Tokugawa Tsunayoshi

• Born: 1646
• Died: 1709/1/10
• Other Names: Jôken-in
• Japanese: 徳川綱吉 (Tokugawa Tsunayoshi)

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi was the fifth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, ruling from 1680/8/23 until his death from smallpox on 1709/1/10. He was the fourth son of third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu and shogunal concubine Keishôin. Tsunayoshi is known chiefly for his "Kindness to Animals Decrees" (shôrui awaremi no rei), and is thus often known as the "Dog Shogun" (Inu kubô).

From 1661 until 1680, he was lord of the 250,000 koku fief of Tatebayashi han in Kôzuke province.

Tsunayoshi succeeded his brother Tokugawa Ietsuna to become shogun on 1680/8/23. His rule is described as being quite strict at times, but as also quite arbitrary, and Tsunayoshi is generally regarded as one of the least competent of the shoguns. Even so, the bureaucrats and administrators under him did well, maintaining the day-to-day governance of the nation, and Japan saw several decades of incredible prosperity before the bubble burst and real problems began to sink in.

The first of Tsunayoshi's "Laws of Compassion" were issued in 1687; in 1708, he issued a further series of edicts, obligating that all animals were to be kindly treated; that if horses got tired while being ridden, they were to be stabled and taken care of by whatever mansions are nearby; and that post-horses were not to be overtaxed, and were to be well taken care of in both shogunal and domain lands.

His son Tokumatsu died at age five in 1683. Later in life, Tsunayoshi had no heir, and so in 1704 he named his nephew Tokugawa Ienobu his heir; Ienobu succeeded him as shogun following Tsunayoshi's death in 1709.

Tsunayoshi was buried at Kan'ei-ji, but his tomb was destroyed in the Allied bombing of Tokyo during World War II.

Preceded by: Tokugawa Ietsuna

Tokugawa Shogunate 1680-1709

Succeeded by: Tokugawa Ienobu

References

• Arai Hakuseki, Joyce Ackroyd (trans.), Told Round a Brushwood Fire, University of Tokyo Press (1979), 288n12.