The Birth and Rise of the Ishida Shogunate: Volumes 1 and 2 - An A-H Japan AAR

[aldriq]

Just caught up with this after you posted. That's one complex AAR you've got yourself in... Nice to have so much background before the V2 time starts, though I'm not sure my head will be able to deal with the wealth of detail in both yours and Milites' AARs – it might explode Akira-style

I hope you spent a good time in Malaysia despite bringing an unwelcome cold.

[King50000]

Take your time getting better, no need to rush when it's the well being of your person that is slowing you done.

[Avindian]

Get well soon!

[Tanzhang (譚張)]

Update Time! Thanks for waiting everyone, and thank you very much for the kind words. I'm feeling much better now, apart from a rather annoying cough.

Aldriq: Welcome Back! If the AAR seems to be going a little slowly, that's just because it's still early days yet. Like histories of the Edo period, which tend to focus on Ieyasu and Iemitsu at the beginning, generalise the next 200 years before focusing on Yoshinobu and the Meiji Restoration, this AAR will focus on the first half-century after Sekigahara, generalise the next 200 years before returning to focus on the 1830's and onwards. Nevertheless, it will most likely be the most complex AAR I'll ever write! Welcome aboard and I hope you'll be following, head-explosions or not.

[Tanzhang (譚張)]

The Toyotomi Shogunate: (1610 - 1616)

The Colonisation of Hokkaido

Mitsunari's new economic policies had brought much wealth, knowledge and prosperity to Western Japan. Eastern Japan on the other hand had largely been spared from these innovations and unfortunately the wealth that came with them, leaving some of its daimyo more than a little jealous. One such daimyo was the xenophilic Lord Date, who as if he needed an excuse to be rebellious, began to make noises about the "unfair treatment" he and his eastern brethren faced at the hands of the "Western" government.

Naturally the reason that the treaty ports were located in the west was due to it being closer to the foreigners and foreign markets, but Masamune wasn't one to listen to obvious geographical logic or common sense. Like a spoiled toddler after a shiny new toy, Masamune wanted a trading port and wouldn't be satisfied until he got it.

Mitsunari did not want another rebellion on his hands, and didn't see the harm in granting Masamune a port. After all, who would possibly want to trade there? it was still reasonably close to China and Korea, but there were many more closer, wealthier ports that their merchants would prefer to trade in. Ever cautious though, Mitsunari kept Masamune in check by awarding port rights to the Matsumae at Ezochi and his close ally Konishi Yukinaga, who along with Uesugi Kagekatsu was Masamune's greatest rival for the title of Eastern Japan's most powerful daimyo.

Unlike Masamune, Yukinaga had a sound business plan for his port, located outside Edo at the fishing village of Yokohama. He planned to turn his little village into a hub for trade with the Viceroyalty of New Spain[1]. Spain was at the forefront of ship construction at the time, and Yukinaga hoped to capitalise on this by establishing a nearby shipyard and naval training area at Yokosuka. Otomo Yoshinobu had similar ideas for Nagasaki, using Dutch naval expertise in lieu of Spanish.

Masamune had no such plan. At the time there was no obvious foreign market - it was 1610 after all. Instead Masamune would have to focus on trading with the Ainu peoples of Hokkaido. This posed a problem though, as the Matsumae clan of had a charter monopoly of Ainu trade. The charter had been granted by the late Taiko himself, so there was no disputing the Matsumae Clan's sovereignty of Ezochi province. Masamune felt he could circumvent the charter by annexing "wild" Hokkaido outright, though this would naturally bring him in conflict with the Matsumae.

