The Last Shogun: The Life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu

Tokugawa Yoshinobu, or Hitotsubashi Keiki as he was known for most of his life, usually languishes in most histories of Japan as an afterthought: "The Tokugawa Shogunate was overthrown in 1868, and then..." Fortunately, Shiba Ryotaro saw fit to write a book about this fascinating last Tokugawa shogun. The introduction to the book laments the loss of the historical narrative in the Western world, and it's easy to see why. Shiba's well-researched account of Yoshinobu's career becomes a gripping page-turner (and this really *is* a history book!). The intro positions Yoshinobu as a figure standing at a critical crossroads in world history (one of many in the history of Japan) , and laments him as a man who came too late to power to influence the future of Japan for the next century. Because Shiba presents Yoshinobu as a wily and far-seeing (if self-serving) genius, the narrative quickly becomes an engaging read; you really want to see how a man as intelligent as Yoshinobu could lose to the anti-shogunate forces. Shiba goes to great lengths to emphasize that Yoshinobu foresaw the demise of the shogunate and wanted nothing more than to avoid becoming its leader, yet he finally shouldered the burden. Yoshinobu, of course, knows he cannot defeat the surge of Imperial loyalists, and resolves to prevent a bloody civil war by dissolving the shogunate and abdicating. In spite of what is acknowledged by history as a brilliant move, Yoshinobu was wracked with angst for the rest of his life over perceived disloyalty to the Emperor and anger over the betrayal of Satsuma, the powerful Kyushu domain led by men like the famous Takamori Saigo. Contrast this excellent book with the entertaining "The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori" by Mark Ravina, which shows the Satsuma perspective: Saigo and his allies in the Shimazu clan were infuriated by being constantly outmaneuvered by the clever Yoshinobu! I think the primary reason for this book's success in English is the translation by Juliette Winters Carpenter. Though my Japanese is poor, the translation preserves the style of Shiba while still conveying his wit and intelligence. It really seems to me like reading a Japanese book in English, instead of reading an English book based upon a Japanese one. It's easy to understand Shiba's deep appreciation for Yoshinobu throughout the book, and I honestly think the translation alone is worth five stars. If you wish to know more about Japanese history - or history in general! - why not pick up Shiba Ryotaro's outstanding story of the life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu? It is an immensely satisfying read that will have you scrutinizing every account of the Meiji Restoration as you wonder, "What if Yoshinobu had....?"

Tokugawa Yoshinobu is a somewhat thankless figure. History loves a winner, and Yoshinobu only marks the end of the 300-year rein of the Tokugawa Shogunate, founded by the heroic figure Tokugawa Ieyasu. Overseeing the political and military defeat of the bakufu military government of which he was the head, Yoshinobu saw the works of his lineage swept under by the restored Meiji Emperor and his supporters. Not exactly the hallmarks of a powerful player in history, or someone worthy of study. However, in "The Last Shogun: The Life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu," author Ryotaro Shiba would have us believe that the Shogunate was book-ended by its most powerful, most impressive leaders, with Ieyasu opening and Yoshinobu closing this chapter of Japanese history. Born Hitotsubashi Keiki, Yoshinobu was destined for greatness. All those around him, his father, advisors, warriors and wisemen, declared him Ieyasu reborn, placing their hopes on him to restore and revitalize the bakufu military government headed by the Shogun. A strict training regime saw to his refinement, and true to the promise of his youth, Yoshinobu excelled in military arts and had the aristocratic bearing of a true ruler. Stacked against the nobel character and talents of Yoshinobu were two fatal flaws. The first of which was the politics of the time, with the ships of foreign powers threatening to blow open the ports of Japan, the machinations of those lords seeking to steal power from the Tokugawa, as well as the Japanese people themselves, seeking refuge in the divine blood of the royal family, crying "Revere the Emperor, expel the barbarians.," and moving strongly for a restoration of direct imperial rule. Added to this was Yoshinobu's own apathy. For all his abilities and bearings, he lacked ambition. He was content to be a minor player, and sought to defuse struggles where possible, never taking bold ventures or risks. An aristocrat born to power, he lacked the drive of a commoner such as Ieyasu who clawed his way into power. In this dynamic juxtaposition, the tide of history set against a powerful man lacking the spirit of conquest, author Shiba unfolds a fascinating story using a semi-novelesque approach that leaves us privy to the private thoughts of the cast while still remaining strictly historical in nature. Juliet Carpenter's impressive translation retains the vitality and flow of Shiba's original. Although the ending of the book is made clear in the title, "The Last Shogun" is a fascinating journey through the end of one era and to opening of another.

