32 Facts About Shimazu Nariakira

Shimazu Nariakira was a Japanese feudal lord of the Edo period, the 28th in the line of Shimazu clan lords of Satsuma Domain.

Shimazu Nariakira was renowned as an intelligent and wise lord, and was greatly interested in Western learning and technology.

Shimazu Nariakira was enshrined after death as the Shinto kami Terukuni Daimyojin in May 1863.

Shimazu Nariakira was born at the Satsuma domain's estate in Edo, on April 28,1809.

Shimazu Nariakira rose to power as daimyo of the domain of Satsuma only after surviving a gruesome and arduous war within his own family and domain, known as the Oyura Sodo or the Takasaki Kuzure.

Shimazu Nariakira faced much opposition in Satsuma since he spent most of his life in Edo ; as such he was considered a stranger in his own domain.

Narioki and Zusho's mutual disdain and mistrust for Shimazu Nariakira led to their endeavoring to isolate Shimazu Nariakira from Satsuma's affairs, which entailed withholding or altogether ceasing the flow from all sources of information regarding Satsuma's officials or their dealings with the shogunate.

Shimazu Nariakira arrived in Satsuma to attempt to resolve the Ryukyu crisis, as per the orders of shogunal high official Abe Masahiro, on June 25,1846.

Shimazu Nariakira was placed in charge of the newly created office of military service of Satsuma in October 1847.

Many of Shimazu Nariakira's followers believed Yura was the source of the subsequent deaths of his eldest children.

Shimazu Nariakira was able to restrain them; upon hearing of their plans for murder, Narioki began rooting out Shimazu Nariakira's supporters and ordering their deaths by seppuku.

The conflict had gotten so far out of hand that Shimazu Nariakira was left with no choice but to request aid from Abe Masahiro.

Abe, seeing that Shimazu Nariakira was being hindered in his proceeding with the Ryukyu crisis by his own father and family retainers, aided in getting Narioki to retire and removing Zusho.

On February 3,1851, Nairoki retired and Shimazu Nariakira was made daimyo of Satsuma.

Shimazu Nariakira was considered one of the wisest daimyo of his time, due to his appreciation of education.

In 1812, at age three, Shimazu Nariakira was designated the heir to the Satsuma lordship by his father.

The young Shimazu Nariakira was fascinated by his grandfather's collection of western items, which included clocks, musical instruments, telescopes, microscopes, and weapons.

Shimazu Nariakira then built a shipyard for Western-style shipbuilding at Sakurajima.

Shimazu Nariakira carried his love of Western culture into the military of Satsuma where he implemented Western-style cavalry and demanded annual military field maneuvers.

Shimazu Nariakira began enacting educational changes in Satsuma geared at bringing in Western science and technology.

Shimazu Nariakira established the Rangaku Koshujo, a school for the study of the Dutch language and Western culture.

In 1848, Shimazu Nariakira obtained the first daguerreotype camera ever imported into Japan, and ordered his retainers to study it and produce working photographs.

Since Narioki and Zusho together ceased the flow of information regarding Satsuma's officials or their dealings with Ryukyu to Shimazu Nariakira, Shimazu Nariakira had to establish his own information-gathering network.

Shimazu Nariakira relied on Date Munenari of Uwajima to explain his predicament to the Tokugawa shogunate and Abe.

Shimazu Nariakira instructed his associates Yamaguchi Sadayasu and Shimazu Hisataka to gather information in Satsuma for him as well as keep a close watch on Zusho's activities with special emphasis on goods and money being brought into the domain.

Shimazu Nariakira then decided it was time to make his bid for the lordship of Satsuma.

Shimazu Nariakira relied on Date Munenari to report the situation for him and gain the sympathies of Abe.

Once Shimazu Nariakira became daimyo, he needed loyal men to ensure that Yura and Narioki's continued efforts to undermine his power did not succeed.

Shortly before his death, Shimazu Nariakira was left with only a two-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter.

Shimazu Nariakira had been forced to ask Narioki to decide between Hisamitsu or Hisamitsu's son Tadayoshi to succeed him as daimyo.

On July 8,1858, Shimazu Nariakira was supervising the joint preparatory maneuvers in Tempozan for sending 3,000 Satsuma soldiers to Edo, and he succumbed to the heat.

Shimazu Nariakira was transported to Tsurumaru Castle, where he died on the 16th.