Intervening as honest broker, Mitsunari's solution was a Japanese Tordesillas; in effect dividing Hokkaido between the Matsumae and Date clans. The Date would be held responsible for the "civilising" of the Ainu peoples; an all-too-common codeword for imperialism then as well as now. As compensation, Matsumae-controlled Ezochi would remain the only legal port in Hokkaido, allowing the Matsumae to profit from the date's endeavours. As ever Mitsunari wanted to keep the date in check, and so decreed that one third of Hokkaido be set aside for Date retainers, such as the Mogami clan. Masamune was more than happy to accept the "responsibility" of "civilising" the Ainu peoples but less than pleased with having to share the spoils with the Matsumae or even his own retainers. What Masamune thought was of little consequence; he was in no position to refuse or u-turn and be thought of as uncaring towards his own retainers, or worse, as a coward.

Division of Hokkaido, 1612. Mitsunari was able to appease and weaken Masamune at the same time by over-extending him and his vassals.

The colonisation of Hokkaido would be an ongoing process lasting another fifty years or so. Conflicts between Japanese settlers and Ainu natives, not to mention the expense of setting up and maintaining new Japanese settlements strained the Date clan purse-strings and kept Masamune from setting his sights on rebellion. Ironically, this may be the only example of colonial expansion helping to keep an empire together, as opposed to helping tear one apart.

Ainu peoples performing a religious sacrifice, circa 1625. In only fifty years time, the Ainu would be driven from their Hokkaido homelends and forced to relocate to the nearby islands of Sakhalin and the Kurils

The Fall of the Toyotomi Shogunate:

According to the original arrangements, Mitsunari as Kampaku would serve as japan's de facto head of government until Hideyori came of age, or in other words when he reached the ripe old age of fifteen. This had transpired in 1607 yet long after Hideyori's coming-of-age ceremony Mitsunari remained well in charge of official and state affairs. The young shogun was relegated to purely ceremonial roles, in effect a constitutional monarch in a country without a constitution.

For what its worth, Hideyori did not seem to be concerned by this. Much like China's ancient Emperor of Shu[2] Hideyori seemed more concerned with the state of his sake and "concubines" than with the state of the nation. He was not born of simple mind, but years of lazy and relaxed living (and not to mention heavy drinking) had dulled his wits and enlarged his belly.

Hideyoshi was now old enough to seek a worthy bride, and many in Japan thought that the obvious choice would be Ishida Tatsuoko, Mitsunari's daughter. Many were thus surprised when Mitsunari did not even offer his daughter's hand. Some thought that it was a selfless act, that as a father Mitsunari would not be willing to compromise his daughters happiness by marrying her to a drunk, overweight spoiled aristocrat. Others felt that Mitsunari wouldn't dare offer his daughter's hand lest it be considered a crude method of cementing his own powerbase. Whatever the motive, Mitsunari's decision helped ease fears that he was out to undermine the shogunate. Instead of Tatsuoko, Hideyori would marry the granddaughter of Imagawa Ujizane[3], a long-forgotten lord unlikely to cause Mitsunari any trouble.

The wedding took place at Osaka castle in the summer of 1612. All the major lords were naturally in attendance, including the Kampaku of course. Toyotomi loyalists pinned all their hopes on the young couple giving birth to a young heir, a competent young heir with no intellectual resemblance to his father. It was not to be.

After three years of marriage, some at court grew worried. Surely this young and fertile couple should have had a child by now? When questioned, Hideyori's consort offered no explanation for her lack of pregnancy. She was flabbergasted as to why she wasn't pregnant yet, after all her husband did kiss her on the cheek every night before bed, or so she said. Naivety was not in short supply over at Hideyori's court.

Hideyori himself was not believed to be infertile, though some rather unscrupulous sources have suggested that Mitsunari had him castrated at a young age. A more likely explanation for his lack of child lay with his choice of "concubines" incapable of giving birth. This would also explain his otherwise lack of affection towards his poor wife, and women in general (his dear young mother excluded of course).

Hideyori's escapades soon caught up with him however, and in 1614 he grew gravely ill. Some cynics both at the time and since blamed Mitsunari for poisoning Hideyori, (or that his illness was an after-effect of his castration, for those who subscribe to that theory) but a more logical explanation is that Hideyori's "lifestyle choices" had finally caught up with him. Feudal Japan had no way of treating such an illness, so Hideyori must have his last two years in pain and suffering while his physicians tried their best to delay the inevitable. Toyotomi Hideyori died without issue on the 2nd of August 1616, he was only 22 years old.

