英語訳
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**Scroll Painting of Entry into Osaka Castle**
A scroll painting depicting the actual conditions of that procession is now preserved among the former domain retainers. I believe it is certainly housed in the Nagao Seikō family collection as well. This is quite interesting—at this time Nobuyori departed Edo on September 1st (Tenpō 2), arrived at this Yoshida on the 8th, stayed on the 9th and departed on the 10th, arrived in Osaka on the 16th, and entered the castle on the 18th. This was an extremely solemn affair, and among the elderly there are still people alive who witnessed it.
Now, Mizuno Tadakuni, who once controlled the power of the realm, died of illness at age 71 on February 28, Tenpō 5. Soon after, the aforementioned Mizuno Echizen-no-kami Tadakuni joined the ranks of the main castle senior councilors. Ōkubo Tadasane, who had long been suppressed by Tadanari, gradually gained power and became able to implement his opinions, so some of the corrupt practices of the Tadanari era were corrected. However, this Tadasane also died of illness on March 19, Tenpō 8.
**Shogun Ienari's Retirement and Ieyoshi's Succession**
On April 2 of that year, Shogun Ienari retired to the western citadel, and his heir Ieyoshi succeeded as Seii Taishogun (Shogun). However, even after retirement, Ienari was called Ōgosho (Retired Shogun) and still attended to government affairs. Moreover, on March 10 of the ninth year, the western citadel was completely destroyed by fire, and its reconstruction caused considerable financial difficulties for the shogunate. In his old age, Ienari became increasingly willful, and two or three powerful retainers catered to his wishes, creating a situation of rampant bribery that even the capable Mizuno Echizen-no-kami Tadakuni found exasperating.
**Mizuno Tadakuni's Reforms**
As I mentioned before, Nobuyori's promotion from Kyoto deputy to senior councilor occurred on the 16th of the month when Ieyoshi succeeded, and on July 9 of that year, Wakisaka Yasutada and Hotta Masaatsu also joined the ranks of senior councilors. Furthermore, in March of the following ninth year, Doi Toshitsura also became a senior councilor, but Mizuno Tadakuni, as their senior, planned to greatly reform shogunal administration.
Originally, this Tadakuni was quite capable, devoted to literary and military pursuits from childhood. Despite the prevailing trend where young lords of daimyo families indulged in entertainment, he was remarkably spirited and studious, which earned him ridicule as an eccentric. However, he associated much with people like Narushima Motonao...
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Mayor of Toyohashi, Ōguchi Kiroku, has devoted his extensive knowledge and inexhaustible energy to compiling Toyohashi city history for over a year, and now as his manuscript nears completion...
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This Toyohashi City Historical Discourse is published once weekly (Tuesdays) and presented to readers of the Sanyō Newspaper.
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...and Tsutsui Masanori. Although Hayashi Jussai was gradually advancing in years, Tadakuni also frequently visited his school. He employed Shioya Tōin as a guest teacher and advisor. For these reasons, when he became senior among the councilors, he had great ambition to reform corrupt administration and frequently visited the Mito domain lord, the aforementioned Nariaki, with whom he initially found great common ground.
At that time, Nariaki employed talented individuals like Fujita Tōko, Aizawa Yasushi, and Aoyama En'u in his domain, striving greatly to restore the declining world. It is said that Tadakuni's later recommendation of Sanada Shinano-no-kami Yukitsura as senior councilor on June 13, Tenpō 12, was actually based on Nariaki's advice.
Yukitsura was the second son of Matsudaira Sadanobu, whom I have mentioned frequently before. As you know, after retirement Sadanobu took the name Rakuō and befriended wind and moon, but his concern for the country never left him—various phrases lamenting the world can be seen in his work "Hima naru Amari" and others. However, this person died in June of Bunsei 11 at age 71, exactly twelve years after Nobuaki's death.
Thus Tadakuni earnestly intended to reform the shogunate's corrupt administration, but as I mentioned before, at that time Ienari still remained in the western citadel as Ōgosho participating in shogunal government, so things could not proceed as intended.
However, around this time foreign ships began arriving at our coasts, creating diplomatic problems. As you already know from the previous chapter, during Nobuaki's time as senior councilor, following Hayashi Jussai's opinions, they rejected extreme exclusionist arguments and took appropriate measures, achieving temporarily satisfactory resolution. But later, in Bunsei 8, they issued the order to "attack foreign ships without hesitation."
**The Watanabe Kazan Incident and Kazan Under House Arrest**
So when diplomatic issues arose this time, thoughtful people were greatly concerned and made various plans. The well-known Watanabe Kazan and Takano Chōei wrote works like "Shinkiran" and "Yume Monogatari" to warn the world—this also occurred at this time.
Since various books about these matters have already been published, I do not intend to elaborate in detail here, but Watanabe Kazan was finally placed under house arrest in Tahara...
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