Virtual Tour | Tokugawa Yoshinao’s Mausoleum at Jokoji and Aichi Prefecture’s Connection to Power
Tokugawa Yoshinao was a significant figure in early Edo Period Japan. Primarily known for being the first lord of Owari Domain and the ninth son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, his story offers a glimpse into the history of the region and the hold the Tokugawa family had on Japan.
Yoshinao established the Owari Tokugawa branch, one of the three prestigious ‘Gosanke’ families (御三家, which literally means “the three noble houses”). These families were considered potential successors to the shogunate, holding significant power and influence (along with the Owari branch, there was also Mito and Kii). Yoshinao was also a patron of the arts (as feudal lords, officials, elites, and high ranking samurai were known for being cultured). His efforts contributed to the rise or flourishing of various arts in the Edo Period. Yoshinao employed many scholars to edit and produce texts on Shinto, historical subjects, and military science. He was favorable toward Confucianism and established a shrine to Confucius within Nagoya Castle; in fact, he earnestly promoted the idea of Shinto and Confucianism being able to combine many aspects of the belief systems. Although ordered by Tokugawa Ieyasu, he played a key role in the construction of Nagoya Castle, a prominent landmark in the region and in Japan.
His mausoleum is located at Jōkō-ji Temple in Seto City, Aichi, making it a significant historical site. Yoshinao never held the position of shogun, but he most certainly had influence in the ruling Tokugawa family, and contributed to the cultural and political landscape of central Japan and in the Edo period.
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