Tokugawa Ieyasu - The Epic Life of a Famous Japanese Warlord

Author: Gu Mu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Patience is the shortest path to victory. Tokugawa Ieyasu proved this with his own life, which saw him rise from a hostage to a ruler. "If the cuckoo does not sing, wait until it does." His early life of hardship and sorrow as a hostage forged his extraordinary resilience and calm, steady personality. As he followed Nobunaga on his military campaigns, Ieyasu, while undeniably brave and energetic, grew even stronger through "patience" and "waiting." Ultimately, with immense inner strength, he established the Tokugawa Shogunate, laying the foundation for three hundred years of peace 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 domain surrounded by powerful clans both within and outside his territory. Unable to protect himself, Katsuyoshi had no choice but to send his young son Takechiyo as a hostage to secure the protection of the Imagawa clan, plunging Ieyasu into a miserable life of dependence until adulthood. Fortunately, Ieyasu had under his command the most simple and courageous warriors of the Mikawa region during the Sengoku period. As he led these Mikawa warriors in campaigns alongside Nobunaga, he expanded his power and carved out his own space for survival. To maintain this hard-won position, Ieyasu even endured the pain of executing his own beloved son.
After Nobunaga's death, Ieyasu, as a scion of a noble family, bowed to the lowly Nobunaga. His ability to endure and his keen insight into the situation were unmatched at the time. When the opportunity arose, he acted decisively, completely neutralizing his potential enemies.