Tokugawa Ieyoshi

Ieyoshi's grave at Zôjô-ji in Tokyo

• Born: 1793
• Died: 1853/6/22
• Reign: 1837-1853
• Titles: Sadaijin, Dajô daijin (posthumous)
• Childhood Name: 敏次郎 (Toshijirô)
• Posthumous Name: 慎徳院 (Shintoku-in)
• Japanese: 徳川 家慶 (Tokugawa Ieyoshi)

Tokugawa Ieyoshi was the 12th Tokugawa shogun.

The second son of Tokugawa Ienari, and the only surviving son not adopted away into another samurai family, he succeeded his father as shogun on 1837/9/2 following Ienari's abdication. His reign saw the Tenpô Reforms of Mizuno Tadakuni, and the beginnings of the Bakumatsu period and foreign policy efforts by Abe Masahiro.

Ieyoshi was the last shogun to visit Nikkô Tôshôgû, doing so in 1841.

Ieyoshi fell ill shortly before the arrival of Commodore Perry to Uraga in the 6th month of 1853, and died on 1853/6/22, shortly after Perry's departure (while Perry was in Ryûkyû). Several months later, Ieyoshi was succeeded by his son Tokugawa Iesada.

The imperial court posthumously granted him the title of Dajô Daijin, the Senior First Rank, and the posthumous Buddhist name Shintokuin.

Preceded by: Tokugawa Ienari

Tokugawa Shogun 1837-1853

Succeeded by: Tokugawa Iesada

References

• Evelyn Rawski, Early Modern China and Northeast Asia: Cross-Border Perspectives, Cambridge University Press (2015), 161.
• "Shiryôhen kaidai shiryô honkoku: Edo dachi ni tsuki oose watashi dome" 「史料編解題・史料翻刻「江戸立二付仰渡留」」, in Kamiya Nobuyuki 紙屋敦之 (ed.), Kinsei Nihon ni okeru gaikoku shisetsu to shakai hen'yô 3: taikun gaikô kaitai wo ou 『近世日本における外国使節と社会変容（３）－大君外交解体を追う－』, Tokyo: Waseda University (2009), p42n1.