Why don’t Japanese people like Tokugawa Ieyasu?

Speaking of the Japanese, this country is also very strange. This famous family is also very interesting. When it comes to Tokugawa Ieyasu, everyone must be very clear about Japan. His contribution is also very large, but in fact, some Japanese people really dislike Tokugawa Ieyasu, so why is this? Let’s take a look at this issue together. If you are interested, Don't miss it!

Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu are known as the three heroes of Japan's Warring States Period. There is a story that has been circulating about the similarities and differences between the three of them: It is said that someone once asked the three of them a question, "If the cuckoo doesn't sing, but you want to hear it sing, what can you do?" Oda Nobunaga replied. He said: "If the cuckoo insists on not singing, then I will kill it." Toyotomi Hideyoshi replied: "If the cuckoo does not scream, I will find ways to make it sing." And Tokugawa Ieyasu's answer was "If so, I will wait for it to cry."

This story vividly shows the respective faces of the three people: Oda Nobunaga devoted his life to unifying Japan by force; Toyotomi Hideyoshi tried every means to coordinate. The interests of the various princes and daimyo made them surrender to him; but Tokugawa Ieyasu carefully concealed his true intentions in front of the first two people. He had been waiting for his opportunity to come forward, and knew that this opportunity finally came after Hideyoshi's death. In comparison, Nobunaga has the highest popularity among the three in Japan today. As for Ieyasu, it cannot be said that most Japanese people do not like him. It can only be said that their evaluation of him is not as good as Nobunaga and Hideyoshi. So why is this?

Personal feeling: The Japanese have a higher evaluation of the former between Nobunaga and Ieyasu, similar to the Chinese evaluation of Liu Bang and Xiang Yu - even though Liu Bang was the founder of the Four Hundred and Han Dynasty Yu Nian Jiye is the winner, but Xiang Yu has gained many fans. Mainly because people think Xiang Yu is a true-hearted man, while Liu Bang is very scheming. To a certain extent: Nobunaga and Ieyasu are similar to Xiang Yu and Liu Bang - Oda Nobunaga lived a free and easy life throughout his life. Although Nobunaga's character contained an extremely cruel side, he never He was not hypocritical and pretentious, and he did not deliberately hide his ambitions; Tokugawa Ieyasu was cautious throughout his life - during Nobunaga's era, he even killed his wife and children to win Nobunaga's trust. After Nobunaga's death, he may not have wanted to replace him. However, after discovering that Hideyoshi had taken the lead, he did not blindly fight Hideyoshi, but chose to endure it again. Even though Hideyoshi was dead, he did not take immediate action. Instead, he secretly accumulated strength and then took decisive action at the appropriate time.

In addition, in the eyes of the Japanese: Ieyasu usurped the power of his nominal master, the Toyotomi family, in the form of a coup. Regarding the historical achievements of ending the Warring States Period and completing Japan's unification, the Japanese describe it this way: "Oda grew wheat, Toyotomi made pancakes, and Tokugawa enjoyed the harvest." Oda Nobunaga controlled the political and cultural core areas of Japan, mainly the Kinki region, making the Oda clan the most powerful daimyo in Japan's late Warring States period and laying the foundation for the unification of Japan; Toyotomi Hideyoshi inherited the Oda clan's legacy The unification of Japan was completed on the basis of Japan; while Tokugawa Ieyasu usurped the power of the Toyotomi family in the form of a coup. Because of this, the Japanese compare the unification of Japan to a piece of cake, so Oda Nobunaga is the one who sows the wheat, Toyotomi Hideyoshi is the one who harvests the wheat and makes it into the cake, and Tokugawa Ieyasu is the one who enjoys the harvest and waits to eat the cake. people.

In the Warring States Period, an era of competition by force, Tokugawa Ieyasu's martial arts was actually not dazzling - he was once beaten to the point of running away with his head covered by Takeda Shingen. From the Japanese perspective: If Nobunaga had not died, nothing would have happened to Hideyoshi and Ieyasu. Compared with Nobunaga's illustrious martial arts, Ieyasu's secret strategic planning does not seem to have much passion at all, so that some people think that he was only able to succeed because he outlasted his competitors, and he was crowned for this. Nicknamed "Old Turtle".

Ieyasu's character traits are actually closely related to his life experience - when he was young, Ieyasu was used as a hostage in the hands of Imagawa, Oda and other lords and lords, which made him a hostage. In the living conditions, he developed a character that can tolerate what others cannot tolerate. To a certain extent: Oda Nobunaga died precisely because of his wild and unruly character; while Tokugawa Ieyasu survived precisely because of his forbearance. Finally won the world. In fact, the Tokugawa Shogunate established by Tokugawa Ieyasu had a profound impact on Japanese history: Japan had been in constant turmoil before the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and it was the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate that brought 300 Many years of peace have completed the transition of Japanese history from medieval times to modern times.

Despite this, Ieyasu’s personality was not pleasant. During the Tokugawa shogunate period, people naturally did not dare to criticize the founder of the shogunate. However, on the eve of the Meiji Restoration in modern times, the overthrown faction launched an attack on Tokugawa The public opinion offensive of the Sichuan shogunate. In this process, Ieyasu was regarded as a rebellious minister who had betrayed the emperor and was heavily criticized. As a result, people's subconscious dissatisfaction with Ieyasu exploded to the maximum extent.