Tokugawa Ienari; 徳川 家斉 (November 18, 1773 – March 22, 1841) was the eleventh and longest-serving shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan who held office from 1787 to 1837. He was a great-grandson of the eighth shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune through his son Munetada (1721–1764), head of the Hitotsubashi branch of the family, and his grandson Harusada (1751–1827).
Ienari died in 1841 and given the Buddhist name Bunkyouin and buried at Kan'ei-ji.
In 1778, the four-year-old Hitotsubashi Toyochiyo (豊千代). a minor figure in the Tokugawa clan hierarchy, was betrothed to Shimazu no Shige-hime or Tadako-hime, the four-year-old daughter of Shimazu Shigehide, the tozama daimyō of Satsuma Domain on the island of Kyūshū. The significance of this alliance was dramatically enhanced when, in 1781, the young Toyochiyo was adopted by the childless shogun, Tokugawa Ieharu. This meant that when Toyochiyo became Shogun Ienari in 1786, Shigehide was set to become the father-in-law of the shogun. The marriage was completed in 1789, after which Tadako became formally known as Midaidokoro Sadako, or "first wife" Sadako. Protocol required that she be adopted into a court family, and the Konoe family agreed to take her in but this was a mere formality.
Ienari was known as a degenerate who kept a harem of 900 women and fathered over 75 children
Many of Ienari's children were adopted into various daimyō houses throughout Japan, and some played important roles in the history of the Bakumatsu and Boshin War. Some of the more famous among them included:
Hachisuka Narihiro, Tokushima DomainHachisuka MochiakiHachisuka Masaaki (1871–1932)Hachisuka Masauji (1903–1953)Hachisuka Masako (1941)Hachisuka Toshiko (1896–1970)Matsudaira Naritami, Tsuyama DomainTokugawa Narikatsu (1820–1849), Shimizu Tokugawa family then to Wakayama DomainMatsudaira Narisawa, Fukui DomainTokugawa Nariyuki (1801–1846), Wakayama DomainTokugawa IemochiTazawa Hidenari, Tazawa Domain, as Tazawa Hideyasu's adopted sonFather: Tokugawa Harusada (1751–1827)Mother: O-Tomi no Kata (d. 1817)Adoptive Father: Tokugawa IeharuWife: Shimazu no Shigehime later Kodaiin (1773-1844)Concubine:Omiyo no Kata (1797-1872) (There is legend said that Omiyo was daughter of Tokugawa Ieharu with a servant) later SenkoinO-ito no kataOyae no Kata (?-1843) later Kaishun'inOraku no Kata (?-1810) later Korin'inOtase no Kata (?-1832) later MyosoinOhana no Kata (?-1845) later Seiren'inOhachi no Kata later Honrin'in (?-1850)Ohachi no Kata (?-1813) later ChisoinOsode no Kata (?-1830) later HonshoinOyachi no Kata (?-1810) later SeishoinOsato no Kata (?-1800) later ChosoinOcho no Kata (?-1852) later SokuseiinOshiga no Kata (?-1813) later KeimeiinOuta no Kata (?-1851) later HoschiinOume no Kata (?-1794)later Shinsei-inOman no Kata (?-1835) later Seishin'inObi no Kata (?-1808) later Hoshin'inChildren:Toshihime (1789-1817) married Tokugawa Naritomo by OmanKoso-in (b.1790) by OmanTakechiyo (1792-1793) by OmanTokugawa Ieyoshi born by Korin'inHidehime (b.1794) later Tansei-in by OumeAyahime (1795-1797) Enganged to Date Chikamune of Sendai Domain by OmanTokugawa Keinosuke (1795-1797) by OumeTokugawa Atsunosuke (1796–1799) born by Shigehime inherited Shimazu-Tokugawa familySohime (1796-1797) by OshigaTokugawa Toyasaburo (b.1798) by OumeKakuhime (1798-1799) by OsatoGohime (1799-1800) by OumeTazawa HidenariTokugawa HidemaruMine-hime (1800-1853) born by Otase and married Tokugawa Narinobu of Owari DomainTokugawa Nariyuki (1801-1846) inherited Shimizu-Tokugawa family later inherited Kii Domain and born to OtaseToruhime (1801-1802) by OchoJiyohime (1802-1803) by OumeAsahime (1803-1843) married Matsudaira Naritsugu of Fukui Domain by ObiJukihime (1803-1804) by