Manabe Akifusa

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Manabe Akifusa

Role / Field:

High-ranking Tokugawa official and daimyō whose career was built on personal favor.

Born:

1666-06-18

Died:

1720-08-19

Century / Era:

1666s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Manabe Akifusa (間部 詮房; June 18, 1666 – August 7, 1720) was a close personal confidant and lover of Shōgun Tokugawa Ienobu and held numerous important posts within the administration of the Tokugawa shogunate. He was also daimyō of Takasaki Domain and later of Murakami Domain. Akifusa was the son of Nishida Kiyosada, a retainer of Tokugawa Tsunashige, the daimyō of Kofu Domain. He was initially apprenticed to a sarugaku theatre troupe, but in 1684 became a page to Tokugawa Tsunatoyo. His family name was changed to "Manabe" around this time.

Career & Major Achievements

He rose rapidly through the ranks due to his special relationship with Tsunashige, and by 1704 was counted as a member of his inner entourage, had been awarded with the courtesy title of Echizen-no-kami, and the court rank of Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade. In 1705 his income was increased to 3,000 koku, but in 1706 he was named a deputy wakadoshiyori and granted additional estates in Sagami Province which brought his income to over the 10,000 koku mark required to become a daimyō. The same year, his court rank was increased to Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade, and he was nominated deputy rōjū. In 1710, his income was increased to 50,000 koku and he became daimyō of Takasaki Domain. This rise in status of a person who was originally a member of the despised profession of "entertainer" to a daimyō and senior official in the government was unprecedented and was largely due to the backing of Shōgun Tokugawa Ienobu and his successor Tokugawa Ietsugu.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Akifusa was noted for his backing of the Confucianist scholar-bureaucrat Arai Hakuseki as a "brain" for the Tokugawa shogunate and his economic and political reform program. Especially under the tenure of the young Tokugawa Ietsugu, Akifuse wielded tremendous influence as a sobayōnin. After Ietsugu died and was replaced by Tokugawa Yoshimune, Akifusa's influence went into rapid decline. He was relieved of all offices within the shogunate, and was transferred from Takasaki to the more remote Murakami Domain on the Sea of Japan in 1717. He died in Murakami in 1720 at the age of 54.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1666 (1666-06-18): Birth of Manabe Akifusa — High-ranking Tokugawa official and daimyō whose career was built on personal favor.
2. 1684: 1684 Milestone — He was initially apprenticed to a sarugaku theatre troupe, but in 1684 became a page to Tokugawa Tsunatoyo.
3. 1704: 1704 Milestone — He rose rapidly through the ranks due to his special relationship with Tsunashige, and by 1704 was counted as a member of his inner entourage, had been awarded with the courtesy title of Echizen-no-kami, and the court rank of Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade.
4. 1705: 1705 Milestone — In 1705 his income was increased to 3,000 koku, but in 1706 he was named a deputy wakadoshiyori and granted additional estates in Sagami Province which brought his income to over the 10,000 koku mark required to become a daimyō.
5. 1710: 1710 Milestone — In 1710, his income was increased to 50,000 koku and he became daimyō of Takasaki Domain.
6. 1717: 1717 Milestone — He was relieved of all offices within the shogunate, and was transferred from Takasaki to the more remote Murakami Domain on the Sea of Japan in 1717.
7. 1720 (1720-08-19): Passing & Historical Legacy — Manabe Akifusa passed away on 1720-08-19, leaving an enduring historical legacy.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Manabe Akifusa

True or False: “Manabe Akifusa's rapid rise from an entertainer background to a powerful daimyō was primarily due to his connections with the Tokugawa clan.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): His advancement was largely attributed to the backing of Shogun Tokugawa Ienobu and his successor, Tokugawa Ietsugu.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Manabe Akifusa