Aoki Konyō (青木昆陽; June 19, 1698 – November 9, 1769) was a Confucian scholar, minor hatamoto and pioneer rangaku scholar…Aoki Konyō (青木昆陽; June 19, 1698 – November 9, 1769) was a Confucian scholar, minor hatamoto and pioneer rangaku scholar in early Edo period Japan. He is also credited with introducing the cultivation of sweet potato to many parts of Japan.
Hattori Ransetsu (1654–1707) was an Edo samurai who became a haikai poet under the guidance of Matsuo Bashō. R. H.…Hattori Ransetsu (1654–1707) was an Edo samurai who became a haikai poet under the guidance of Matsuo Bashō. R. H. Blyth considered Ransetsu to be Bashō's most representative follower.
Cornelia van Nijenroode (c. 1629 – c. 1692) was a Dutch merchant in the Dutch East Indies, famous for her conflict with…Cornelia van Nijenroode (c. 1629 – c. 1692) was a Dutch merchant in the Dutch East Indies, famous for her conflict with her second husband.
Tokugawa Mitsukuni (徳川 光圀; Japanese pronunciation: [to.kɯꜜ.ɡa.wa | mʲi.tsɯ̥.kɯꜜ.ɲi, -kɯ.ɡa.wa mʲi.tsɯ̥.kɯꜜ-, -ŋa.wa-]…Tokugawa Mitsukuni (徳川 光圀; Japanese pronunciation: [to.kɯꜜ.ɡa.wa | mʲi.tsɯ̥.kɯꜜ.ɲi, -kɯ.ɡa.wa mʲi.tsɯ̥.kɯꜜ-, -ŋa.wa-], 11 July 1628 – 14 January 1701), also known as Mito Kōmon (水戸黄門; [mʲi.to (|) koː.moɴ]), was a Japanese daimyo who was known for his influence in the politics of the early Edo period. He was the third son of Tokugawa Yorifusa (who in turn was the eleventh son of Tokugawa Ieyasu) and succeeded him, becoming the second daimyo of the Mito Domain.
Magdalene of Nagasaki (長崎のマグダレナ, Nagasaki no Magudarena) (1611 – October 15, 1634) was a Japanese Christian who served…Magdalene of Nagasaki (長崎のマグダレナ, Nagasaki no Magudarena) (1611 – October 15, 1634) was a Japanese Christian who served as a translator and catechist for the Augustine Recollect missionaries. She became a tertiary of the Order of Augustinian Recollects.
Peter Kasui Kibe, SJ (Japanese: ペトロ・カスイ岐部, romanized: Petoro Kasui Kibe; born Kibe Shigekatsu, 岐部 茂勝; 1587 – 4 July…Peter Kasui Kibe, SJ (Japanese: ペトロ・カスイ岐部, romanized: Petoro Kasui Kibe; born Kibe Shigekatsu, 岐部 茂勝; 1587 – 4 July 1639) was a Jesuit who was one of the first Japanese people to visit major cities west of his native Japan, such as Rome and Jerusalem. He was killed in 1639 and beatified as a martyr in 2008.
Lady Kasuga (春日局, Kasuga no Tsubone; 1579 – October 26, 1643) was a Japanese noble lady and politician from a prominent…Lady Kasuga (春日局, Kasuga no Tsubone; 1579 – October 26, 1643) was a Japanese noble lady and politician from a prominent Japanese samurai family of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. Born Saitō Fuku (斉藤福), she was a daughter of Saitō Toshimitsu (who was a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide). She was the wet nurse of the third Tokugawa shōgun Iemitsu. Lady Kasuga was one of the best politicians in the Edo period. She stood in front of negotiations with the Imperial Court and contributed to the stabilization of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Kasuga was one of the most powerful figures in the Ōoku (the quarters in Edo Castle where the women related to the Shogun family resided) . She is counted alongside Matsudaira Nobutsuna and Yagyu Muneyori as one of the Three Tripod Legs, who supported and propped up Iemitsu.
Sebastian Kimura (1565 – 10 September 1622) was a Japanese Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus. He was…Sebastian Kimura (1565 – 10 September 1622) was a Japanese Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus. He was among the 55 people killed during the Great Genna Martyrdom and subsequently beatified.
Lady Saigō (西郷局 or 西郷の局 Saigō no Tsubone; 1552 – 1 July 1589), also known as Oai, was one of the concubines of Tokugawa…Lady Saigō (西郷局 or 西郷の局 Saigō no Tsubone; 1552 – 1 July 1589), also known as Oai, was one of the concubines of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the samurai lord who unified Japan at the end of the sixteenth century and then ruled as shōgun. She was also the mother of the second Tokugawa shōgun, Tokugawa Hidetada. Her contributions were considered so significant that she was posthumously inducted to the Senior First Rank of the Imperial Court, the highest honor that could be conferred by the Emperor of Japan. During their relationship, Lady Saigō influenced Ieyasu's philosophies, choice of allies, and policies as he rose to power during the late Sengoku period, and she thus had an indirect effect on the organization and composition of the Tokugawa shogunate. Although less is known of her than some other figures of the era, she is generally regarded as the "power behind the throne", and her life has been compared to a "Cinderella story" of feudal Japan. Once she was in a respected and secure position as the official concubine and mother to Ieyasu's heir, Lady Saigō used her influence and wealth for charitable purposes. A devout Buddhist, she donated money to temples in Suruga Province, where she resided as the consort of Ieyasu, first in Hamamatsu Castle and later in Sunpu Castle. As she was quite near-sighted, she also established a charitable organization that assisted visually impaired women with no other means of support. Lady Saigō died at a fairly young age, under somewhat mysterious circumstances. Although murder was suspected, no culprit was identified. Lady Saigō bore four children: she had a son and a daughter (Saigō Katsutada and Tokuhime) while married, and she later bore two sons as the consort of Tokugawa Ieyasu: Tokugawa Hidetada and Matsudaira Tadayoshi. Among the descendants of Lady Saigō was the Empress Meishō (1624–1696), one of very few women to accede to the Chrysanthemum Throne as empress regnant.
