Ukigumo
後輩
- 15 Mar 2025
- 1,382
- 2,684
You might know that after reading the fantastic, 'Dog Shōgun ' by Beatrice M. Bodart-Bailey I have developed a great admiration and respect for the fifth Tokugawa Shōgun, Tsunayoshi. So I was delighted to see this NHK World documentary on Tsunayoshi. There are a few of points that I would have liked to have seen emphasised in it, however. They are:
1) The Samurai were becoming increasingly hedonistic during Pax Tokugawa and they didn't like anyone interfering in their pursuit of pleasure, wealth and status. Have a read of 'A Very Short Introduction to…Samurai' by Michael Wert to see just how unworthy of respect and admiration they really were!
2) There are contemporaneous accounts suggesting Asano Naganori (lord of the forty-seven Rōnin ) was particularly hedonistic, promoting retainers that 'supplied' him with women rather than those that served him morally. He was allowed, and did neglect his martial practises, by these same retainers as evidenced by his inability to kill Kira with his sword, from behind, twice! His retainers planned their revenge in an elaborate attempt to avoid unemployment, and loss of status as rōnin.
3) Tsunayoshi was greatly influenced by his biological mother, who later became a nun, with whom he allowed to maintain close contact in his formative years since he never likely to become shōgun. She appears to have instilled Confucian and Buddhist ideas of compassion and morality into the young Tsunayoshi which later surfaced in his laws of compassion. She was clearly a strong, noble woman.
Please do watch this programme and hopefully change your opinion on the fifth Shōgun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi .
1) The Samurai were becoming increasingly hedonistic during Pax Tokugawa and they didn't like anyone interfering in their pursuit of pleasure, wealth and status. Have a read of 'A Very Short Introduction to…Samurai' by Michael Wert to see just how unworthy of respect and admiration they really were!
2) There are contemporaneous accounts suggesting Asano Naganori (lord of the forty-seven Rōnin ) was particularly hedonistic, promoting retainers that 'supplied' him with women rather than those that served him morally. He was allowed, and did neglect his martial practises, by these same retainers as evidenced by his inability to kill Kira with his sword, from behind, twice! His retainers planned their revenge in an elaborate attempt to avoid unemployment, and loss of status as rōnin.
3) Tsunayoshi was greatly influenced by his biological mother, who later became a nun, with whom he allowed to maintain close contact in his formative years since he never likely to become shōgun. She appears to have instilled Confucian and Buddhist ideas of compassion and morality into the young Tsunayoshi which later surfaced in his laws of compassion. She was clearly a strong, noble woman.
Please do watch this programme and hopefully change your opinion on the fifth Shōgun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi .
