate Treatment of Living Things" is the common name for various laws and regulations aimed at protecting animals, infants, and injured people with the aim of showing compassion to living things. It can be said to be a general term for various laws and regulations enacted during Tsunayoshi's time with the aim of showing compassion to living things.

The subjects of the rescue were abandoned children, sick people, the elderly, and animals, including dogs, cats, birds, fish, shellfish, and insects.
Fishermen were permitted to fish, and there is a theory that ordinary citizens were allowed to buy the fish they caught.

In a town notice dated October 10, 1687 (the 4th year of the Jōkyō era), it was explained that Tsunayoshi was implementing a policy of compassion for living things in order to "foster people's compassion." There is also a record that in the 4th year of the Genroku era, the Rojū (senior councilors) gave the same explanation to various government officials.

Tsunayoshi, who was a great believer in Confucianism, immediately after assuming the position of Shogun, citing the principle of "benevolent governance," significantly scaled back on falconry ceremonies and decided not to engage in falconry himself.

It was once believed that Tsunayoshi, worried about having no successor, issued the document at the urging of Priest Ryūko, to whom his mother, Keishōin, was a follower, but the view that Ryūko was the originator has been fading in recent years.

This theory is based on the Sanno Gaiki, which is said to have been written by Dazai Shundai, but the policy of showing compassion to living things had actually been started before 1686, when Takamitsu began staying in Edo as the resident attendant at Chisokuin Temple.
Tokugawa Ieyasu was very fond of falconry, but the practice was banned by the Edict for Compassion for Living Things, and gifts of falconry prey were also prohibited.

This law also had a huge impact in the provinces. The law on horse protection was notified to each domain by the Roju, and the Satsuma Domain, in turn, notified the Ryukyu Kingdom, which it controlled at the time.

However, it seems that enforcement was not so strict in some areas. Asahi Shigeaki, a samurai of the Owari clan who wrote "Okuma-ko-chu-ki," loved fishing and casting nets, and there are records that he violated the ban by visiting fishing grounds 76 times and repeatedly "killing animals" even before the ban was lifted with the death of Tsunayoshi.

In addition, in Nagasaki, pork and chicken were originally used frequently in cooking, so it is believed that the Edict to Show Compassion for Living Things was not (could not) be implemented thoroughly.

The Nagasaki Town Elders issued notices in 1692 and 1694 stating that the ban on killing was not being strictly enforced in Nagasaki and that in the future even the common people should abide by it. However, even in these notices they made exceptions for Chinese and Dutch people in Nagasaki, allowing them to eat pork, chicken, and other animals.

In Edo Castle, the use of chicken, shellfish, and shrimp in cooking was prohibited from the 2nd year of the Jokyo era, but it was permitted for them to be used in cooking for nobles. This is said to have been a result of placing more importance on ceremonies than on policies regarding living creatures.

In particular, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi is often said to have protected dogs, which is one of the reasons why he came to be called the "Dog Shogun." It is said that this is because Tokugawa Tsunayoshi was born in the year of the Heijutsu.

On his deathbed in January 1709, Tsunayoshi asked his successor, Ienobu, to continue his policy of caring for all living things even after his death. However, in the same month, a policy to abolish dog kennels was immediately announced, and many regulations regarding dogs, their consumption, and pets were gradually abolished.

However, some laws continued to be in place, such as the prohibition of abandoning cattle and horses, and the protection of abandoned children and sick people. In addition, the law that did not require dogs and cats to be tied up during the Shogun's visit continued even after Tsunayoshi's death, but was abolished by the eighth Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune. It was also during Yoshimune's reign that falconry was revived.

It is said that the farmers were happy that Ienobu revoked the Edict for Compassionate Treatment of Living Things.
That's probably why it had such a big impact on my life.

After Tsunayoshi's death

Tsunayoshi died of adult measles on January 10, 1709. His wife, Takatsukasa Nobuko, also died of measles around the same time, which suggests that Tsunayoshi and Nobuko did not get along well as a married couple, and because Nobuko died after Tsunayoshi's death, strange rumors have been passed down to posterity.

At that time, when the Shogun or the Empress died, it was customary for the body to be dressed in formal attire and worshipped until the coffin was carried out.
After Tsunayoshi and Nobuko's ceremony, many women in the Ooku contracted measles and lost their lives, which has led to the theory that the disease may have spread from their bodies to the closed environment of the Ooku.

At that time, diseases such as measles, which are not life-threatening today, were easily spread in the Ooku, which was closed off and where medical science was not as advanced as it is today, and many people lost their lives in it, not just during Tsunayoshi's time.