Mizuno Tadakuni
Encyclopedia
was a daimyō
during late-Edo period
Japan
, who later served as chief senior councilor (Rōjū
) in service to the Tokugawa Shogunate
. He is remembered for having instituted the Tenpo Reform.
, the daimyō of Karatsu Domain
. As his elder brother died at an early age, Tadakuni became heir in 1805 and was presented to Shogun
Tokugawa Ienari
and future Shogun Tokugawa Ieyoshi
in a formal audience in 1807. In 1812, on the retirement of his father, he became head of the Mizuno clan
and daimyō of Karatsu. He entered the service of the Tokugawa shogunate as a Sōshaban
(Master of Ceremonies) at Edo Castle
in 1816. However, faced with increasing difficulties over the policing of the foreign trade port
of Nagasaki
, in 1817, Tadakuni petitioned to be transferred from the Karatsu Domain to the much smaller Hamamatsu Domain
in Tōtōmi Province
. Although both domains were ranked officially at 70,000 koku
, Karatsu Domain had an effective income of 253,000 koku as opposed to only 153,000 koku for Hamamatsu. As a consequence, this transfer was met with outrage and disbelief by his senior retainers, resulting in the seppuku
of his senior advisor, but Tadakuni would not be dissuaded. The same year, within the shogunal administration, he received the post of Jisha-bugyō
(Commissioner of Shrine and Temples).
In 1825, Tadakuni received the post of Osaka jōdai
(Castellan of Osaka), with a promotion to Lower 4th Court Rank. The following year (1826), he became Kyoto Shoshidai
, the shogunate’s official representative to the Court in Kyoto
. His courtesy title was changed from Izumi-no-kami to Echizen-no-kami. In 1828, Tadakuni became a Rōju. He steadily rose through the ranks of the Rōjū to become Senior Rōjū in 1839.
As Rōjū Mizuno Tadakuni wielded tremendous political power, and attempted to overhaul the shogunate’s finances and social controls in the aftermath of the Great Tempo Famine of 1832-36 by the passage of numerous sumptuary law
s which came to be known as the Tenpo Reform. The Reform tried to stabilize the economy, through a return to the frugality, simplicity and discipline that were characteristic from the early Edo period by banning most forms of entertainment and displays of wealth. The proved extremely unpopular with the commoners. Another part of the Reform included the Agechi-rei which was to have daimyō in the vicinity of Edo
and Ōsaka
surrender their holdings for equal amounts of land elsewhere, thereby consolidating Tokugawa control over these strategically vital areas. However, this was also greatly unpopular amongst daimyō of all ranks and income levels. The general failure of the Reforms caused Tadakuni to lose favor. To complicate his situation future, in May 1844, Edo Castle
burned down. On February 22, 1845 he was relieved of his position in the government, and on September 2, 1845 he was exiled to Yamagata Domain
in Dewa Province
, where he remained in exile until his death. He died on March 12, 1851, five days before word of his release from exile would have reached him. He was succeeded by his son Mizuno Tadakiyo
, who was also an important figure in the late Tokugawa shogunate.
Mizuno Tadakuni was married to a daughter of Sakai Tadayuki
, a wakadoshiyori
and daimyō of Obama Domain
.
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
during late-Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, who later served as chief senior councilor (Rōjū
Roju
The ', usually translated as Elder, was one of the highest-ranking government posts in Tokugawa Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council as a whole; under the first two shoguns, there were only two Rōjū...
) in service to the Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
. He is remembered for having instituted the Tenpo Reform.
Biography
Mizuno Tadakuni was the second son of Mizuno TadaakiMizuno Tadaaki
was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, who ruled the Karatsu Domain. He was the eldest son of the previous lord, Mizuno Tadakane; after Tadakane's retirement in 1805, he received headship and the title of daimyo. Tadaaki dismissed Nihonmatsu Yoshikado; the karō whom his father had relied on....
, the daimyō of Karatsu Domain
Karatsu Domain
' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Hizen Province, in Kyūshū. Its seat of government was in Karatsu Castle, in modern-day Karatsu, Saga.-History:...
. As his elder brother died at an early age, Tadakuni became heir in 1805 and was presented to Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Tokugawa Ienari
Tokugawa Ienari
Tokugawa Ienari; 徳川 家斉 was the eleventh and longest serving shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan who held office from 1787 to 1837.-First wife:...
and future Shogun Tokugawa Ieyoshi
Tokugawa Ieyoshi
Tokugawa Ieyoshi was the 12th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan.He was the second son of the 11th shogun, Tokugawa Ienari, and appointed Mizuno Tadakuni to conduct the Tenpo reform....
in a formal audience in 1807. In 1812, on the retirement of his father, he became head of the Mizuno clan
Mizuno clan
The was a Japanese clan which claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji branch of the Minamoto clan. In the Edo period, the Mizuno clan produced many men who were fudai daimyo serving the Tokugawa shogun, as well as countless families of hatamoto...
and daimyō of Karatsu. He entered the service of the Tokugawa shogunate as a Sōshaban
Sōshaban
were officials of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo period Japan. Conventional interpretations have construed this Japanese title as "master of ceremonies."...
