Tsugaru Nobuhisa
Encyclopedia
was the 5th daimyō
of Hirosaki Domain
in northern Mutsu Province
, Honshū
, Japan
(modern-day Aomori Prefecture
). His courtesy title was Tosa-no-kami.
, 4th daimyō of Hirosaki Domain. His childhood name was Takechiyo, and his original adult name was Tsugaru Nobushige. On his accession to the lordship at the age of 43, he proclaimed seven days of mourning for his father’s death, followed by elaborate ceremonies enshrining his father at the Shinto shrine of Takateru Jinja in Hirosaki. Nobuhisa was a noted swordsman, having studied under the Onoha-ittoryu School while residing in Edo
. He also studied Japanese calligraphy
and Japanese painting
under masters of the Kanō school
as well. After his return to Hirosaki, in addition to continuing development of new paddy field
s and irrigation works as started by his father and grandfather, he also commissioned art works and a history of the Tsugaru clan. He also successfully prosecuted a boundary dispute with the Tsugaru clan’s arch-rivals, the Nanbu clan
of Morioka Domain
, with the Tokugawa Shogunate
ruling completely in the Tsugaru clan’s favor. This issue would resurface again in 107 years with the attempt in 1821 by Nanbu samurai
to assassinate the Tsugaru daimyō.
However, against this background, Hirosaki Domain had serious financial issues. Inclement weather and repeated eruptions of Mount Iwaki
resulted in repeated crop failures. The Domain cut the stipends for its retainers and raised taxes repeatedly to unsustainable levels, imposed stringent sumptuary laws, and finally was forced to send many of its lower level retainers away. On the other hand, Nobuhisa surrounded himself with sycophants at his Edo residence and continued to live a life of profligate luxury. Word of this reached the ears of Shogun
Tokugawa Yoshimune
, and influenced the sections of the Kyōhō Reforms
emphasizing the need for frugality.
On May 16, 1731, Nobuhisa retired in favor of his grandson Nobuaki, then aged 13, and continued to rule behind-the-scenes. However, Nobuaki died in 1744, and Nobuhisa arranged to have his great-grandson Nobuyasu (age 6) appointed daimyō. Nobuhisa continued to rule behind-the-scenes until his death on March 10, 1746. Nobuhisa had 5 sons and 6 daughters. His grave is at the clan temple of Juyo-in in Taitō-ku
, Tokyo
.
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...
of Hirosaki Domain
Hirosaki Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in northern Mutsu Province . It was ruled by the Tsugaru clan...
in northern Mutsu Province
Mutsu Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori prefecture and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture...
, Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, 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...
(modern-day Aomori Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
). His courtesy title was Tosa-no-kami.
Biography
Tsugaru Nobuhisa was the eldest son of Tsugaru NobumasaTsugaru Nobumasa
was the 4th daimyō of Hirosaki Domain in northern Mutsu Province, Honshū, Japan . His courtesy title was Etchū-no-kami.-Biography:...
, 4th daimyō of Hirosaki Domain. His childhood name was Takechiyo, and his original adult name was Tsugaru Nobushige. On his accession to the lordship at the age of 43, he proclaimed seven days of mourning for his father’s death, followed by elaborate ceremonies enshrining his father at the Shinto shrine of Takateru Jinja in Hirosaki. Nobuhisa was a noted swordsman, having studied under the Onoha-ittoryu School while residing in 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...
. He also studied Japanese calligraphy
Japanese calligraphy
is a form of calligraphy, or artistic writing, of the Japanese language. For a long time, the most esteemed calligrapher in Japan had been Wang Xizhi, a Chinese calligrapher in the 4th century but after the invention of Hiragana and Katakana, the Japanese unique syllabaries, the distinctive...
and Japanese painting
Japanese painting
is one of the oldest and most highly refined of the Japanese visual arts, encompassing a wide variety of genres and styles. As with the history of Japanese arts in general, the long history of Japanese painting exhibits synthesis and competition between native Japanese aesthetics and adaptation of...
under masters of the Kanō school
Kano school
The ' is one of the most famous schools of Japanese painting. The Kanō school of painting was the dominant style of painting until the Meiji period.It was founded by Kanō Masanobu , a contemporary of Sesshū and student of Shūbun...
as well. After his return to Hirosaki, in addition to continuing development of new paddy field
Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
s and irrigation works as started by his father and grandfather, he also commissioned art works and a history of the Tsugaru clan. He also successfully prosecuted a boundary dispute with the Tsugaru clan’s arch-rivals, the Nanbu clan
Nanbu clan
The ' was a Japanese samurai clan originating in northern Japan, specifically Mutsu Province . The Nanbu claimed descent from the Minamoto clan, and its members first enter the historical record as residents of Kai Province during the Kamakura period. The clan later moved to Mutsu...
of Morioka Domain
Morioka Domain
The was a han or feudal domain that encompasses present-day the middle-northern part of Iwate Prefecture and eastern part of Aomori Prefecture. It is sometimes colloquially called . The domain was tozama daimyo and was governed by the Satake clan. Its income was 100,000...
, with 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...
ruling completely in the Tsugaru clan’s favor. This issue would resurface again in 107 years with the attempt in 1821 by Nanbu samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
to assassinate the Tsugaru daimyō.
However, against this background, Hirosaki Domain had serious financial issues. Inclement weather and repeated eruptions of Mount Iwaki
Mount Iwaki
is a stratovolcano located in western Aomori Prefecture, Tohoku, Japan. It is also referred to as Tsugaru-Fuji from its shape. the mountain is listed as one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains in a book composed in 1964 by mountaineer/author Kyūya Fukada...
resulted in repeated crop failures. The Domain cut the stipends for its retainers and raised taxes repeatedly to unsustainable levels, imposed stringent sumptuary laws, and finally was forced to send many of its lower level retainers away. On the other hand, Nobuhisa surrounded himself with sycophants at his Edo residence and continued to live a life of profligate luxury. Word of this reached the ears of 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 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:...
, and influenced the sections of the Kyōhō Reforms
Kyoho Reforms
The were an array of economic policies introduced by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1736 Japan. These reforms were instigated by the eighth Tokugawa shogun of Japan, Tokugawa Yoshimune, encompassing the first twenty years of his shogunate....
emphasizing the need for frugality.
On May 16, 1731, Nobuhisa retired in favor of his grandson Nobuaki, then aged 13, and continued to rule behind-the-scenes. However, Nobuaki died in 1744, and Nobuhisa arranged to have his great-grandson Nobuyasu (age 6) appointed daimyō. Nobuhisa continued to rule behind-the-scenes until his death on March 10, 1746. Nobuhisa had 5 sons and 6 daughters. His grave is at the clan temple of Juyo-in in Taitō-ku
Taito, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Taito City.As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 168,909, with 94,908 households, and a population density of 16,745.86 persons per km². The total area is 10.08 km².-History:The ward was founded...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
.