Ieyasu joined forces with the fearless warlord Oda Nobunaga and began expanding his territorial holdings. The book provided most of the known information about contemporary Japan at that time.ġ561-Ieyasu Becomes Allies with Oda Nobunaga Jesuit missionary Luis Frois arrived later and wrote Historia de Japan, which covered the years 1549-1593. Along with trade, the Portuguese brought Christian missionaries, and in 1549, Francis Xavier established Japan's first mission at Kagoshima. The daimyo then asked the Portuguese for shooting lessons.Įager for more firearms, the Japanese warlords welcomed trade with the Portuguese. Intrigued by the Portuguese firearms, the local daimyo warlord bought two guns from the European sailors and commissioned his swordsmith to make copies. Awarded the title of Shogun, he established his government in Edo (now Tokyo) and founded the Shogunate, which ruled Japan for over 260 years.īlown off course during a storm, Portuguese traders shipwrecked near Tangeshima island off the southern coast of Japan. In 1600, he emerged as the most powerful warlord in Japan after the Battle of Sekigahara. The son of a minor daimyo warlord, Tokugawa Ieyasu gradually rose to prominence after establishing strategic alliances with powerful leaders such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Along the roadside, merchants and tradesmen set up shops and inns to cater to their needs. Partly due to Sankin Kotai, which forced the country's daimyo lords to journey to Edo every other year, the roads bustled with elaborate daimyo processions, samurai warriors, masterless samurai (ronin), monks and various other travelers. There were five major highways in Japan during the Tokugawa Era, and the Tokaido (Eastern Sea Road) was the busiest and most important. In Edo, a diverse population flourished amidst a cultural and economic renaissance. The new construction of the city and the vast number of samurai in need of goods and pleasurable pursuits lured merchants, craftsmen and entertainers from all over Japan, and by the 17th century, the population had surpassed a million, making Edo one of the largest cities in the world.įor almost three hundred years, Japan's shoguns maintained domestic peace while they isolated the country from Western influence. Ieyasu and his heirs forced the country's daimyo lords to finance the expansion of Edo, and to live in the city during part of every other year. Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship with the West, and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world.Īfter becoming supreme ruler in the late 16th century, Tokugawa Ieyasu moved Japan's capitol to Edo, (now known as Tokyo) transforming the sleepy fishing village into the country's premier political and economic center.

But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land closed to the Western world, ruled by the shogun under his absolute power and control. It is the beginning of a dynasty that will endure for more than 250 years.Ĭommanding shoguns and fierce samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans-all were part of a Japanese renaissance between the 16th and 19th centuries when Japan went from chaos and violence to a land of ritual refinement and peace. In 1614, Ieyasu renounces his allegiance to Hideyori and attacks Osaka Castle, slaughtering more than 100,000. Ieyasu's only remaining obstacle for total control of Japan is Hideyori. The victory brings to Ieyasu the title of shogun. When daimyo rebels challenge Ieyasu's control, Tokugawa Ieyasu's samurai armies defeat them at the Battle of Sekigahara. On his deathbed, Hideyoshi, places Ieyasu in command until Hideyoshi's true heir-his young son, Hideyori-will rule. But Hideyoshi and Ieyasu are uneasy allies. Hideyoshi awards him a small fishing village named Edo, later to be known as Tokyo, and provides him with a vast area to rule. When he is finally freed, he reclaims his family's domain and allies himself with the most powerful rulers in Japan: Oda Nobunaga, and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. To prove his family's loyalty to their ruling warlord, Ieyasu is given as a hostage where he remains for most of his childhood. In the same year, a samurai boy named Tokugawa Ieyasu is born to a low ranking daimyo family. Missionaries quickly set out to convert the nation to Christianity. When Portuguese merchants arrive in 1543, they are the first Europeans to set foot in Japan. In the early 16th century, Japan is a warlike society ruled by samurai and their daimyo warlords. Tokugawa Ieyasu unifies Japan and establishes a dynasty that will rule Japan for over 250 years.

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