日本のよいものを世界へ

Holding period

2023.04.15 〜 2023.06.11

The 1st Exhibition in 2023 “Ieyasu, Happily Ever After!

The National Archives of Japan has inherited many of the former collections of the Fujimitei Bunko (later the Momijiyama Bunko), which was founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and has been carefully preserved and made available for use to this day. This time, we will hold an exhibition titled “Ieyasu, tumultuous times! and other books formerly owned by the Edo Shogunate. The exhibition will introduce the character of Tokugawa Ieyasu from three main perspectives: battles related to Ieyasu, the various vassals who served Ieyasu, and Ieyasu’s archives, including his book publishing and archival transcription business.

Main Exhibits

■Gojiki

It is an official history of the Tokugawa shogunate, compiled by Jyusai Hayashi and others and completed in 1843. It is a chronicle of the reigns of each successive shogun from Ieyasu Ieyasu I to Ieharu X in chronological order, with anecdotes compiled as appendices. Total 485 volumes, formerly in the collection of the Momijiyama Bunko. In volume 22 of “Toshogu Goshiki Sukuroku,” it is written that Ieyasu established the “Gobunko” in Edo Castle in 1602. This is said to be the origin of the Momijiyama Bunko.

■Todai-ki (Chronicle of the Modern Era)

This book is a detailed account of domestic political, economic, and other movements from the Warring States to the early Edo period. The author is said to be Matsudaira Tadaaki (1583-1644), grandson of Ieyasu, lord of the Himeji domain in Harima Province. Total of 9 volumes. The image shows a section describing the battle of Mikagahara, where Takeda Shingen and Tokugawa Ieyasu fought each other on December 22, 1572. Ieyasu suffered a heavy defeat in this battle.

■Kansei jyushou shouka fufu

This is a collection of family histories of feudal lords and hatamoto compiled by the shogunate. In 1799, Masatsu Hotta, a young official of the Tokugawa shogunate, was appointed editor-in-chief of this collection. He completely revised the “Kan’ei Shukei Genealogical Biography,” a collection of family histories compiled during the Kan’ei period, and had various families submit new family histories up to the 10th year of Kan’ei period. The image above is of Honda Tadakatsu, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Tokugawa, a brave general who is said to have fought in over 50 battles and never suffered a single wound.

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