Foreign Student (hereinafter FS): From September 20 onwards, it is Be-Kind-to-Animals Week in Japan.
I’ve heard that there was a shogun who cared more for dogs than for people.
What kind of person was he?
Teacher (hereinafter T): You are referring to TOKUGAWA Tsunayoshi who became the fifth shogun of the Edo Shogunate in 1680.
Tsunayoshi was the offspring of the shogun and a low-born concubine, but because all the children of the shogun’s official wife died, he unexpectedly became shogun.
It is said that he was an extremely tenacious and picky character.
On the other hand because he had studied Confucianism since childhood, he was merciful and benevolent at heart.
FS: Why did Tsunayoshi care for dogs so much?
T: In those days there were a lot of stray dogs in the big city of Edo (present-day Tokyo).
Some tormented them, or ate them.
So, Tsunayoshi made the abuse of animals illegal.
At the outset the aim was to protect these dogs.
After that about 130 additional laws were enacted.
These gradually became stricter, for instance it was illegal to abandon a dog, and those who killed dogs were sentenced to death.
Since this law was extended to all living creatures, people got angry.
According to some documents, hundreds of thousands of people were charged as dog killers.
However, hardly anybody was actually punished and these days many scholars take the view that Tsunayoshi’s enemies had exaggerated their accounts.
FS: The same conspiratorial tricks can be seen in contemporary power struggles, can’t they?
Based on the Confucian principle of compassion for others, Tsunayoshi enacted a variety of different reforms for the benefit of his citizens.
To create a society in which citizens could live in peace, he confiscated firearms from feudal clans.
However, as a result he earned the condemnation of feudal lords and samurai who felt that they were being stripped of their privileges.
The shogunate was lacking funds when Tsunayoshi became shogun.
However, he himself lived a simple life as a matter of course and made up for the deficit by reducing the amount of gold in the currency.
Tsunayoshi restored and built many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, including Toshogu in Nikko where the first shogun Ieyasu was enshrined.
In contemporary terms, you might say that this was a large-scale public works project.
It stimulated the economy, so that the arts, such as ukiyoe prints and kabuki flourished.
FS: I thought that he was a bad person.
I’m surprised he was a benevolent ruler.
A German doctor called KAEMPFER who had met Tsunayoshi described him in his book as being an excellent monarch who was merciful despite his strict laws.
However, Tsunayoshi was visited by misfortune in his later years.
Japan was hit by two powerful earthquakes of more than eight degrees’ magnitude, on top of that, Mount Fuji erupted and prices soared.
In principle restoration costs were borne by private individuals.
However he saved the day by getting the feudal lords to bear the costs.
Unfortunately, he died shortly after this.
Dissatisfied samurai whispered that this was Tsunayoshi’s divine punishment.
After this his laws were abolished, so that only his bad reputation remained.
留学生
ryuugakusei
Foreign Student
(以下、留):
ika, ryuu
hereinafter FS
9月20日
kugatsu hatsuka
September 20
動物愛護週間
doubutsu aigo shuukann
Be-Kind-to-Animals Week
大切にした
taisetsu ni shita
(who) cared more (for)
将軍が
shougunn ga
(a) shogun
聞きました。
kiki mashita.
I’ve heard
人物ですか。
jinnbutsu desu ka.
person was he ?
(以下、先):
ika, senn
hereinafter T
1680年
sennroppyaku hachijyuu nenn
sixteen eighty [year]
江戸幕府
edobakufu
(the) Edo Shogunate
5代将軍
godaishougunn
the fifth shogun (of)
になった
ni natta
(who) became
徳川綱吉
tokubawa tsunayoshi
Tokugawa Tsunayoshii
のことですね。
no koto desu ne.
(you) are referring to
綱吉は
tsunayoshi ha
Tsunayoshi
将軍
shougunn
(the) shogun
身分の低い
mibunn no hikui
low-born
側室
sokushitsu
(a) concubine
正室
seishitsu
(the shogun’s) official wife
子どもたちが
kodomo tachi ga
(the) children
思いがけなく
omoigakenaku
unexpectedly
将軍に
shougunn ni
shogun
なりました。
narimashita.
(he) became
執着心が強く、
shuuchakushinn ga tsuyoku,
extremely tenacious
好き嫌いが激しい
sukikirai ga hageshii
picky
性格
seikaku
(an) character
その一方で
sono ippou de
on the other hand
幼い頃
osanai koro
childhood
儒学を
jyugaku wo
Confucianism
学んでいた
manannde ita
(he) had studied
思いやりの心を
omoiyari no kokoro wo
benevolent at heart
いわれます。
iware masu.
