Iemitsu

Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604–1651) was the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, ruling from 1623 until his death. He was the son of Tokugawa Hidetada and a grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and he succeeded his father to the shogunate. His reign solidified the centralization of power under the bakufu and reinforced the hereditary rule of the Tokugawa clan.

During his tenure, Iemitsu centralized authority, strengthening the bakufu's control over the daimyo, and reinforcing the system of alternate attendance (sankin-kotai), which required daimyo to spend extended periods in Edo and to leave their families there as a guarantee of loyalty. This policy contributed to stability and the government's ability to manage the daimyos.

Foreign policy under Iemitsu moved toward isolation. In the 1630s he enacted the sakoku policy, limiting travel and trade, expelling or restricting missionaries, and prohibiting most Japanese from leaving the country. Overseas trade was restricted to a small number of Dutch and Chinese merchants at Dejima in Nagasaki.

His reign also faced internal challenges, notably the Shimabara Rebellion (1637–1638) by mostly Christian peasants in Kyushu, which was suppressed by the shogunate and led to harsher persecution of Christianity.

Tokugawa Iemitsu's policies laid the groundwork for the long period of peace and strict social control that characterized much of the Edo period, while also establishing Japan's near-total isolation from the outside world. He died in Edo in 1651.