And thus ended the Toyotomi shogunate, lasting a mere two generations. It was obvious who would take over as shogun after Hideyori's death; technically speaking he was already in power and had been for some time.

Notes:

[1] The Viceroyalty included all of Spanish South America, but Japanese trade is focused on what we now know as Mexico.

[2] Referring to Liu Shan of the Three Kingdoms era. Allegedly retarded due to a childhood head injury caused by his own father, Liu Shan spent his rule indulging in pleasure and heeding corrupt and "evil" advisors which caused the destruction of his kingdom. The comparison here is that Hideyori is either too stupid to realise what Mitsunari is doing, or knows full well what Mitsunari is doing and is either too lazy to stop him, or simply doesn't care provided his lifestyle is not threatened.

[3] Ujizane's father was Imagawa Yoishimoto, the defeated general at the Battle of Okehazama back in 1561.

[Prince of Savoy]

o.O So the Japanese would rather trade all the way in Mexico than in the far-nearer Philippines? (Unless that was not colonized yet)

Excellent chapter, only a couple decades or so until we get to the game!

[Milites]

Poor, poor Toyotomi Hideyori. 22 is too young to die. Unless, of course, you're blocking the way for more ambitious and capable men >D

[King50000]

Looks like I guessed right about the Date
Now let's jut hope Masamune's greed doesn't bring even more poverty to the East (North).

[Arilou]

Given the policies of the spanish, I suspect that any trade would be on spanish keels. (that or smuggling, of course)

Trading directly with New spain would make sense assuming another treaty-port has been given the Philippines trade, though.

[Tanzhang (譚張)]

Prince of Savoy: If you'll go back a chapter or two, you'll see that the Spanish are trading through four ports: Nagasaki, Sakai, Tanegashima and Kochi. One assumes that that trade is primarily between Japan and the Philippines (which was definitely a Spanish colony at this time). New Spain also has mineral resources which The Philippines lacks, like gold, silver, iron, etc. which Japan would do well to try and obtain.

only a couple decades or so until we get to the game!

Well, more like 220 years, but hey, everything is within walking distance if you have the time!

Milites: Welcome! If it's any consolation he was 22 and eleven months when he died. Not exactly a rich, full life, but like you say there are more capable men waiting in the wings.

King: I told you you were close! On the contrary, Masamune's childlike stubbornness will pay dividends in the coming years.

Arliou: Exactly. Not to mention that New Spain has products which the Japanese desire, rather than the other way around.

[Dewirix]

The young shogun was relegated to purely ceremonial roles, in effect a constitutional monarch in a country without a constitution.

More like a hereditary prime minister. It's not like Japan lacks an official figurehead monarch.

I do like the tendency in Japanese politics of retaining figurehead positions even when all the power has gone elsewhere. Having a figurehead monarch and shogun at the same time is an interesting contrast to the English practice of just replacing kings who couldn't get the job done.

Anyway, I'll be very interested to see how Mitsunari achieves the tricky feat of achieving de jure as well as de facto power.

[Arilou]

More like a hereditary prime minister. It's not like Japan lacks an official figurehead monarch.

I do like the tendency in Japanese politics of retaining figurehead positions even when all the power has gone elsewhere. Having a figurehead monarch and shogun at the same time is an interesting contrast to the English practice of just replacing kings who couldn't get the job done.

Anyway, I'll be very interested to see how Mitsunari achieves the tricky feat of achieving de jure as well as de facto power.

I'm fairly certain they did at one point have a powerless emperor, an equal powerless Fujiwara-regent, a shogun, and then a retired emperor at the same time.

[Estonianzulu]

Enjoyable twist on Japanese history you've set up. And now that the power behind the throne will become the power on the throne you have to wonder if the knives come out again.

