II Naosuke - Early Life

Early Life

Ii Naosuke was born on November 29, 1815 as the 14th son of Ii Naonake, the daimyo of Hikone by his concubine. Since Naosuke was the 14th son, he was not in line for a prominent position and early in his life was sent to a Buddhist temple where he lived on a small stipend from his family. Fortunately for Ii, even though he was sent to the monastery, his 13 elder brothers were either adopted into other families who needed an heir or died before they succeeded his father. Accordingly, when his father died in 1850, Ii was called back from the monastery and became the daimyo of Hikone, a fudai domain, and took the family name of Ii. As the daimyo of Hikone, Ii was one of the daimyo who were eligible for a position in the bakufu, the council of the Shogun’s advisors.

Ii became involved in national politics, rapidly rising to lead a coalition of daimyo. In 1853 Ii put forward a proposal concerning the Japanese negotiations with Commodore Matthew Perry. Realizing that Japan was “faced with immediate military danger” Ii argued that Japan should use their relationship with the Dutch to allow them to buy enough time to develop armed forces, which could resist invasion. Ii recommended that only the port of Nagasaki be opened for trade with foreigners Ii, like Hotta Masayoshi, refused to remain silent while shogunal advisor Abe Masahiro appeased the anti-foreign party Ii led the fudai daimyo in their effort to bring about the downfall of Abe Masahiro and replace him with Hotta Masayoshi. This alienated many reformist daimyo, leading them to strengthen their association with the Imperial court