Sources
Kinsei Nihon kokuminshi, The Situation before Perry's Arrival
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The Chancellor of the Spring Breeze ―― Abe Masahiro and the Forecast of the Eleventh Month of Kaei 5
The second day of the eleventh month of Kaei 5 (1852). At the Satsuma domain residence in Edo, Shimazu Nariakira took up his brush. The letter was addressed to his younger brother Hisamitsu, who was… -
The Wound Called Ryūkyū ―― How Did Shimazu Nariakira Inherit Satsuma?
Two reports from Satsuma reached Shimazu Nariakira in Edo. One was addressed from Shimazu Shōsō to Shimazu Iwami. Its content was that Ryūkyū was peaceful and there was nothing to worry about. The… -
Shimazu Nariakira’s Patience ―― The Takasaki Collapse and the Blood-Stained Undergarment
The eighteenth day of the twelfth month of Kaei 1 (1848). Zusho Shōzaemon, who had for many years held sole control over the finances of the Satsuma domain, coughed up blood and died. -
Yuuki Toraju’s Sixteen Years ―― The Mito Factional Strife and the Downfall of Tokugawa Nariaki
Fujita Tōko was living in quiet retirement at Takekuma in Mito. -
Tokugawa Nariaki’s Campaign to Remove the Corrupt ―― Eight Years of Mito Domain Politics, from Kōka 1 to Kaei 5
A single letter arrived at the residence of the senior councilor Abe Masahiro from the Mito domain's secondary residence. -
Disordered Brushstrokes of a Sleepless Night ―― A Letter from Tokugawa Nariaki to Ōoku Senior Lady-in-Waiting Anekōji
The first day of the eighth month of Kōka 3 (1846). Even as the night grew late, the lamp did not go out. The addressee was Anekōji, a senior lady-in-waiting of the Ōoku. A phrase was appended at the… -
The Revival of Tokugawa Nariaki ―― From a Telescope to a Boat at Kōrakuen
The seventh month of Kōka 2 (1845). The matter concerned a request to borrow a telescope owned by Abe.
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