OtaseTokugawa Tokinosuke (1803-1805) by OchoHarehime (1805-1807) by OtaseTokugawa Torachiyo (1806-1810) by OchoKohime (b.1806)Kishihime (1807-1811)Motohime (1808-1821) married Matsudaira Katahiro of Aizu Domain by OyachiAyahime (1809-1837) married Matsudaira Yoritane of Takamatsu Domain by OsodeTokugawa Tomomatsu (1809-1813) by OchoTokugawa Nariaki (1809-1827) born by OyaeYo-hime (1813-1868), married Maeda Nariyasu, born to OmiyoNakahime (1815-1817), born to Omiyo, married Tokugawa Naritsura from Hitotsubashi Family later Seijun-inTokugawa Narinori (1810-1827) inherited Shimizu family of Gosankyo and born by OyaeTokugawa Naritaka born by OchoTsuyahime (b.1811) by OsodeMorihime (1811-1846) married Nabeshima Naomasa of Saga Domain by OyaeIkeda Narihiro (1812-1826) born by OyaeKazuhime (1813-1830) married Mori Narito of Chosu Domain by OchoYasu-hime (1813-1863) born by Senko-in and married Tokugawa Mitsukuni later KokugakuinTakahime (1813-1814) by OsodeTokugawa Okugoro (1813-1814) by OhachiKotohime (1815-1816) by OhanaTokugawa Kyugoro (1815-1817) by OchoMatsudaira Naritami born to OyaeSue hime (1817-1872) married Asano Naritaka of Hiroshima Domain later Yousein by OmiyoSuzuma Nobuyuki (b.1817) by OyaeKiyohime (1818-1868), married Sakai Tadanori of Himeji Domain later Seiko-in, born to OyaeMatsudaira Nariyoshi (1820-1838) by OhanaTokugawa Shichiro (1818-1821) by OsodeMatsudaira Nariyoshi (1819-1839) of Fukui Domain and born to OyaeEi-hime (1819-1875) married Tokugawa Narikura of Hitotsubashi Domain by OhanaTokugawa Nariharu born by OhanaMatsudaira Narisawa born by Honrin'inTokugawa Narikatsu (1820–1850) inherited Shimizu-Tokugawa family later inherited Kii Domain and born by OsodeHachisuka Narihiro born by OyaeTokugawa Hachiro (1822-1823) by OsodeMatsudaira Narisada (1823-1841) born by OhanaMatsudaira Narikoto (1825-1844) of Akashi Domain born by OhanaTaehime (1827-1843) by Ohana and married Ikeda Narimichi of Tottori DomainTokugawa Taminosuke, born by O-itoFumihime1787 (Tenmei 7): Ienari becomes the 11th shogun of the bakufu government.1788 (Tenmei 7): Riots in rice shops in Edo and Osaka.March 6–11, 1788 (Tenmei 8, 29th day of the 1st month–4th day of the second month): Great Fire of Kyoto. A fire in the city, which begins at 3 o'clock in the morning of March 6 burns uncontrolled until the 1st day of the second month (March 8); and embers smolder until extinguished by heavy rain on the 4th day of the second month (March 11). The emperor and his court flee the fire, and the Imperial Palace is destroyed. No other re-construction is permitted until a new palace is completed. This fire was considered a major event. The Dutch VOC Opperhoofd in Dejima noted in his official record book that "people are considering it to be a great and extraordinary heavenly portent."February 28, 1793 (Kansei 5, on the 18th day of the 1st month): Collapse of the peak of Mount Unzen.March 17, 1793 (Kansei 5, on the 6th day of the 2nd month): Eruption of Mt. Biwas-no-kubiApril 15, 1793 (Kansei 5, on the 1st day of the 3rd month): The Shimabara earthquake.May 10, 1793 (Kansei 5, on the 1st day of the 4th month): Eruption of Mt. Miyama.September 1817, the Shogun orders the expulsion of Titia Bergsma, the first European woman to visit Japan1833–1837, the Tenpō famine1837 (Tenpō 7): Tokugawa Ieyoshi becomes the 12th shogun of the bakufu government.Ienari's time in office was marked by an era of pleasure, excess, and corruption, which ended in the disastrous Tenpō Famine of 1832–1837, in which thousands are known to have perished.
The years in which Ienari was shogun are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.
Tenmei (1781–1789)Kansei (1789–1801)Kyōwa (1801–1804)Bunka (1804–1818)Bunsei (1818–1830)Tenpō (1830–1844)