[Tanzhang (譚張)]

Update Time! This update is long and pretty text heavy, sorry about that. The next one will be shorter and have more pictures, I promise.

Dewirix: Oh, that guy. I'd long forgotten about him. Unfortunately for some of Japan's many "useless men", Mitsunari doesn't share your enthusiasm for figureheads and sinecures, as you'll see.

Arliou: It would surprise me if they only had one retired Emperor!

Estonianzulu: Welcome! I hope you'll stick around until the AAR proper starts. I look forward to reading your comments once the political phase of the AAR begins in earnest.

[Tanzhang (譚張)]

The Reign of Shogun Ishida Mitsunari: (1616 - 1633)

The Foundation of the Ishida Shogunate

Hideyori's death without heir or issue left the position of Shogun vacant, and Japan without a ruler (in name, at least). The Kizokuin, in it's capacity as Japan's "House of Regents" would be tasked with finding a solution to Japan's constitutional problem. The most obvious solution would be to abolish the shogunate and have the Kampaku rule as Japan's head of government, as Hideyoshi had done. Doing this would imply that the Kampaku (i.e. Mitsunari) was audacious enough to consider emulating the late Taiko, and was therefore somehow sullying Hideyoshi's good name. The idea was quickly dropped.

A much more appealing (and oddly by Japanese sensibilities, less audacious) would be to install a new Shogun. The new Shogun would have to be a Toyotomi loyalist of aristocratic heritage, and would be chosen by a majority of his peers - in other words elected by the Kizokuin. Only in feudal Japan could the usurpation of an old ruling house be considered less audacious than the restoration of an old one.

Mitsunari favoured the second idea, as did a majority of his colleagues (and those that did not could easily be "convinced" of it's merits). Indeed, it was an idea that was hard to argue against, if it's detractors argued that it was an usurpation of the Toyotomi (which indeed it was) it's supporters could retort that the alternative was an insult to Hideyoshi. The Kizokuin was set for debate, and the Ishida whips were out in full force.

Many Toyotomi loyalists felt - to use a Chinese term - that the mandate had passed from the Toyotomi to the Ishida. Mitsunari had defended the Toyotomi name when the likes of Mouri Terumoto had refused to speak up. He had led the country from conflict to peace in Hideyori's infancy, and done most of the work in keeping the country intact throughout his adulthood. They voted accordingly and ordered their vassals to do the same. There were a few dissenting voices, namely from rebellious lords acting more out of self-interest than out of loyalty to the Toyotomi. In fact some historians have suggested that the only thing which stopped Date Masamune from outright rebellion was the fact that most his troops were too busy pacifying the Ainu in Hokkaido. Masamune was one of the few lords capable of prolonged resistance against the Ishida, without hm to act as a lightning rod the rest of the dissenters were kept in line. In the end even the Date voted for Mitsunari's ascension to the position of Shogun; even Masamune knew the writing was on the wall.

Mitsunari was unanimously "crowned" shogun by the Kizokuin on the 12th of September, 1616 with his coronation taking place on the 21st, a day still celebrated as Foundation day; a public holiday in Japan. The position of Kampaku was retained by Mitsunari until his death, making him the only person to hold both the titles of Kampaku and Shogun at the same time. This was done out of respect for Hideyoshi, who had resigned the title before his death thus earning the title of Taiko, or retired Kampaku. Mitsunari felt it was quite audacious for himself to resign as Kampaku and obtain the title of Taiko.

Mitsunari knew the importance of a good bureaucracy, and one of his first actions as Shogun was to appoint a series of his fellow lords to oversee important roles in the nation's development; a "cabinet" if you will. The most important position was that of Tairo or regent (as in the Go-Tairo of Hideyoshi's day). Under Mitsunari's shogunate, the Tairo was a sort of deputy shogun and minor Kampaku, acting as a liaison to the Imperial court and entrusted with the education and development of the next hereditary shogun. It was thus a position of little power, but great importance and it's holder would be well respected throughout the land. Otani Yoshitsugu would be an obvious choice, had he not died in 1604. In his stead the position was granted to Uesugi Kagekatsu, the most senior of the living Go-Tairo.

