Tokugawa Ietsuna

• Born: 1641
• Died: 1680/5/8
• Japanese: 徳川家綱 (Tokugawa Ietsuna)

Tokugawa Ietsuna was the fourth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, ruling from 1651/8/18 until his death on 1680/5/8. He was the eldest son of third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu.

Ietsuna became shogun in 1651, at age 11, following his father's death; he was advised by his uncle Hoshina Masayuki until he came of age eight years later, in 1659. In 1679, the year before his death, Ietsuna appointed Hotta Masatoshi Tairô (chief of the rôjû; chief shogunal advisor).

His concubines included Ofuri-no-kata; Ietsuna died with no heir, however, and was succeeded by his younger brother Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. He was buried at Kan'ei-ji, but his tomb, along with that of Tsunayoshi, were destroyed by Allied bombing in 1945.

Preceded by: Tokugawa Iemitsu

Tokugawa Shogunate 1651-1680

Succeeded by: Tokugawa Tsunayoshi

References

• Arai Hakuseki, Joyce Ackroyd (trans.), Told Round a Brushwood Fire, University of Tokyo Press (1979), 288n13.