History New head of Tokugawa clan to be instated

[thomas]

On 29 January, the Tokugawa clan, which produced successive shogun rulers throughout the Edo Period (1603-1867), will hold a ceremony to formally install its first new head in more than half a century, Tokugawa Iehiro (徳川家広, b. 1965), as the 19th generation head of the Tokugawa main branch. He is the great-great-grandson of Matsudaira Katamori , the last daimyō of the Aizu Domain.

On Jan. 1, writer and critic Iehiro Tokugawa, 57, was named 19th head of the household, making him the first new holder of the title in 60 years. His formal inauguration to the title will be held at Zojoji temple in the Shiba district of Tokyo's Minato Ward, which is home to the family's mausoleum. The development comes as Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) airs a history drama titled "Dosuru Ieyasu" (The way of Ieyasu) based on the story of the clan's founder, Ieyasu (1542-1616).

Following the end of World War II, Tsunenari served as the 18th head for six decades. But when he reached the age of 82, he decided to step aside. In November of last year, Iehiro embarked on pilgrimages to the Kunozan Toshogu shrine in Shizuoka Prefecture, Nikko Toshogu shrine in Tochigi Prefecture and other facilities dedicated to Ieyasu to hold Shinto and Buddhist rituals to "report" to his ancestors that he was the new head of the family. A key mission for the clan is to pass down to posterity historically significant records and assets the Tokugawa family owns. The Tokugawa Memorial Foundation, which was set up by Tsunenari in 2003, aimed to open those properties and display precious artifacts to the public.

Tokugawa clan’s place in history assured, says new family head | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Iehiro Tokugawa - Wikipedia

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History  Tokugawa Family

The Tokugawa (徳川) clan was a family of shōgun ruling Japan from 1600 to 1867. They hail from the village and the clan of the Matsudaira (松平) in Mikawa Province (present-day Aichi Prefecture). The Matsudaira clan claimed descent from the powerful Minamoto (源) clan through the Nitta (新田) clan. In...

• JREF
• 18 Dec 2011
• Category: History

Bio  Matsudaira Katamori (1836-1893)

Matsudaira Katamori (松平容保, 1836-1893) was the ninth and last daimyō of Aizu Domain. In the Bakumatsu, the final days of the Edo period, he served as Kyōto Shugoshoku (京都守護職, military commissioner) in the capital. Although he fought the imperial forces in the Boshin War, his life was spared...

• JREF
• 17 Feb 2022
• Category: History