Record of Famous Generals in the Sengoku Period of Japan. Tokugawa Ieyasu

Author: Gu Mu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Perseverance is the shortest path to victory, and Tokugawa Ieyasu proved this with his own life, which saw him rise from hostage to ruler. "If the cuckoo does not sing, wait until it sings." His early life of hardship and suffering as a hostage forged an indomitable resilience and a calm, composed personality in Ieyasu. As he followed Nobunaga on his military campaigns, Ieyasu certainly showed bravery and determination, but more importantly, he grew stronger through "patience" and "waiting." Ultimately, with immense inner strength, he established the Tokugawa Shogunate, laying the foundation for three hundred years of peace and stability in the Edo period.
Tokugawa Ieyasu was born in the impoverished and backward region of Mikawa. His father, Tōyama Katsuyoshi, was the lord of Okazaki Castle, a small territory surrounded by powerful clans both within and outside his domain. Unable to protect himself, Katsuyoshi had no choice but to send his young son Takechiyo as a hostage to secure protection from the Imagawa clan, forcing Ieyasu to live a miserable life under the thumb of others until adulthood. Fortunately, Ieyasu had under his command the most simple and courageous samurai of the Sama region during the Warring States period. As he led the Sama samurai in campaigns alongside Nobunaga, Ieyasu expanded his power and carved out his own space for survival. To maintain this hard-won position, he even had to painfully execute his own beloved son. After Nobunaga's death, Ieyasu, as a scion of a noble family, bowed to the lowly Nobunaga, demonstrating unparalleled patience and insight into the situation. When the time came, he acted decisively, completely neutralizing potential enemies.