Mitsunari's next act was to appoint a series of Bugyo or ministers[1]. As a former Bugyo himself, Mitsunari took great care to appoint men of both loyalty and ability; fortunately for him such men were not in short supply.

Perhaps the most important position was that of Hyobu-kyo or Head of the Army. This was an ancient title dating back to the Heian period[2] which traditionally was reserved for a Prince or other member of the Imperial family. Mitsunari was not one for sinecures, and instead (with the Emperor's approval of course) appointed a man of real ability to the post, his top general, ally and close friend, Konishi Yukinaga. In keeping with tradition[3], his deputy (known as the Hyobo-taifu)would be HM Prince Konoe Nobuhiro, younger brother of the reigning Emperor and the most martial of the contemporary princes.

Under the Hyobu-taifu in the military hierarchy were to be the Four Generals, a Chinese innovation newly adopted by Mitsunari. Date Masamune was appointed as General of the North, in charge of pacifying the Ainu. Otani Yoshimune, son of the late Otani Yoshitsugu was named General of the Centre while Shimazu Yoshihiro was promoted to General of the West and entrusted with the subjugation of the Ryukyu. Chosokabe Morichika became General of the South.

The Gaikoku Bugyo or Foreign Secretary[4], was another newly created post. It's holder was perhaps the most powerful man in Japan apart from the Shogun himself, and was entrusted with both foreign relations and foreign trade, a "Minister for Trade and Foreign Affairs" if you will. Such a responsibility required a man of great enthusiasm and ability, as well as a man of morality, someone incorruptible. Otomo Yoshinobu was the perfect candidate, and accepted the position with great alacrity.

First among Bugyo in terms of status and precedence was the Jisha-Bugyo or Minister of Shrines and Temples[5]. Its holder needed to be a pious and upright man, someone who could command respect. Ankokuji Ekei was made for the role, and as lord of Nara, Japan's religious centre, perfectly poised to manage the role effectively.

Perhaps second in importance to the Gaikoku Bugyo was the Zaimu-Bugyo or Minister for Financial Affairs. Under the old Heian court system, taxation and the treasury were run by two separate departments, each overseen by two different court officials. As a former financial minister himself, Mitsunari saw this as an unnecessary complication and wisely merged the two departments together. The Zaimu-Bugyo would be responsible for managing all domestic finance save agriculture, which would have it's own department. In what can only be described as sheer nepotism, Mitsunari appointed his son and heir, Ishida Shigeie to this post. Most likely, Mitsunari felt that a background in finance was important for any would-be Shogun and wanted his son to have the same grounding in financial matters that he himself had. Shigeie's deputy Bugyo were to be Natsuka Masaie, an old colleague of Mitsunaris from his magisterial days and Kuroda Nagamasa, son of Mitsunari's former rival Kanbei.

Slightly lower in rank to the Zaimu-Bugyo was the Nomusho-Bugyo or the Minister of Agriculture[6]. Given the key role that agriculture played in the economy of feudal Japan, his role would often be in tandem with the Zaimu Bugyo only with more emphasis on wealth creation as opposed to taxation and book-balancing. The Shogun tasked Ukita Hideie with this important post.

In charge of law and order was the Gyobu Bugyo or Minister of Justice[7], another title with origins in the Court Ranks of the Heian period. Obviously the Gyobu Bugyo had to be a man of integrity and moral fortitude, a tough but fair man capable of discerning a person's moral character. Sanada Yukimura was a natural choice, his family's shinobi connections also made him ideal for handling the "less-savoury" side of his job as head of the secret police.

