17 Facts About Matsudaira Yoshinaga

Matsudaira Yoshinaga, known as Matsudaira Keiei, or better known as Matsudaira Shungaku was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period.

Matsudaira Yoshinaga was head of Fukui Domain in Echizen Province.

Matsudaira Yoshinaga is counted as one of the "Four Wise Lords of the Bakumatsu period", along with Date Munenari, Yamauchi Yodo and Shimazu Nariakira.

Matsudaira Yoshinaga was born in Edo Castle as the eighth son of Tokugawa Narimasa, head of the Tayasu-Tokugawa, one of the gosankyo cadet branches of the Tokugawa clan.

In 1839, Matsudaira Yoshinaga began implementation of a fiscal austerity plan in an effort to resolve the perennial financial difficulties of Fukui Domain.

Matsudaira Yoshinaga began by cutting the stipends for all of his samurai retainers in half for a three-year period, and his own expenses for five years.

Matsudaira Yoshinaga performed innovative work such as establishment of a translation bureau "Yosho-shugaku-sho" to acquire rangaku knowledge and spur military modernisation.

Matsudaira Yoshinaga built a modern armaments factory, and the Meidokan han school was nationally recognised.

In 1853, in the aftermath of the Perry Expedition to demand an end to Japan's national isolation policy, at first Matsudaira Yoshinaga joined the anti-foreigner party led by Tokugawa Nariaki and Shimazu Nariakira.

Infuriated, Matsudaira Yoshinaga intruded into Edo castle with Tokugawa Nariaki to protest against Naosuke's actions.

Matsudaira Yoshinaga strongly supported the kobu gattai movement to strengthen relations between the shogunate and the Imperial court.

Matsudaira Yoshinaga was appointed to the newly created post of Seiji sosaishoku, a high-ranking government oversight position and worked with Matsudaira Katamori, who was appointed Military Commissioner of Kyoto, in charge of security for the Emperor.

Matsudaira Yoshinaga invited Yokoi Shonan from Kumamoto Domain as a political consultant, and planned for Shogun Tokugawa Ieshige to relocate to Kyoto.

Matsudaira Yoshinaga Shungaku moved to Kyoto the same year, but the increasing strength of the Sonno joi movement led by Choshu Domain forced him into increasingly unfavourable compromises, and he was forced to resign as Seiji sosaishoku in disappointment.

Matsudaira Yoshinaga was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, second class in 1881 and his court rank was raised to Junior First Rank in 1888.

Matsudaira Yoshinaga was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, first class in 1889.

Matsudaira Yoshinaga's tomb is located in the temple Kaian-ji in Shinagawa, Tokyo.