Chapter 73: The Apogee of Nobutomo’s Japan
The rest of the 1640s saw Nobutomo largely build upon the policies and reforms he had instituted in Japan and further consolidate his personal authority and the power of the Oda clan. In particular, he would start to incorporate the tactics of Dutch-Swedish line infantry in the standing regional armies of the realm, a gradual process set to eventually retire the once-uniform masses of yari ashigaru. Flintlock muskets would begin to replace the outdated technology of Japanese matchlock arquebuses. Nevertheless, for decades to come those same blade and spear-wielding samurai would play a pivotal role together with the might of musketeers, an infantry combination that had already begun to emerge in the Iberian-Japanese and Furuwatari Wars. Internally, he dealt with the sudden death of the 21 year old Emperor Tensho in 1646 by facilitating the ascension of a half brother, Prince Nagahito (良仁親王), to the throne as Emperor Hachijou (八条天皇).
Also, in 1647, an expedition sponsored and funded by Azuchi and the Kakizaki clan in Ezo circumnavigated the island of Karafuto (樺太). Its southern part had already been discovered by local explorers and fishermen in the early 1640s. The sizable Ainu population and prospects of further expansion of territory and the fur trade enticed the Japanese who had already earlier explored and begun to interact with the Chishima Islands. However, it was not a pure coincidence that in the same year the Russian Tsardom, whose cavalry and explorers had continuously barreled eastwards towards the Pacific Ocean, founded the port of Okhotsk. Nobutomo, however, had been reading Joseon’s reports of Russian interactions with the northern Jurchens as well as details about the homeland of the Muscovites from European merchants and diplomats, and so felt it necessary to prepare for the future.
Aside from daijo-daijin Oda Nobutomo, the daimyo were implementing their own agendas and reforms within their own regions and domains to maintain political stability and . In Kaga and Echizen provinces, the Shibata clan introduced the realm’s local scrip, or paper currency, in 1646 [1]. Headed by Shibata Katsuoki (柴田勝興), the family ruled over one of the most prosperous domains thanks to possessing over 1 million in kokudaka (石高) and the bustling commercialism of the city of Kanazawa, which was the 4th largest city in the realm at 125,000 inhabitants. With the growth of handicraft industries in the outskirts and countryside around Kanazawa, the domain experienced an economic boom, facilitating the financial innovation. The scrip of the Shibata clan would only be the first and over the next few decades, other clans would begin to create their own unique versions. Meanwhile, in Musashi province Musashino Toshinao employed ex-Hojo retainers and ronin in his service and sought to reconcile the formerly warring sides, hoping to strengthen the loyalties of his new non-samurai subjects through them and rebuild political stability in the devastated province. As a result, on the local level they made up an indispensable portion of magistrates, enforcers, guards, and other position-holders, with hereditary Oda retainers making up the upper echelon in the province. Toshinao also committed to restoring the prosperity of the city of Musashino, which had been one of the Kanto region’s rising urban centers but was hurt by the Furuwatari War’s destruction and chaos. These measures would aid Musashi in going down the path of becoming the vibrant heart and core of the Kanto region.
Scrip used in Echizen and Kaga provinces
The overseas governors in Luson and Bireitou were also doing similar things. On Bireitou, Tarui Norishige of Bireigo province established a Kunishuu-in (国衆院) composed of the province’s samurai lords as well as the indigenous chieftains in order to bring all sides to the table similar to how the realm-wide Shinka-in did so with the court nobility and samurai lords. This institution would also be created shortly afterwards in Bireizen province, which was now governed by Wakamatsu Tadahide’s heir Tomohide (若松朝秀) after the former had died in 1640. This was particularly helpful as many aboriginal tribes felt dissatisfaction over being left out completely in the realm’s Shinka-in. The Kunishuu-ins on Bireitou would end up serving a bigger purpose compared to its national equivalent due to its more local nature and the greater need to manage the interethnic relations between the different vassals on the island. Meanwhile, on the next island over, Luson governor Kanbe Tomoyoshi continued his efforts in establishing long-term Japanese rule in the recently acquired region. As the Japanese were a small minority on the island, he focused on introducing institutions and standards from the home islands like the kokudaka system with local integration in mind. Many Lusonese natives were conscripted as ashigaru with unique elements like lighter armor to fit the tropical, forested landscape. Finally, Tomoyoshi heavily patronized non-Catholic religions to suppress the Spanish faith in the province, from Zen Buddhism (禅宗) to the Church of Yamato. Yamato Christianity along with traditional animism would find the most success among the natives while Buddhism began to establish a foothold through the samurai class. Sunni Islam, through the presence of Malay and Maguindanaon merchants, would also find many adherents especially in Pangasinan where anti-Japanese sentiments among the de-Catholicized populace limited the entrenchment of Buddhism and Yamato Christianity in the area. Unlike his contemporaries in Bireitou, however, Tomoyoshi did not pursue the political integration of the natives and focused more on their military integration to serve his primary focus on establishing the province as a sturdy buffer between the realm and Manila.
One trend that did not slow down with the sociopolitical evolution of the Japanese realm was urbanization, facilitated by a population boom aided by both the political reforms and continuous economic expansion. By this time, Kyoto, Sakai, and Azuchi contained well over 300,000 inhabitants each, with Azuchi topping the charts at over 400,000. These three cities were thus also some of the biggest cities in the world. They were followed by Kanazawa, Kamakura, and Gifu, the latter two of whom were recovering well from the Furuwatari War and sat just above 100,000. Rounding out the top 10 were Kagoshima, Iriebashi, Shimonoseki, and Yonezawa.