The ongoing conflict with the Ainu people was a major worry for the shogunate, and unlike the Ryukyuans would likely be an ongoing conflict for many years to come, or so the Shogun thought. Historians have also speculated that the creation of the Hokkaido Bugyo, or Department for Hokkaido, was simply an excuse to keep tabs on the ambitious Date clan. If that was the case, Date Masamune was certainly an odd choice for it's head. His deputy would be Matsumae Kinhiro, lord of Ezochi.

Lowest on the Bugyo totem pole were the Kaigun Bugyo, or Ministers of the Navy. The Japanese navy was something of a pet project for the Shogun as we have seen, so what the department and it's Bugyo lacked in prestige they more than made up for with funding and shogunal interest. Konishi Yukinaga and Otomo Yoshinobu had both made earlier suggestions for naval development, and as they both had their own departments to look after, Mitsunari wisely suggested that they both take on the duty of naval ministers lest they be too overworked to handle their other, more important positions.

Finally came the Osaka Jodai or Guardian of Osaka Castle. The Osaka Jodai had the least power of any of the Bugyo, but his position was one of the most important. He was responsible for defending Osaka Castle, the seat of shogunal power, in times of war and for the personal security of the Shogun. In peacetime, he would be responsible for running the daily affairs of the castle - and since that was where the Shogun held court - he was responsible for running the Shogun's court as well. In this sense, he was the "Sergeant of Arms" of the Kizokuin. The position of Osaka Jodai was only given to a swordsman of the highest calibre, as he was expected not only to defend his lord at all times but to teach his lord how to defend himself; he would also be the kenjutsu instructor of the Shogun and his family. The position was given to a top-class swordsman under Ukita Hideie, a little known man by the name of Miyamoto Musashi.

Reign and Retirement:

Mitsunari's reign as shogun were some of the most peaceful and stable years Japan had experienced in recent memory. His financial reforms made the average Japanese citizen wealthier and better fed, and modern historians have estimated an average three-to-five year increase in life expectancy by 1633 compared with 1603.
The biggest economic success of Mitsunari's reign however remained the treaty ports, which helped make Japan the second richest country in Asia, and indeed richer than most contemporary European Kingdoms (sans France and Spain). Inflation was kept low due to Mitsunari's economic finesse, and Japan for the first time made great strides in the import market; Japanese armys industries were fueled with Spanish steel and Mexican minerals.

Foreign trade had its side effects, and Mitsunari's reign was also notable for the increase of Japanese Catholics. Some of the Shogunate's most ardent supporters were also ardent Christians: Konishi Yukinaga, Otomo Yoshinobu, Kuroda Nagamasa and Otani Yoshimune among the most prominent, so though the old ways remained dominant Christians could be assured the right to practice their religion freely without persecution; a luxury which unfortunately many of their foreign contemporaries had to do without. The foreign trading ports were a magnet for Christians (indeed over 98% of the inhabitants of Greater Nagasaki were Catholic, according to the Hizen Province census) and a prominent Catholic merchant middle class began to surface during this period. The wealth of Catholic adherents was reflected in the construction of many churches during Mitsunari's reign, including grand Catholic cathedrals like the Cathedral of St. Mary in Nagasaki, it's construction funded entirely by Lord Otomo himself.

Originally known as the Cathedral of St. Mary, St. Yoshinobu's Cathedral remains one of Nagasaki's most impressive sights. A testament to the wealth, power and piety of it's patron, it would be named after him in the 1840's following Otomo Yoshinobu's canonization.

It wasn't just grand Churches and Cathedrals being constructed during these times. The shogun always stressed the importance of his link to the Oda and Toyotomi and required the constant maintenance of the shrines and temples dedicated to Nobunaga and Hideyoshi. Ankokuji Ekei constructed many great Rinzai school temples during this period, and supervised the construction of many so called Toyokuni Shrines, or Shinto shrines dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Perhaps his most famous Toyokuni work was the Hokoku shrine in Osaka, near Osaka Castle.

The second most prominent Shinto shrine constructed during this period, the Hokoku Shrine remains one of Osaka's busiest Shinto Shrines.

