英語訳
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came to pass, but even today when we look at the ukiyo-e prints of Hishikawa Moronobu and his school, we can truly imagine the conditions of those times. Moreover, since the shogunate was already in financial straits, at the request of Tsunayoshi's mother Keishōin, they undertook the construction of Gokokuji and Gojiin temples, as well as the renovation of famous temples throughout the country. While this may have been quite beneficial from today's perspective of art preservation, it certainly caused the national expenditures to feel increasingly insufficient. Being left with no choice, they finally melted down even the gold weights that had been stored at Osaka Castle since Ieyasu's time as emergency reserves to make into currency. Still finding this insufficient, they gradually began mixing more silver into gold coins and copper into silver coins, creating new currency of poor quality, which further caused chaos in public finances.
Particularly in Tsunayoshi's later years, with the Compassion for Living Beings edicts, there were cases where people were sentenced to death for killing a single sparrow, and corrupt governance truly reached its extreme. Yet during this period, the one who alone wielded authority and further encouraged such corrupt policies was Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu. Yoshiyasu was initially named Yasuaki and served as Tsunayoshi's page, but he became a senior councilor and gradually rose to the rank of senior elder, eventually monopolizing power together with his son Yoshisato. It happened that on the 14th day of the 12th month of Genroku 15, there occurred the revenge incident of the Akō rōnin, including Ōishi Yoshio and forty-six other samurai, and this incident somewhat stirred public sentiment.
However, the Genroku era lasted only until the 16th year when the era name changed to Hōei, and after entering Hōei, natural disasters occurred frequently and disasters continued throughout the country, as I described much earlier in previous chapters. Consequently, the shogunal administration naturally fell into increasing disorder, and during such circumstances, Tsunayoshi passed away in the first month of Hōei 6.
Since Tsunayoshi had no children, as you know, the sixth shogun Ienobu came from Kōfu to succeed him. As soon as this man became shogun, he attempted to reform the corrupt policies of the previous generation, first dismissing the Yoshiyasu father and son, and bringing Arai Hakuseki, who had been his teacher since his Kōfu days, to serve as an advisor to the shogunal government. However, this also became a source of displeasure for the Hayashi family. And as I mentioned before, Matsudaira Nobuteru retired and Nobutoki inherited his position
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which occurred precisely in this sixth year of Hōei. The era name Hōei also changed to Shōtoku after seven years, and in the 10th month of Shōtoku 2, Shogun Ienobu, who had undertaken these reforms, also passed away after serving only four years in office.
Now, Nobutoki's transfer from Koga Castle in Shimōsa to Yoshida occurred precisely on the 12th day of the 7th month of this year, and Nobutoki received Yoshida Castle from the previous lord, Makino Daigaku Narihide, on the 2nd day of the 11th month of that year. The transfer of the Arai checkpoint in Enshū, which was under the jurisdiction of the Yoshida castle lord at that time, was received the day before, but since it coincided with the shogun's death, it must have been quite chaotic.
Regarding this domain transfer, five volumes of records from that time remain in the Ōkōchi family archives. These are extremely detailed records, but looking back now, even under normal circumstances, daimyo domain transfers were extremely chaotic affairs. At this time, the Ōkōchi family's castle-receiving official was a man named Yusa Heima, and we can see that his procession and such were quite impressive.
After the castle transfer was completed, Yusa Heima announced the domain's instructions brought from Edo, as well as notices to temples, shrines, towns, and rural areas. These are quite interesting as administrative documents of the time, so I would like to excerpt the full text below:
To the Retainer Band:
1. The prohibitions that have been established beforehand must be strictly observed, and improper conduct must not be committed.
2. All officials shall handle legal disputes and lawsuits through proper channels. The acceptance of bribes and gifts from retainers, townspeople, and rural residents is strictly prohibited.
3. Domain transfers involve expenses for everyone, so hereafter all matters should be conducted frugally, and it is essential that there be no failures. Since Yoshida is known for its luxurious customs in all matters, one must not be influenced by such customs.
4. Since the castle town is a place where various families pass through, retainers should not go out merely to observe passersby.
5. As previously established, except for officials, it is unnecessary to travel to distant places even within the domain. If there are special circumstances, one must obtain permission from one's respective supervisor.
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