Mito Tokugawa clan

• Japanese: 水戸徳川家 (Mito Tokugawa ke)

The Tokugawa of Mito han were one of the Gosanke, the three branch families of Tokugawa Ieyasu's own lineage, and the highest ranking samurai families below that Tokugawa main line. Based at the 330,000 koku domain of Mito in Hitachi province, the Mito Tokugawa were descended from Ieyasu's 11th son Tokugawa Yorifusa. The last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu was born into the Mito house before becoming shogun; his father, Tokugawa Nariaki, lord of Mito domain, played a prominent role in Bakumatsu politics prior to his death in 1860.

The lord of Mito domain was one of the jôfu lords, being stationed in Edo regularly rather than engaging in alternate attendance (sankin kôtai). The domain's primary mansions in Edo were located at Komagome and at Koishikawa; the site of the latter is today Koishikawa Kôrakuen Gardens.

Successive heads of the Mito Tokugawa house

1. Tokugawa Yorifusa (son of Tokugawa Ieyasu)
2. Tokugawa Mitsukuni (son of Yorifusa)
3. Tokugawa Tsunaeda (son of Matsudaira Yorishige of a Mito branch house)
4. Tokugawa Munetaka (son of Matsudaira Yoritoyo of a Mito branch house)
5. Tokugawa Munemoto (son of Munetaka)
6. Tokugawa Harumori (son of Munemoto)
7. Tokugawa Harutoshi (son of Harumori)
8. Tokugawa Narinobu (son of Harutoshi)
9. Tokugawa Nariaki (son of Harutoshi)
10. Tokugawa Yoshiatsu (son of Nariaki)
11. Tokugawa Akitake (son of Nariaki)

References

• Gallery labels, Edo-Tokyo Museum.[1]