Tokugawa Muneharu
Encyclopedia
was a daimyo
in Japan
during the Edo period
. He was the seventh Tokugawa
lord of the Owari Domain
, and one of the gosanke
.
by a concubine, and a great-great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu
. During his lifetime, he rose to the junior third rank in the Imperial court, and held the titular office of Gon-Chūnagon
(acting middle councilor). He was posthumously awarded the junior second rank and the office of Gon-Dainagon
(acting great councilor). Among his brothers were Tokugawa Yoshimichi
and Tokugawa Tsugutomo
(the fourth and sixth lords of Owari), and Matsudaira Yoshitaka (second lord of the Mino Takasu Domain). A sister, Matsuhime, married Maeda Yoshinori
, lord of the Kaga Domain
, which was the richest domain in Japan outside the Tokugawa's own holdings. Muneharu did not marry, but had numerous concubines. His fourth daughter married the kampaku Konoe Uchisaki
.
Tokugawa Yoshimune
for excessive frugality. In 1739, following a long dispute with Yoshimune, Muneharu was forced into retirement and confined within the grounds of Nagoya Castle
. A relative succeeded him as lord of Owari, taking the name Tokugawa Munekatsu
. After the death of Yoshimune, Muneharu moved outside the palace grounds. He died in 1764, but was not forgiven, and a metal net was placed over his grave to indicate his status. When a later shogun installed his own son as lord of Owari, 75 years after the death of Muneharu, he had the net removed as a gesture of pardon.
television series Abarenbō Shōgun, showing fictitious events in the life of the Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune
, Muneharu was frequently presented as the villain
, repeatedly trying to assassinate Yoshimune and take over the shogunate. Even when he did not appear, many smaller villains acted in his name, or planned to receive their reward from Muneharu when he became shogun. He was first played by Akira Nakao
and later by Tokuma Nishioka.
As with the series in general, while the background is historical the specific acts attributed in it to Muneharu are fictional.
In the book Blood Ninja,he is the father of the main character Taro and enemy to Lord Oda Nobunaga.
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...
in 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...
during the 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....
. He was the seventh Tokugawa
Tokugawa clan
The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
lord of the Owari Domain
Owari Domain
The was a feudal domain of Japan in the Edo period. Located in what is now the western part of Aichi Prefecture, it encompassed parts of Owari, Mino, and Shinano provinces. Its headquarters were at Nagoya Castle. At its peak, it was rated at 619,500 koku, and was the largest holding of the...
, and one of the gosanke
Gosanke
The , also called simply Gosanke or even Sanke, were three branches of the Tokugawa clan of Japan descended from clan founder Tokugawa Ieyasu's three youngest sons, Yoshinao, Yorinobu and Yorifusa and allowed to provide a shogun in case of need. The three houses were called Owari House of Tokugawa,...
.
Biography
Muneharu was the 20th son of Tokugawa TsunanariTokugawa Tsunanari
was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, who ruled the Owari Domain....
by a concubine, and a great-great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
. During his lifetime, he rose to the junior third rank in the Imperial court, and held the titular office of Gon-Chūnagon
Chunagon
was a counselor of the second rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century.The role was eliminated from the Imperial hierarchy in 701, but it was re-established in 705...
(acting middle councilor). He was posthumously awarded the junior second rank and the office of Gon-Dainagon
Dainagon
was a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century.This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century....
(acting great councilor). Among his brothers were Tokugawa Yoshimichi
Tokugawa Yoshimichi
was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, who ruled the Owari Domain....
and Tokugawa Tsugutomo
Tokugawa Tsugutomo
was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, who ruled the Owari Domain. Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, Japan continued to exclude herself from practically all contact with the outside world, while internal peace reigned within the kingdom....
(the fourth and sixth lords of Owari), and Matsudaira Yoshitaka (second lord of the Mino Takasu Domain). A sister, Matsuhime, married Maeda Yoshinori
Maeda Yoshinori
was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, who ruled the Kaga Domain. Engaged in tax reforms designed to improve the Kaga domain's financial situation....
, lord of the Kaga Domain
Kaga Domain
The was a powerful feudal domain in Kaga, Noto and Etchū Provinces of Japan during the Edo period. The domain was founded by Maeda Toshiie and headed by the Maeda clan. Its income rating, over 1,000,000 koku, was the highest in the nation after the Tokugawa shogunate itself...
, which was the richest domain in Japan outside the Tokugawa's own holdings. Muneharu did not marry, but had numerous concubines. His fourth daughter married the kampaku Konoe Uchisaki
Konoe Uchisaki
, son of regent Iehisa, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the Edo period . He held regent positions kampaku from 1757 to 1762 and from 1772 to 1778 and sesshō from 1762 to 1772. He married a daughter of Tokugawa Muneharu, seventh head of Owari Domain, and an adopted daughter of Tokugawa...
.
Loss of power
Given to personal luxury, in 1731, Muneharu published a book, Onchiseiyō (温知政要), which criticized ruling shogunTokugawa 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...
Tokugawa Yoshimune
Tokugawa Yoshimune
was the eighth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1716 until his abdication in 1745. He was the son of Tokugawa Mitsusada, the grandson of Tokugawa Yorinobu, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.-Lineage:...
for excessive frugality. In 1739, following a long dispute with Yoshimune, Muneharu was forced into retirement and confined within the grounds of Nagoya Castle
Nagoya Castle
is a Japanese castle located in Nagoya, central Japan. During the Edo period, Nagoya Castle was the center of one of the most important castle towns in Japan—Nagoya-juku— and it included the most important stops along the Minoji, which linked the Tōkaidō with the Nakasendō.-History:In...
. A relative succeeded him as lord of Owari, taking the name Tokugawa Munekatsu
Tokugawa Munekatsu
was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, who ruled the Takasu Domain and then the Owari Domain. As lord of Takasu he used the name ....
. After the death of Yoshimune, Muneharu moved outside the palace grounds. He died in 1764, but was not forgiven, and a metal net was placed over his grave to indicate his status. When a later shogun installed his own son as lord of Owari, 75 years after the death of Muneharu, he had the net removed as a gesture of pardon.
In fiction
In the pupular TV AsahiTV Asahi
, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
television series Abarenbō Shōgun, showing fictitious events in the life of the Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune
Tokugawa Yoshimune
was the eighth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1716 until his abdication in 1745. He was the son of Tokugawa Mitsusada, the grandson of Tokugawa Yorinobu, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.-Lineage:...
, Muneharu was frequently presented as the villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
, repeatedly trying to assassinate Yoshimune and take over the shogunate. Even when he did not appear, many smaller villains acted in his name, or planned to receive their reward from Muneharu when he became shogun. He was first played by Akira Nakao
Akira Nakao
is a Japanese actor and personality from Kisarazu, Chiba, Japan. He graduated from Chiba Prefectural Kisarazu High School and attended Musashino Art University. Nakao is a member of the Furutachi Project agency....
and later by Tokuma Nishioka.
As with the series in general, while the background is historical the specific acts attributed in it to Muneharu are fictional.
In the book Blood Ninja,he is the father of the main character Taro and enemy to Lord Oda Nobunaga.