On June 1, 1616, Ieyasu died, at the age of 73. The cause of death was either cancer, or syphilis. Syphilis had arrived in East Asia during the 16th century, and rapidly spread across China’s coastal provinces and the Japanese archipelago. By the end of the 18th century the infection rate in Japan may have been as high as half the population.
‘Life is like unto a long journey with a heavy burden. Let thy step be slow and steady, that thou stumble not. Persuade thyself that imperfection and inconvenience are the lot of natural mortals, and there will be no room for discontent, neither for despair. When ambitious desires arise in thy heart, recall the days of extremity thou hast passed through. Forbearance is the root of all quietness and assurance forever. Look upon the wrath of thy enemy. If thou only knowest what it is to conquer, and knowest not what it is to be defeated; woe unto thee, it will fare ill with thee. Find fault with thyself rather than with others.’
Tokugawa Ieyasu’s last instruction
What made this samurai, of all others, the grand prizewinner? Ieyasu was not very well liked or personally popular but, in this Sengoku era of violence, sudden death, and betrayal, these were not qualities that much mattered. What did matter he had more than enough of. Ieyasu was intelligent and decisive and calculating and subtle. Respected for his leadership and cunning, he was both careful and bold, at the right times, at the right places. He switched alliances when he thought he would benefit from the change. He allied with the Hōjō clan; then he joined Hideyoshi's army of conquest, which destroyed the Hōjō, and took over their lands. He wisely kept his soldiers out of Hideyoshi's campaign in Korea. Still, he was capable of great loyalty. He was devoted towards his personal friends and vassals, whom he rewarded. Once allied with Nobunaga, he never went against him, and both leaders profited from their long alliance. He protected many former Takeda retainers from the of Nobunaga’s wrath, and managed to convert many Takeda, Hōjō, and Imagawa clan retainers, all whom he had defeated, into steadfast followers.
Ieyasu was feared, and ruthless when crossed. He ordered the executions of his first wife and his eldest son, and a man because he had insulted him when he was young.
His physical fitness was undeniable. Ieyasu was skilled in various kenjutsu techniques, had personal sword instructors, and swam often. He fought, as a warrior or a general, in 90 battles. His favorite pastime was falconry, and regarded it as excellent training for a warrior. When you go into the country hawking, you learn to understand the military spirit and also the hard life of the lower classes. You exercise your muscles and train your limbs. You have any amount of walking and running and become quite indifferent to heat and cold, and so you are little likely to suffer from any illness.
Ieyasu’s fitness translated into fecundity. He had nineteen wives and concubines, by whom he had eleven sons and five daughters. His children and grandchildren were established as the daimyôs of his provinces.
The most important quality of this samurai was, as every Japanese schoolchild knows, his patience. Wait until it sings.
‘The strong manly ones in life are those who understand the meaning of the word patience. Patience means restraining one's inclinations. There are seven emotions: joy, anger, anxiety, adoration, grief, fear, and hate, and if a man does not give way to these he can be called patient. I am not as strong as I might be, but I have long known and practiced patience. And if my descendants wish to be as I am, they must study patience.’
In life, Ieyasu had expressed the wish to be deified after his death in order to protect his descendants from evil. In this, he had an unusual champion, who would link his pacification of Japan to the iconic mountain that defines its sense of place.
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