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While the Shogun Still Breathed ―― On the Fifth Day of the Seventh Month of Ansei 5 (1858), Ii Naosuke’s Disposition of Owari, Mito, and Echizen
Ii Naosuke entered the castle at his usual hour, and his departure that day extended to nine-half at night, 1 a.m. The reason was that the beriberi of the shogun Tokugawa Iesada had worsened. "The… -
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. -
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 purpose was to borrow a telescope owned by Abe. -
Three Months in Nagasaki ―― The Russian Envoy Putyatin and the Shogunate’s Delaying Tactics
The inspector Ōi Saburōsuke went out to sea. His destination was the Russian ship moored inside the harbor. There was only one thing he had to convey. It was the death of the shogun, Tokugawa Ieyoshi. -
Footsteps in an Empty Valley ―― In Kaei 6, the Daimyo’s Opinions on America and Takashima Kihei’s Argument for Opening the Country
The tenth month of Kaei 6 (1853). Takashima Kihei. He had once called himself Shirōdayū Shūhan, and was the man who introduced Western artillery techniques to Japan. -
The Character for Peace, Sealed Away ―― The Seventh Month of Kaei 6, and the Trump Card Named Tokugawa Nariaki
On the third day of the seventh month of Kaei 6 (1853), a notice came down to the Mito residence. Since there was business concerning coastal defense, he was to attend the castle roughly every other…
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