Tokugawa Iesato

The 16th head of the former Tokugawa Shogunate and a politician. He was originally called Kamenosuke. He was born as the third son of the Tayasu family (Tokugawa Yoshiyori) and inherited the family in 1865 (Keio 1). In 1868 (Keio 4), after the former Shogun Yoshinobu was exempted from the death penalty, he was ordered by the new government to succeed the head of the Tokugawa family, and changed his name to Ietada. In May, he was given 700,000 koku of land in Suruga, Totomi (Shizuoka Prefecture), and Mikawa (Aichi Prefecture). The following year, he became the governor of Shizuoka Domain after the return of the domain and people to the Emperor. He studied in England from 1877 (Meiji 10) to 1882, and became a duke in 1884. He became a member of the House of Peers in 1890 and its chairman in 1903 (Meiji 36), a position he held for the next 30 years. During that time, he was ordered to form a cabinet in 1914 (Taisho 3), but he declined. He was appointed to honorary positions such as president of the Japanese Red Cross Society and chairman of the Saiseikai, and also served as a plenipotentiary at the Washington Naval Conference.

[Katsuo Inoue]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

旧徳川将軍家第16代当主、政治家。初め亀之助(かめのすけ)と称す。田安(たやす)家（徳川慶頼(よしより)）の三男として生まれ、1865年（慶応1）家を継いだ。1868年（慶応4）前将軍慶喜(よしのぶ)が死一等を免ぜられたのち、新政府から徳川宗家(そうけ)の相続を命ぜられ、家達と改名、5月に駿河(するが)・遠江(とおとうみ)（静岡県）・三河（愛知県）70万石に転じ、翌年、版籍奉還により静岡藩知事となった。1877年（明治10）から1882年までイギリス留学、1884年公爵となり、1890年貴族院議員、1903年（明治36）同議長につき以後30年間同職にあった。その間、1914年（大正3）には、組閣の内命があったが辞退した。日本赤十字社社長、済生会会長などの名誉職に任じ、ワシントン軍縮会議の全権委員も務めた。

［井上勝生］

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