Akifusa Manabe

A politician in the middle of the Edo Shogunate. During the time of his father Nishida Kiyosada, he served Tokugawa Tsunashige, the lord of the Kofu domain. As a child, Akifusa became a disciple of the Noh actor Kita Shichidayu, and was favored by Tsunashige's son Tsunatoyo (later the 6th Shogun Ienobu), and was eventually employed as a page. Prior to this, he had changed his surname to Hamanabe, but it is said that he changed it to Hamanbe upon Tsunatoyo's orders. In 1704 (the first year of the Hoei period), Ienobu became the adopted son of the 5th Shogun Tsunayoshi, and he was made a vassal of the Shogunate following Ienobu, who was given 1,500 straw bales as Nishinomaru Okubangashira, and was appointed to the rank of Echizen no Kami, Junior Fifth Rank. After that, he was promoted and his stipend was increased one after another, and in 1805 he was appointed as Nishimaru Sobayoshu, and the following year he became a daimyo with 10,000 koku of rice as a young councilor, and was promoted to Junior Fourth Rank. When Ienobu became Shogun in 1809 he was promoted to Sobayo-in, a chamberlain with a stipend of 30,000 koku. The following year he became the lord of Takasaki Castle in Kozuke (Gunma Prefecture) with a stipend of 50,000 koku. Together with his lecturer Arai Hakuseki, Akifusa assisted Shogun Ienobu and worked to reform the previous generation's poor governance, and even after Ienobu's death in 1812 (the 2nd year of Shotoku), he was given the young Shogun Ietsugu and worked hard to govern the country, always staying on night duty in Edo Castle and never returning to his residence. Thus, he brought about a period of stability known as the "Shotoku Reign." However, gradually resentment grew among the traditional Tokugawa Fudai class, and he and Arai Hakuseki became isolated within the shogunate. In May 1676, under the rule of the eighth shogun, Yoshimune, he was removed from the center of the shogunate. The following year, his castle was transferred to Murakami in Echigo (Niigata Prefecture) with a stipend of 50,000 koku. He died in obscurity in Murakami on July 16, 1271.

[Tatsuya Tsuji]

"Arai Hakuseki and Mabee Akifusa, by Tatsuya Tsuji" (included in "Japanese People's History Series: Early Modern Period 1", 1959, Asakura Publishing) "Miyazaki Michio, "Mabee Akifusa" (included in "Daimyo Retsuden 7", 1966, Jinbutsu Oraisha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸幕府中期の政治家。父西田清貞のとき甲府藩主徳川綱重(つなしげ)に仕える。詮房は幼少のころ能役者喜多七太夫(きたしちだゆう)の弟子となり、綱重の子綱豊(つなとよ)（後の6代将軍家宣(いえのぶ)）の寵愛(ちょうあい)を受け、やがて小姓(こしょう)に用いられた。これより前、苗字(みょうじ)を間鍋に改称していたが、綱豊の命により間部と改めたという。1704年（宝永1）5代将軍綱吉(つなよし)の養子となった家宣に従って幕臣に加えられ、西丸奥番頭(にしのまるおくばんがしら)として1500俵を給せられ、従(じゅ)五位下越前守(えちぜんのかみ)に叙任。その後昇進・加増相次ぎ、05年には西丸側衆(そばしゅう)に任ぜられ、翌年若年寄(わかどしより)格として1万石の大名となり、従四位下に昇る。09年家宣が将軍に就任すると老中格側用人(そばようにん)に昇り、侍従に任ぜられ、3万石に加増。翌年上野(こうずけ)（群馬県）高崎城主として5万石を領するに至った。詮房は侍講新井白石(あらいはくせき)とともに将軍家宣を補佐し、前代の弊政改革に努め、12年（正徳2）家宣死後も、幼将軍家継(いえつぐ)をいただいて施政に奮闘し、つねに江戸城中に宿直して帰邸することがなかったという。かくして「正徳(しょうとく)の治」と称せられる安定した一時期をもたらしたが、しだいに徳川譜代(ふだい)層の伝統的勢力の反感が高まって、新井白石とともに幕府内に孤立し、16年5月8代将軍吉宗(よしむね)の代となると幕政の中枢から失脚。翌年城地を越後(えちご)（新潟県）村上5万石に移された。享保(きょうほう)5年7月16日、村上において不遇のうちに死去した。

［辻　達也］

『辻達也著「新井白石と間部詮房」（『日本人物史大系　近世1』所収・1959・朝倉書店）』▽『宮崎道生著「間部詮房」（『大名列伝 7』所収・1966・人物往来社）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例