Tokugawa Yoshimune

• Born: 1684
• Died: 1751
• Other Names: Yûtoku-in
• Japanese: 徳川吉宗 (Tokugawa Yoshimune)

Tokugawa Yoshimune was the eighth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, reigning from 1716 to 1745.

He was the third son of Tokugawa Mitsusada of the Kishû Tokugawa clan, and succeeded his father as lord of the 555,000 koku domain of Wakayama han in 1705.

Among his many policies, he effected a dramatic increase in the domestic production of sugar, silk, and ginseng, three goods which had previously been heavily imported, as part of efforts to stem the outflow of silver from the country.

Preceded by: Tokugawa Ietsugu

Tokugawa Shogunate 1716-1745

Succeeded by: Tokugawa Ieshige

References

• Arai Hakuseki, Joyce Ackroyd (trans.), Told Round a Brushwood Fire, University of Tokyo Press (1979), 311n26.