The reign of Shotoku

This refers to the good governance of the two Shoguns, the 6th Tokugawa Ienobu (reigned 1709-12) and the 7th Tokugawa Ietsugu (reigned 1713-16). This title was given because it mainly covers the Shotoku period (1711-16).

During Ienobu's reign, chamberlains Manabe Akifusa and Arai Hakuseki assisted the shogun, and in terms of domestic affairs, they first abolished the Law on Compassion for Living Things that had been in place since the time of the fifth shogun, Tsunayoshi, pardoned many criminals with the Taisharei Law, tried to restore the gold and silver coins that had been debased during the Genroku period (1688-1704) to the good currency of Ieyasu's time, reformed the Hyojosho (equivalent to the Supreme Court) to ensure fair and speedy trials, and handed down wise decisions in trials involving peasant unrest and ordinary citizens to relieve their suffering, striving to realize "benevolent government" (a Confucian political ideology). The reason the shogunate incurred a deficit by improving the gold and silver coins was to regain the people's trust in the shogunate's politics. In addition, in order to promote the mutual prosperity of the Imperial Court and the Shogunate, he recommended the abolition of the practice of Imperial Princes and Princesses becoming monks, which led to the creation of the Kan'in no Miyake family and the smooth succession to the throne. His foreign policy measures included restricting trade in Nagasaki and changing the treatment of Korean envoys. The former aimed to maintain national strength by balancing imports and exports and to prevent the outflow of gold and silver overseas, and also actively sought to increase domestic products. The latter, in addition to correcting the format of Japan-Korea diplomacy, also sought to significantly reduce expenses and reduce the burden on feudal lords and people along the roads where envoys passed. These policies were proposed and proposed by Shiraishi, and many of the projects that were launched during Ienobu's reign and completed during Ietsugu's reign, such as currency exchange, trade restrictions, and reform of the Hyojosho (council of councilors). These were also inherited by the eighth Shogun, Yoshimune. However, the format of Japan-Korea diplomacy from the fifth Shogun was revived, and the currency exchange project was changed 20 years later to return to the policy of the Genroku period.

Although Shotoku's politics are often criticized as being merely cosmetic, Shiraishi's ideal was for the civil and military forces to coexist, and internally he sought mutual trust between the government and the people and stability in the lives of the people, while externally he sought to maintain national dignity and promote national prestige, and these ideals were actively adopted and implemented during Ienobu's lifetime.

[Michio Miyazaki]

"Arai Hakuseki's Civilian Politics" by Kurita Genji (1952, Ishizaki Shoten)" ▽ "Arai Hakuseki" by Miyazaki Michio (1966, Shibundo)" ▽ "A Study of Arai Hakuseki" by Miyazaki Michio, revised edition (1969, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

6代将軍徳川家宣(いえのぶ)（在位1709～12）、7代将軍家継(いえつぐ)（在位1713～16）2代の善政をいう。おもに正徳(しょうとく)年間（1711～16）にあたるためこの称がある。

　家宣の代に側用人(そばようにん)間部詮房(まなべあきふさ)と新井白石(あらいはくせき)とが将軍を助けて、内政面ではまず5代綱吉(つなよし)のときの生類憐(しょうるいあわれ)みの令を撤廃し、大赦令(たいしゃれい)で多数の罪人を許し、元禄(げんろく)年間（1688～1704）に改悪された金銀貨を家康時代の良貨に戻そうとし、裁判の公正と迅速とを期するため評定所(ひょうじょうしょ)（最高裁判所にあたる）の改革を行い、農民の騒ぎや一般庶民関係の裁判では名判決を下してその苦しみを救うなど、「仁政」（儒教の政治思想）を実現することに努めた。金銀貨改良で幕府が赤字を出したのも幕府政治に対する国民の信用を取り戻すためであった。また朝廷と幕府の共栄を図るため皇子皇女出家の廃止を進言したことがきっかけとなって閑院宮家(かんいんのみやけ)が生まれ、皇位継承が順調に運んだ事実もある。対外策としては長崎貿易制限と朝鮮使節の待遇変更とがあるが、前者では輸出入の均衡による国力の保持と金銀の海外流出防止とを図り、積極的に国産品増加をも企てたのであり、後者では日朝外交の形式の是正とあわせて、経費の大幅節約および諸大名や使節通行の沿道の民の負担軽減をも図ったのである。これらの政策は白石の立案し建議したもので、改貨、貿易制限、評定所改革など家宣の代に発足して家継の代に完成した事業が多い。そしてこれらは8代将軍吉宗(よしむね)にも受け継がれた。ただし日朝外交の体例は5代将軍のときのものが復活され、改貨事業も20年後には変更されて元禄期の方針に戻っている。

　正徳の政治は文飾政治であると批評されがちであるが、白石の理想は文武並び立つことにあり、内は政府と国民との相互信頼、国民生活の安定、外は国家的体面の保持ないし国威の発揚にあったのであり、家宣在世時はそれが積極的に採用され実行されたのである。

［宮崎道生］

『栗田元次著『新井白石の文治政治』（1952・石崎書店）』▽『宮崎道生著『新井白石』（1966・至文堂）』▽『宮崎道生著『新井白石の研究』増訂版（1969・吉川弘文館）』

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