The Wisdom of Lord Ieyasu, Who Survived the Sengoku Era

An Exceptional Sense of Economy

Throughout his life, Lord Ieyasu tried to be frugal.

In summer, he barley ate rice and discouraged his retainers from extravagance. However, he was not just stingy.

When Toyotomi Hidetsugu, the chief advisor to the Emperor, was reprimanded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Lord Ieyasu generously provided Hosokawa Tadaoki, who had fallen on hard times due to a large loan from Hidetsugu, with the wealth he had saved diligently over the years, without repayment. From this point on, the Hosokawa family consistently sided with the Tokugawa. Ieyasu’s economic philosophy of sparing no expense when necessary paved the way to his successful rise to the top of the world.