Towards the end of Mitsunari's reign, his thoughts - like perhaps those of all great founders - turned to the preservation of his legacy after his death. In 1630 (on his seventieth birthday) Mitsunari ordered the construction of a grand shrine/mausoleum in the province of his birth, Omi. The construction of the shrine was a grand affair, and the finest craftsmen and artisans from across Japan were drafted in to help build it. A frieze atop the sacred stable featuring three wise monkeys was a gift by the Ming Emperor given especially for the shrine's construction while the shrine's torii gate was inscribed by calligraphy from the hand of the reigning Japanese Emperor (Go Mizunoo) himself.

The shrine was completed in 1633, but subsequent shoguns would see to it's enlargement for many years to come. Mitsunari abdicated due to ill health the same year, at the age of 73; he died two years later in 1635.

Statue of Shogun Ishida Mitsunari, Osaka Castle. Similar to his former lord, Mitsunari started his life as a humble magistrate and finished it as Lord of all Japan. His achievements included peace, good governance and a better quality of life and standard of living for his people. His legacy would last well beyond his death and the dynasty he founded would shape Japan's destiny for the next three centuries

Notes:

[1] Bugyo literally means magistrate but I've altered the meaning to minister to simplify things for the readers and myself and to save me some hassle later on. Usually there were more than one Bugyo to fill any given role and unlike a minister, a Bugyo was more like a commission than a permanent role: i.e. once the task was completed the holder would cease to be Bugyo of x and become Bugyo of y, for example. We'll assume Mitsunari with all his bureaucratic wisdom thinks that Bugyo would be more efficient if they were more like modern-day ministers as opposed to freelance commissioners.

[2] From 784 to 1185 AD

[3] Traditionally the Hyobu-kyo was reserved for a member of the imperial family while the Hyobo-taifu would be given to a noble unaffiliated with the royal house. What Mitsunari has effectively done is flip the tradition around; a move some might label heretical. This is actually quite an audacious move by Mitsunari and sends a strong message that things will be very different under his reign.

[4] Gaikoku Bugyo literally translates into "Foreign Countries Magistrate" and was sort of Foreign Secretary meets Minister of Trade in terms of responsibility. In real life it wasn't an actual position until the 1850's. Mitsunari's decision to appoint one shows that he considers foreign relations and trade to be a top priority.

[5] Literally Temple Society (as in group, club, etc.) Magistrate.

[6] Literally Agriculture Examination Magistrate.

[7] Gyobu literally translates into Ministry of Justice, so Gyobu Bugyo translates into Magistrate of the Ministry of Justice.

[King50000]

Ah, Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest swordsman of all time. A wise choice to defend the Shogun and his family.
We are now only 203 years away from game start, perhaps Japan may already be amongst the great powers of the world with the strides Mitsunari had made in his life. Unless, of course, his heirs turn into a Hideyori...

[Arilou]

Sounds peaceful and nice.

Which surely means that someone will get up to no good in the remaining 200 years? Will the british and dutch raid the Japan-trade? Will the Shogun try to invade Korea? How will the Ishida shogunate react to the Ming Loyalists on Taiwan, etc. once the Qing takes over?

Isolationist Tokuguwa shogunate could ignore most of what happened during the period, but I can't see the same working for the Ishida Shogunate.

[King50000]

Will the Shogun try to invade Korea?

More like will he re-invade, maybe a new generation of warriors will be able to get the job done right.

[Tanzhang (譚張)]

King: I can officially confirm that Japan will be uncivilised at the game's start. Uncivilised nations cannot become great powers IIRC.

Arliou: Maybe, Not yet, You'll see. You are right in saying that the Ishida can't be as ignorant of world affairs as the Tokugawa, but that isn't to say that every subsequent shogun will be as "open-minded" as the late Ishida Mitsunari. I think it's fair to say that the next update will encompass the year 1644, you can surely draw your own conclusions on Shigeie's foreign policy from that.

[Estonianzulu]

Excellent update, the foundation of the modern bureaucracy has been laid.