Tanuma Okitsugu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In this Japanese name, the family name is Tanuma.
Tanuma Okitsugu
Lord of Sagara
In office
1767 – 1786
Preceded by Honda Tadanaka
Succeeded by Tanuma Okiaki
Born September 11, 1719(1719-09-11)
Edo, Japan
Died August 25, 1788 (aged 68)
Edo, Japan
Nationality Japanese

Tanuma Okitsugu (田沼意次?) (September 11, 1719, Edo, Japan - August 25, 1788, Edo) was a Rōjū (government official) of the Tokugawa shogunate who introduced monetary reform. He was also a daimyo, and ruled the Sagara Domain. He was sometimes identified as Tonomo-no-kami.[1]

Though his reform has no particular name, it is identified with rampant corruption and huge inflation of currency. In Tenmei 4 (1784), the son of the Shogun's chief counselor was assassinated inside Edo Castle. The comparatively young wakadoshiyori (junior councilor), Tanuma Okitomo, was Okitsugu's son. The younger Tanuma was killed in front of his father as both were returning to their norimono after a meeting of the Counselors of State had broken up. The involvement of senior figures in the bakufu was suspected; however, none but the lone assassin himself was punished. The result was that Tanuma-initiated, liberalizing reforms within the bakufu and relaxing the strictures of sakoku were blocked.[2] Tanuma Okitsugu's son was killed by Sano Masakoto, a hatamoto.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Screech, Timon. (2006). Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1822, p. 222 n65.
  2. ^ Screech, pp. 148-151, 163-170, 248.
Preceded by
Honda Tadanaka		 Lord of Sagara
1767-1786		 Succeeded by
Tanuma Okiaki

[edit] References

  • Hall, John Wesley. (1955) Tanuma Okitsugu: Foreruner of Modern Japan. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
  • Screech, Timon. (2006). Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1822. London: RoutledgeCurzon. ISBN 0-7007-1720-X
  • Titsingh, Issac. (1820). Mémoires et Anecdotes sur la Dynastie régnante des Djogouns, Souverains du Japon, avec la description des fêtes et cérémonies observées aux différentes époques de l'année à la Cour de ces Princes. et un appendice contenant des détails sur la poésie des Japonais, leur manière de diviser l'année. Paris: Nepveu.

[edit] See also


 This biographical article related to Japan is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Languages