Ryotaro Shiba has a dramatic, almost hypnotic way of relaying the life of the last shogun, who relinquished his title almost as soon as he received it.Keiki, as he is known throughout the majority of the book, is an interesting character -- hard-headed, determined, wise, and eloquent. From his birth into the Mito clan until his ascension to the title of shogun, he was assisted or hampered by various subterfuges. His father, Nariaki, had believed from Keiki's early youth that he would become shogun and worked diligently to put him in a position to attain that goal. Many anti-Mito groups, however, worked toward the very opposite goal of ostracizing him from the bakufu (military government). Many died in helping him, and many died in hindering him. Once in the ultimate seat of power during the reign of the Tokugawas, Yoshinobo showed his great wisdom by relinquishing Japan's governing power back to the Emperor, launching Japan into the modern world. Thus, roughly 300 years of self-determined isolation for Japan ended.Ryotaro Shiba does an excellent job of providing all of the pertinent information, but he does an even better job of engaging the reader in the life and inner-workings of Keiki. If he does as good a job with other figures in Japanese history, I can't wait until future translations are released. For history that reads like fiction, this is the perfect book.

The Meiji Restoration is a pivotal event in world history, and ironically one of the least understood. Of all the Asian nations only Japan can claim never to have been colonized by one of the western powers. The Last Shogun demonstrates how Japan made the jump from a society living with 16th century technology and culture to a rapidly industrializing nation capable of defeating a european power in war within the span of one lifetime. Tokugawa Yoshinobu was a person living in the depths of that transformation, and his story shows us that this revolution in culture and attitudes in Japan was far more painful and traumatic than most westerners realize. As the Shogun at the moment of restoration of power to the Emperor, Tokugawa Yoshinobu's place in history is assured. The Last Shogun: The Life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu was a well written, almost purely historical telling of the crumbling of traditional authority and the creation of a new state, told from the perspective of the individual who surrendered power to the throne, betraying his own advisers, retainers, and vassals, so that the new Japan could emerge with the least bloodshed and suffering. Rarely do we find books that concentrate not on the glorious victor but the sly politician who realizes that his nation can only win if he himself looses. I recommend this book, by one of Japan's best loved authors to anyone interested in Japanese History.

Though I have not read the English version of the book, I'd like to comment on this book through my knowledge of the original as follows.Those who are interested in Japanese history or an aspect of Japanese recognition of its history would be recommended to read this book by Rotaro Shiba, English translation from Japanese original "Saigo No Shogun".You can see the Japanese style revolutionary transfer of the power without physical battles in the Edo-Meiji periods to open up the nation and to cope with the West through the hero's personality, Yoshinobu (Keiki) Tokugawa. The thinking way of the hero might be applicable even in the present Japanese politics.The author of The Last Shogun, Ryotaro Shiba has a formidable reputation in Japan as a popular historical books, and had a strong criticizer towards the Japanese Imperial Army through his own experience as an Army's tank soldier.He wrote numerous historical books in Japan and most of them are wi! dely read and are respected by the average Japanese, but this is the first translation of his masterpieces."Yoshinobu Tokugawa-Saigo No Shogun" is now on the NHK TV in Japan, and have a great popularity among Japanese, as it is said the period of the third "Revolitionary Change of Japan, next to the Meiji Restortion in 1868 and the Defeat of the WW2 in 1945.