(it) is said
綱吉は
tsunayoshi ha
Tsunayoshi
[[rb:大切 > たいせつ]]にしたのですか。
taisetsu ni shita no desuka.
当時、
touji,
in those days
大都会
daitokai
(the) big city
(現在の
gennzai no
present-day
野犬が
yakenn ga
stray dogs
いました。
imashita.
there were
いじめたり、
ijimetari,
tormented or
食べたりする
tabetari suru
ate (them)
者もいました。
mono mo imashita.
some
綱吉は
tsunayoshi ha
Tsunayoshi
生き物を
ikimono wo
(of) animals
大切にする法律を
taisetsu ni suru houritsu wo
(the) abuse illegal <care>
つくりました。
tsukuri mashita.
made
初めは
hajime ha
at the outset
保護する
hogo suru
to protect
130回
hyakusannjyukkai
hundred thirty
追加の
tsuika no
additional
出されました。
dasare mashita.
were enacted
捨てることを
suteru koto wo
to abandon
違法とする
ihou to suru
(it) was illegal
なり、
nari,
(these) became and
殺した
koroshita
(who) killed
処刑されました。
shokei sare mashita.
were sentenced to death
この法律は
kono houritsu ha
this law
生物全体
seibtstu zenntai
living creatures all
対象と
taishou to
was extended
怒りを買いました。
ikari wo kaimashita
got angry
犬を殺した
inu wo koroshita
dog killers
何十万人もが
nannjyuumann ninn mo ga
hundreds of thousands of people
罪に問われたとあります。
tsumi ni towareta to arimasu.
were charged
処罰された人は少なく、
shobatsu sareta hito ha sukunaku,
hardly anybody was punished and
現在では
gennzai deha
these days
多くの学者が
ooku no gakusha ga
many scholars
反綱吉派による
hanntsunayoshi ha ni yoru
Tsunayoshi’s enemies had
誇張
kochou
exaggerated (their accounts)
見解です。
kennkai desu.
take the view
現在の
gennzai no
contemporary
権力闘争
kennryoku tousou
power struggles
陰謀の手口と
innbou no teguchi to
conspiratorial tricks
綱吉は
tsunayoshi ha
Tsunayoshi
儒教の、
jyukyou no,
(the) Confucian
あわれむ
awaremu
compassion <spirits>
心
kokoro
principle <heart> (of)
に基づき、
ni motoduki,
based on
町人
chouninn
(his) citizens
本位の
honni no
for the benefit (of)
さまざまな
samazama na
a variety of different reforms
改革を行いました。
kaikaku wo okonai mashigta.
enacted
没収し、
bosshuu shi,
(he) confiscated [and]
安心して生活できる
annshinn shite seikatsu dekiru
could live in peace
社会制度を
shakai seido wo
(a) society [system] (in which)
つくろうとしました。
tsukurou to shimashita.
to create
それに伴い
sore ni tomonai
as a result
既得権益を
kitoku kenneki wo
(their) privileges
奪われた
ubawareta
(who felt that they) were being stripped of
大名
daimyou
feudal lords
武士たち
bushi tachi
samurai
激しい怒りを
hageshii ikari wo
(the) condemnation
買いました。
kai mashita.
(he) earned
綱吉が
tsunayoshi ga
Tsunayoshi
幕府は
bakufu ha
(the) shogunate
財政不足の
zaisei busoku no
lacking funds
綱吉は
tsunayoshi ha
he (Tsunayoshi) himself
あたりまえのように
atarimae no you ni
as a matter of course
質素な生活を
shisso na seikatsu wo
(a) simple life
貨幣
kahei
(the) currency
財政を
zaisei wo
(the) deficit
補いました。
oginai mashita.
made up (for)
綱吉は
tsunayoshi ha
Tsunayoshi
初代将軍の
shodai shougunn no
(the) first shogun
祭られている
matsurarete iru
was enshrined
日光東照宮を
nikkou toushouguu wo
Toshogu in Nikko (where)
神社仏閣を
jinnjya bukkaku wo
Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples
修復したり、
shuufuku shitari,
restored and
建てたりしました。
tatetari shimashita.
built
現代的にいえば、
genndaiteki ni ieba,
in contemporary terms
大規模な
daikibo na
large-scale
公共事業
koukyou jigyou
(a) public works project
いえます。
iemasu.
you might say
景気は
keiki ha
(the) economy
よくなり、
yoku nari,
stimulated so that
浮世絵
ukiyoe
ukiyoe prints
文化が
bunnka ga
(the) arts <culture>
花開きました。
hanahiraki mashita.
flourished