Halfway through the 17th century, the Japanese realm had reached unprecedented levels of global importance, population growth, and economic prosperity due to its successes overseas and peace and stability at home despite some hiccups. Despite this, many events and challenges awaited the Oda chancellorate and the remainder of the century would see Japan continue to be affected by events within and outside their own borders for better or for worse. However, the man responsible for many of Japan’s recent successes and changes would no longer steer it, for on November 15th, 1649 daijo-daijin Oda Nobutomo would succumb to illness at the age of just 48. He would be succeeded by his heir and lord of Gifu Castle, Oda Nobutsugu.
For the amount of time he commanded the powers and influence of the daijo-daijin and the Oda clan, Nobutomo had accomplished so much. Throughout his reign, he sought to continue and build upon the vision and ambitions laid out by his great-grandfather, Oda Nobunaga: a united Japan at peace interconnected with the wider world and holding power and prosperity rivaling that of the European powers Japan interacted with so much. Through the pursuit of this vision, however, Nobutomo exceeded his idol in many ways. During his 19 year rule, Japan defeated the world’s pre-eminent global empire, resolved a devastating civil war, implemented reforms that strengthened the central government and the Japanese economy, and embarked upon its most expansive string of embassies and diplomatic outreach in its entire history. When Nobutomo was born, Japan was an important and prosperous regional power only recently united and beginning to extend its limbs outwards. By the time he was taking his last breath, Japan was a globally known Eastern power with contacts all over Asia and Europe, some of the biggest urban centers in the world, and tributary power over the Spanish Crown through the Philippines. His passing was received with much sorrow and worthy respect by contemporaries who recognized the legacy he had left. Most famously, Cardinal Mazarin commented on his effect on the European balance of power:
“France is great, and it is through our strength that we triumphed. But a heathen as he may be, it was the bloody slash upon the Spaniards by the late chancellor that the Iberian Crown first shook and trembled”.
Every ruler following Oda Nobutomo would be striving in his shadows as the wheels of history continued to spin.
Promotional photo from the 2020 movie
Furuwatari
Members of the Sangi-shu 1630-1649
Date Masamune (伊達政宗): 1599-1636
Shimazu Nagahisa (島津長久): 1602-1631
Nagaoka Tadaoki (長岡忠興): 1614-1633
Sassa Katsuyuki (佐々勝之): 1616-1634
Oda Tadataka (織田忠高): 1620-1633
Oda Toshimasa (織田利昌): 1620-1637
Satake Yoshinobu (佐竹義宣): 1621-1633
Kuki Moritaka (九鬼守隆): 1623-1632
Sanjonishi Saneeda (三条西実条): 1623-1640
Ukita Nobuie (宇喜多信家): 1625-
Inaba Michikatsu (稲葉通勝): 1627-1635
Niwa Nagashige (丹羽長重): 1629-1637
Miyoshi Yasutaka (三好康孝): 1630-1639
Oda Hisanaga (織田久長): 1630-1637
Horiuchi Ujihiro (堀内氏弘): 1630-1645
Tokugawa Tadayasu (徳川忠康): 1630-
Miyabe Nagafusa (宮部長房): 1632-1635
Kakizaki Kinhiro (柿崎公広): 1633-1641
Akechi Mitsutada (明智光忠): 1633-
Kanbe Tomoyoshi (神戸朝吉): 1633-
Oda Tomoaki (織田朝昭): 1633-
Mizuno Katsunari (水野勝成): 1634-1639
Takigawa Kazutoshi (滝川一利): 1635-
Mori Chikayoshi (堀親良): 1635-1637
Nanbu Shigenao (南部重直): 1636-
Murai Sadamasa (村井貞昌): 1637-1646
Ban Tomoharu (塙友治): 1637-
Kitabatake Takanaga (北畠高長): 1637-
Maeda Toshinori (前田則之): 1639-
Oda Nobutsugu (織田信嗣): 1640-
Imadegawa Tsunesue (今出川経季): 1640-
Date Norimune (伊達則宗): 1641-
Asukai Masanobu (飛鳥井雅信): 1641-
Kajuuji Tsunehiro (勧修寺経広): 1641-
Mouri Tadamoto (毛利忠元): 1645-
Ikeda Yoshinori (池田由則): 1646-
Kyoto Shoshidai:
Hijikata Okiuji (土方意氏): 1619-1635
Mori Michiuji (森通氏): 1635-1644
Hosokawa Yoshimoto (細川義元): 1644-
Azuchi bugyo (magistrates):
Sugaya Katsuyori (菅屋勝頼): 1629-1634
Sakuma Moriyoshi (佐久間盛郎): 1634-1641
Tsumaki Yoritoshi (妻木頼利): 1641-
Oometsu-shoku (inspector general):
Hori Chikayoshi (堀親良): 1619-1635
Inaba Kazumichi (稲葉一通): 1635-1641
Sakuma Moriyoshi (佐久間盛郎): 1641-
[1]: The Fukui domain (福井藩) issued scrip in 1661 IOTL.
Orange=Oda clan members, Blue=Court nobility
