First King 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 does." His early life of hardship and sorrow as a hostage forged his unyielding resilience and calm, astute personality. As he followed Nobunaga on his military campaigns, Ieyasu certainly displayed 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 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. Ieyasu thus lived a miserable life of dependence until adulthood. Fortunately, Ieyasu had under his command the most simple and brave warriors of the Mikawa region during the Sengoku period.
As he led the Mikawa warriors in campaigns alongside Oda Nobunaga, Ieyasu expanded his power and carved out his own space for survival. To maintain this hard-won position, he 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, whose hidden patience and keen insight into the situation were unmatched at the time. When the opportunity arose, he acted decisively, completely neutralizing his potential enemies.