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 prior to becoming shogun, succeeded his father as lord of the 555,000 koku domain of Wakayama han in 1705.

Yoshimune is known for taking a more proactive tack in effecting shogunate control over many facets of the economy of the realm. 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. He also imposed a variety of sumptuary laws, and granted authorization to merchant groups to form kabunakama, groups which paid the shogunate fees in exchange for monopoly rights to production and distribution of certain goods.

Preceded by: Tokugawa Ietsugu

Tokugawa Shogun 1716-1745

Succeeded by: Tokugawa Ieshige

References

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