Ryotaro Shiba : The Last Shogun - The Life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu

The life story of Tokugawa Yoshinobu (1837-1913), the 15th and final successor to the powerful Tokugawa shogunate, is intrinsically interesting and well written to boot. Narrated by Japan's popular and prolific Ryotaro Shiba, and translated into a spare and engaging English text by Juliet Winters Carpenter, The Last Shogun is a mesmerizingly good read. With isolationist Japan coming under increasing foreign pressure to open its bolted doors and civil war threatening from within, Yoshinobu lived, schemed, and ruled during a time of great historic consequence. His rise to power is recounted with narrative flair, from his birth in the least prestigious of the three Tokugawa family branches, through his rigorous early training (his father made him sleep with a sword at either side of his head to ensure that he wouldn't toss and turn), and into his shogun years. From there, Shiba details the military crises of a dying regime and how Yoshinobu attempted to stem the assaults of a new era. With the behind-the-scenes machinations of intrigue, the progression of internal and external pressures, the political personalities of the times, and the rich cultural flavor of an insular Japan, the story is gripping enough for a long plane flight--yet it's more than just a way to pass the travel time. Reading Ryotaro Shiba's account of Yoshinobu's life provides a wonderful backdrop for a present-day visit to Japan, painting a scene that's drenched in the ambiance of Japanese traditions while offering an understanding of Japan's complex history in the form of a rich and compelling James Micheneresque narrative. This text examines the life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu, born in 1837, he came to power 30 years later as the 15th successor to the Tokugawa shogunate. Though his ancestral claim and his will to become a shogun were never as powerful as those of his enemies, he far outclassed them. The book discusses how he came to power just as the Tokugawa regime was suffering the worst military defeat in its history, and Yoshinobu strongly suspected that the rule of the Tokugawas was swiftly becoming an anachronism. The book chronicles how during a year of frenetic activity, he overhauled the military systems, reorganized the civil administration, promoted industrial development and expanded foreign intercourse, all with the farsighted aim of creating a unified Japan. There''s something missing in here... I purchased this book in Kyoto during my first trip to Japan, though I didn''t read it until eight years later when I returned a second time. I was certain that reading the book *in situ* would create a more evocative experience. Surprisingly, it didn''t. Perhaps it was the translation, but The Last Shogun singularly failed to suggest the period and place in which it was set. Yes, the nefarious plots and counterplots of a scheming, feudal elite were readily abundant, but references to historic Japan were either banal or entirely absent. Having been to Edo (within the borders of present-day Tokyo), Yokohama Bay, Osaka and Kyoto and personally seen the castles, the temples, the museums, the areas of historical interest, I was disappointed by the spiritless descriptions thoughout the book. Tokugawa Yoshinobu was a primary component of the Meiji Restoration. He was a wily, Machiavellian leader whose glory years were dominated by the political maelstrom created when Western powers finally came to call. His was the end of an epic era of samurai, daimyos, and shoguns and the beginning of a chaotic transition towards a modern Japan. The Last Shogun competently narrates these events with an entertaining flair, but it does 19th-century Japan a disservice with it''s stubborn refusal to take the reader there. 3+ stars. Fascinating Man and Times Tokugawa Yoshinobu, 15th and last of the Tokugawa Shogun''s, was a man who truly marked the end of an era and the end of a way of life. Somewhat overshadowed by events that surrounded him, he has not shown up in any history books that I have read, except for passing mention. Shiba''s account of Yoshinobu''s life is a work of historical fiction that attempts to stay faithful to events and so on as they really happened. There is also a certain amount of use of the primary sources, especially notable towards the end of the book. With Shiba''s skills, "The Last Shogun" is an imminently readable and interesting work that gives an interpretation of what appears to be a great man. Shiba presents Yoshinobu in somewhat gushing and exceptionally positive terms. While some negative facets are mentioned, (his lack of ambition, his failure to understand some points of his own actions, etc), the massive emphasis is on how perfect Yoshinobu was in everything he set his hand to, (from fishing to the finer points of political intrigue). I personally found this wildly positive portrayal a little hard to swallow at times, though I have to confess to having next to no knowledge of the man outside this single volume. If Yoshinobu was indeed as Shiba portrays, then he was a remarkable man by any standard. The book reads like a fictional narrative, with a few points of conversation thrown in. It makes the reading very much easier to get into. The book particular settles well as you get to the middle, almost as if Shiba took some time to get into the flow of his writing. The beginning happened to be a touch dry, though certainly not a major issue. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Meiji Period and historical fiction. This is a good book and a very good read. I enjoyed myself immensely reading this book, to the very last page. An impressively told story about one of Japan''s greatest politicians. 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....?" Not impressive. I have read numerous books on Japanese History, and though this one looks into the life of a somewhat obscure, yet very important historical figure, it is very dry. There isn''t much connection the author makes to draw the reader into this person''s life. Seeing as I have yet to see much in the realm of Tokugawa Yoshinobu, it is still interesting to see the life of the individual who would dismantle the Tokugawa bakufu and help to usher in the modernization of Japan. I just would have perferred better writing, or perhaps it''s the translation that makes it suffer. Not sure. Not impressed. One man''s changing Japan Insightful dramatization of historical events in the form of a novel. A good combination of literature, culture, and history working together as Japan undergoes her most critical period of leaving behind the feudal system and embracing the western world and a new government. Tokugawa Yoshinobu was the last Shogun. His power was never taken from him in battle or the battlefield of politics. Instead, he relinquished power so that Japan might be spared bloodshed. Recommended more for the writing and historical aspects than for the plot. You know the outcome, now read about how it all intricately came about.