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Nariakira is said to have been particularly intelligent and well-educated. His education and training was guided by his great-grandfather [[Shimazu Shigehide]], and by his mother [[Kenshoin|Kenshôin]]. He studied Western subjects under [[Aoki Shutei|Aoki Shûtei]]<!--青木周鼎--> and [[Ogata Koan|Ogata Kôan]], and later invited a number of scholars, including [[Takano Choei|Takano Chôei]], [[Kawamoto Komin|Kawamoto Kômin]], [[Ito Genboku|Itô Genboku]], [[Tsuboi Shindo|Tsuboi Shindô]], [[Totsuka Seikai]], and [[Terashima Munenori|Matsuki Kôan]] to come to Satsuma to produce translations of Western books, and to perform scientific experiments in order to advance knowledge and technology in Satsuma.<ref name=honjin>''Honjin ni tomatta daimyô tachi'', Toyohashi, Aichi: Futagawa-juku honjin shiryôkan (1996), 32.</ref>

Nariakira is said to have been particularly intelligent and well-educated. His education and training was guided by his great-grandfather [[Shimazu Shigehide]], and by his mother [[Kenshoin|Kenshôin]]. He studied Western subjects under [[Aoki Shutei|Aoki Shûtei]]<!--青木周鼎--> and [[Ogata Koan|Ogata Kôan]], and later invited a number of scholars, including [[Takano Choei|Takano Chôei]], [[Kawamoto Komin|Kawamoto Kômin]], [[Ito Genboku|Itô Genboku]], [[Tsuboi Shindo|Tsuboi Shindô]], [[Totsuka Seikai]], and [[Terashima Munenori|Matsuki Kôan]] to come to Satsuma to produce translations of Western books, and to perform scientific experiments in order to advance knowledge and technology in Satsuma.<ref name=honjin>''Honjin ni tomatta daimyô tachi'', Toyohashi, Aichi: Futagawa-juku honjin shiryôkan (1996), 32.</ref>

Born and raised in [[Edo]], Nariakira had a relatively weak power base in Satsuma, but was able to work more closely with both Satsuma and shogunate officials in Edo, such as the powerful ''[[roju|rôjû]]'' [[Abe Masahiro]], to effect certain policies or agreements. In [[1846]], he negotiated with Abe to implement positions and policies suggested by Satsuma advisors [[Godai Hidetaka]] and [[Zusho Shozaemon|Zusho Shôzaemon]] for defending [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû]] from Western encroachment; in order to make sure these plans would be implemented, Abe had Shogun [[Tokugawa Ieyoshi]] place Nariakira, and not the ''daimyô'' his father, in charge of overseeing the defense of Ryûkyû.<ref name=hellyer160>Robert Hellyer, ''Defining Engagement'', Harvard University Press (2009), 160-161.</ref> Nariakira would later also develop strong relationships with [[Tokugawa Nariaki]], lord of [[Mito han]]; [[Matsudaira Yoshinori]] of [[Echizen han]]; [[Tokugawa Yoshikatsu]] of [[Owari han]]; [[Yamauchi Yodo|Yamauchi Yôdô]] of [[Tosa han]]; and [[Date Munenari]] of [[Uwajima han]].<ref name=honjin/>

Born and raised in [[Edo]], Nariakira had a relatively weak power base in Satsuma, but was able to work more closely with both Satsuma and shogunate officials in Edo, such as the powerful ''[[roju|rôjû]]'' [[Abe Masahiro]], to effect certain policies or agreements. In [[1846]], he negotiated with Abe to implement positions and policies suggested by Satsuma advisors [[Godai Hidetaka]] and [[Zusho Shozaemon|Zusho Shôzaemon]] for defending [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû]] from Western encroachment; in order to make sure these plans would be implemented, Abe had Shogun [[Tokugawa Ieyoshi]] place Nariakira, and not the ''daimyô'' his father, in charge of overseeing the defense of Ryûkyû.<ref name=hellyer160>Robert Hellyer, ''Defining Engagement'', Harvard University Press (2009), 160-161.</ref> Nariakira would later also develop strong relationships with [[Tokugawa Nariaki]], lord of [[Mito han]]; [[Matsudaira Shungaku]] of [[Echizen han]]; [[Tokugawa Yoshikatsu]] of [[Owari han]]; [[Yamauchi Yodo|Yamauchi Yôdô]] of [[Tosa han]]; and [[Date Munenari]] of [[Uwajima han]].<ref name=honjin/>

Amidst the Western incursions of the late 1830s or early 1840s, and with the support of the shogunate, Nariakira returned to Satsuma, and began directly effecting the enhancement of coastal defenses, among other activities, to the resentment of his father's faction, including his father's chief advisor, Zusho. As a result of the tension between these two factions within the domain government, Nariakira and Zusho went about implementing their plans separately, sometimes at odds with one another, and sometimes acting redundantly, not discussing their plans with one another. Nariakira's power within the domain ebbed and waned as he and his father exchanged places, traveling between Kagoshima and Edo.<ref name=hellyer160/>

Amidst the Western incursions of the late 1830s or early 1840s, and with the support of the shogunate, Nariakira returned to Satsuma, and began directly effecting the enhancement of coastal defenses, among other activities, to the resentment of his father's faction, including his father's chief advisor, Zusho. As a result of the tension between these two factions within the domain government, Nariakira and Zusho went about implementing their plans separately, sometimes at odds with one another, and sometimes acting redundantly, not discussing their plans with one another. Nariakira's power within the domain ebbed and waned as he and his father exchanged places, traveling between Kagoshima and Edo.<ref name=hellyer160/>