(Master of Ceremonies) at Edo Castle
Edo Castle
, also known as , is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan. It is located in Chiyoda in Tokyo, then known as Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa shogunate here. It was the residence of the shogun and location of the shogunate, and also...
in 1816. However, faced with increasing difficulties over the policing of the foreign trade port
Dejima
was a small fan-shaped artificial island built in the bay of Nagasaki in 1634. This island, which was formed by digging a canal through a small peninsula, remained as the single place of direct trade and exchange between Japan and the outside world during the Edo period. Dejima was built to...
of Nagasaki
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese in the second half of the 16th century on the site of a small fishing village, formerly part of Nishisonogi District...
, in 1817, Tadakuni petitioned to be transferred from the Karatsu Domain to the much smaller Hamamatsu Domain
Hamamatsu Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Tōtōmi Province. It was centered on what is now Hamamatsu Castle in what is now the city of Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture....
in Tōtōmi Province
Totomi Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today western Shizuoka Prefecture. Tōtōmi bordered on Mikawa, Suruga and Shinano Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .-History:...
. Although both domains were ranked officially at 70,000 koku
Koku
The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...
, Karatsu Domain had an effective income of 253,000 koku as opposed to only 153,000 koku for Hamamatsu. As a consequence, this transfer was met with outrage and disbelief by his senior retainers, resulting in the seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
of his senior advisor, but Tadakuni would not be dissuaded. The same year, within the shogunal administration, he received the post of Jisha-bugyō
Jisha-bugyo
was a "commissioner" or an "overseer" of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo period Japan. Appointments to this prominent office were always fudai daimyō, the lowest-ranking of the shogunate offices to be so restricted...
(Commissioner of Shrine and Temples).
In 1825, Tadakuni received the post of Osaka jōdai
Osaka jodai
were officials of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo period Japan. Appointments to this prominent office were exclusively fudai daimyō. Conventional interpretations have construed these Japanese titles as "commissioner" or "overseer" or "governor."...
(Castellan of Osaka), with a promotion to Lower 4th Court Rank. The following year (1826), he became Kyoto Shoshidai
Kyoto Shoshidai
The was an important administrative and political office in the early modern government of Japan. However, the significance and effectiveness of the office is credited to the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, who developed these initial creations as bureaucratic elements in a consistent and...
, the shogunate’s official representative to the Court in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. His courtesy title was changed from Izumi-no-kami to Echizen-no-kami. In 1828, Tadakuni became a Rōju. He steadily rose through the ranks of the Rōjū to become Senior Rōjū in 1839.
As Rōjū Mizuno Tadakuni wielded tremendous political power, and attempted to overhaul the shogunate’s finances and social controls in the aftermath of the Great Tempo Famine of 1832-36 by the passage of numerous sumptuary law
Sumptuary law
Sumptuary laws are laws that attempt to regulate habits of consumption. Black's Law Dictionary defines them as "Laws made for the purpose of restraining luxury or extravagance, particularly against inordinate expenditures in the matter of apparel, food, furniture, etc." Traditionally, they were...
s which came to be known as the Tenpo Reform. The Reform tried to stabilize the economy, through a return to the frugality, simplicity and discipline that were characteristic from the early Edo period by banning most forms of entertainment and displays of wealth. The proved extremely unpopular with the commoners. Another part of the Reform included the Agechi-rei which was to have daimyō in the vicinity of Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
and Ōsaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
surrender their holdings for equal amounts of land elsewhere, thereby consolidating Tokugawa control over these strategically vital areas. However, this was also greatly unpopular amongst daimyō of all ranks and income levels. The general failure of the Reforms caused Tadakuni to lose favor. To complicate his situation future, in May 1844, Edo Castle
Edo Castle
, also known as , is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan. It is located in Chiyoda in Tokyo, then known as Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa shogunate here. It was the residence of the shogun and location of the shogunate, and also...
burned down. On February 22, 1845 he was relieved of his position in the government, and on September 2, 1845 he was exiled to Yamagata Domain
Yamagata Domain
Yamagata Domain was a Japanese fief , located in Dewa province, in the Tōhoku region . Modern-day Yamagata Prefecture is roughly contiguous with the domain, and its capital city, also called Yamagata, grew up out of the daimyo's castle town...
in Dewa Province
Dewa Province
is an old province of Japan, comprising modern-day Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture, except for the city of Kazuno and the town of Kosaka. It was sometimes called .-Historical record:...
, where he remained in exile until his death. He died on March 12, 1851, five days before word of his release from exile would have reached him. He was succeeded by his son Mizuno Tadakiyo
Mizuno Tadakiyo
was a daimyō during Bakumatsu period Japan, who served as chief senior councilor in service to the Tokugawa Shogunate.-Biography:Mizuno Tadakiyo was the eldest son of Mizuno Tadakuni, the daimyō of Hamamatsu Domain and chief senior councilor in service to the Tokugawa Shogunate...
, who was also an important figure in the late Tokugawa shogunate.
Mizuno Tadakuni was married to a daughter of Sakai Tadayuki
Sakai Tadayuki
was a Japanese daimyo of the mid to late Edo period, who ruled the Obama Domain.The Sakai were identified as one of the fudai or insider daimyō clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan, in contrast with the tozama or outsider clans.-Sakai clan genealogy:Tadayuki was part...
, a wakadoshiyori
Wakadoshiyori
The ', or "Junior Elders", were high government officials in 17th century Tokugawa Japan. The position was established around 1631, but appointments were irregular until 1662....
and daimyō of Obama Domain
Obama Domain
The Obama Domain was a Japanese feudal domain of the Edo period, based at Obama Castle in Wakasa Province ....
.