Tsugaru Nobuyoshi

Tsugaru Nobuyoshi (津軽 信義, February 15, 1619 – December 22, 1655) was the 3rd daimyō of Hirosaki Domain in northern Mutsu Province, Honshū, Japan (modern-day Aomori Prefecture).

His mother, Tatsu-hime, was the daughter of Ishida Mitsunari and had been demoted to the status of concubine and exiled to Kōzuke when Nobuhira married Tokugawa Ieyasu’s niece to secure his position vis-à-vis the Tokugawa shogunate.

He was still 13 years old when his father died, and was ordered to report before shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu together with his younger half-brother Tsugaru Nobufusa on his accession to the lordship.

However, his position as the son of a concubine resulted in a split in the ranks of the senior retainers of Tsugaru Domain, with a large faction supporting Tsugaru Nobufusa due to his blood connection to the Tokugawa, and due to the fact that he was born as son of Nobuhira’s official wife.

Problems arose again in 1647 in what was called the Shōhō Sōdō, with remaining supporters of Nobufusa demanding that Nobuyoshi retire in favour of his younger half-brother, alleging misgovernment through excessive drinking and womanizing.