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Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川 家光 August 12, 1604 — June 8, 1651) was the third Shogun of the Tokugawa Dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Iemitsu ruled from 1623 to 1651. It was during Iemitsu's reign that Japan initiated its anti-European policies that essentially isolated Japan from the rest of the world.
Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1632[]
Tokugawa Iemitsu was the Shogun of Japan when Grantville arrived in the past. In the original timeline, Iemitsu ordered his brother Tadanaga to commit suicide somewhere between 1633 and 1634. However, when that fateful moment arrived, Tadanaga was found to be missing. It was suspected that either Tadanaga had learned his destiny from an up-time source and fled for his life, or he was simply executed "early".
In August of 1633, the chief Dutch factor in Japan showed Iemitsu some samples of up-time technology, including a globe, as well as information from Grantville's encyclopedias. This included information about the Shimabara Rebellion. In response to this, Iemitsu began exiling Japanese Christians to start a colony in California, much as the British had transported convicts to Australia in the OTL. He also appointed Date Masamune, a daimyo who once had ambition to be shogun, as grand governor (Taishu) of New Nippon. This decision was in part to place Date somewhere he could exercise his sagacity without being in Japan proper.
Note[]
The mention of Tokugawa Iemitsu and of his brother's disappearance was edited out of 1636: The Kremlin Games. It can be assumed that Tadanaga was still missing on the "original" date of his forced suicide.
References[]
| Political offices (OTL) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tokugawa Hidetada |
Edo Shogun 1623-1651 |
Succeeded by Tokugawa Ietsuna |