The Legacy of Lord Yoshinobu Bringing Bicycles to Shizuoka

Following the Meiji Restoration, which ended the shogunate in 1868, Tokugawa Yoshinobu stepped down as the head of the Tokugawa clan, marking the beginning of his retirement. Yoshinobu, the fifteenth and final shogun, had ruled for only a year before being ousted on January 3, 1868, when Emperor Meiji's supporters declared the restoration of imperial rule. Having resided at Nijo Castle in Kyoto for four years, Yoshinobu relocated to Osaka Castle. As shogunate loyalists who opposed the edict clashed with the new government's forces in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, the initial battle of the Boshin Civil War, Yoshinobu escaped to Edo (now Tokyo), where he commenced a life of voluntary confinement at the Kan’eiji temple in Ueno.

Viewing Yoshinobu as an adversary of the court, the newly established government dispatched troops eastward from Kyoto. However, discussions between Katsu Kaishu of the shogunate forces and Saigo Takamori of the Meiji army led to the peaceful surrender of Edo Castle to Saigo on May 3, 1868. Yoshinobu avoided execution and was ultimately allowed to return to his hometown of Mito.

During this period, Yoshinobu transferred the leadership of the Tokugawa clan to a young boy from the Tayasu branch, named Iesato, who assumed control of the family’s domain in present-day Shizuoka Prefecture. Yoshinobu relocated to the Hodaiin temple within this region.

The following year, Yoshinobu was granted an official pardon by the Meiji government. However, with the creation of new prefectures in 1871, the former domains were dissolved, and Iesato lost his role as domain head. Iesato then relocated to Tokyo, while Yoshinobu remained in Shizuoka, dedicating his time to hobbies such as falconry, horse riding, and net fishing, alongside cultural activities like waka and haiku poetry, go, calligraphy, and Noh drama. Remarkably, he was a photographer of professional caliber and secured second place for a contribution to the aristocratic photography magazine Hana no kage.

Yoshinobu was also recognized for cycling in Shizuoka. He had a keen interest in new innovations and was probably the first individual in Shizuoka to ride a bicycle, inspiring many locals to start cycling. A passage in the Shizuoka Daimu Shimbun dated February 5, 1887, states, "Tokugawa Yoshinobu ordered a bicycle from Tokyo and has been riding it ever since."

According to his diary, Yoshinobu developed a fascination with bicycles in his late 40s and 50s. He notes in his diary, "Today I exercised by bicycle again." It's fascinating to envision the bicycles and road conditions of that era. His bicycle was a jarring model with a large, rubberless front tire, the type that would be uncomfortable to ride. Naturally, he wasn't alone in this endeavor. His household staff's diary mentions that he gave each of his escorts three yen to order shoes so they could keep pace with the bicycle. Can you picture the amusing sight of the escorts running after Yoshinobu on his bicycle?

Numerous stories about Yoshinobu and bicycles are still shared with locals, including tales of him being so entranced by a beautiful woman that he crashed into something, his companions struggling to keep up with him on a bicycle and resorting to chasing him in a rickshaw, him setting up a bicycle practice bench in his mansion's garden, and even falling into a pond. The bicycle allowed Yoshinobu to mingle with ordinary people, and it might have been through the bicycle that the public felt a connection to Yoshinobu by witnessing the human side of the former shogun.

In 1897, at the age of 60, Yoshinobu moved from Shizuoka to Sugamo, Tokyo. The following year, Emperor Meiji welcomed him warmly at the Imperial Palace. Yoshinobu passed away in 1913 at the age of 77, a year after the emperor's death. Despite having the shortest reign among the Tokugawa shoguns, he lived the longest.