Matsudaira Naritami

Who was Matsudaira Naritami?

Matsudaira Naritami was a Japanese daimyo of the late Edo period who ruled the Tsuyama Domain of Mimasaka Province.

Born Tokugawa Ginnosuke, the 16th son of the shogun Tokugawa Ienari, Naritami was adopted by Matsudaira Naritaka of Tsuyama. Naritami succeeded him in late 1831, continuing as daimyo of Tsuyama until 1855. Naritami was the lesser-known third candidate in the shogunal succession dispute of 1858. In a rather curious turn of events, following his retirement, Naritami received a stupendously large pension of 10,000 hyō directly from the Bakufu; this is believed to have been because of his status as Ienari's son.

Following the Meiji Restoration, Naritami became the guardian of the young Tokugawa Iesato, overseeing his education. As he oversaw most of the principal affairs of the family, he was secretly known by some as dai jūrokudai. Naritami was deeply trusted by Yoshinobu, even with affairs as important as finding good matches for his children. A letter left by Yoshinobu attests to this fact: Before any marriage proposal, be sure to consult with Naritami. During the Meiji era, Naritami was made a shishaku in the new nobility system.