[칼럼] Hero and Sage Story 3 -  ● 'Master of the Realm' Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Aesthetics of Patience

(NewsKorea=Seoul) Digital News Team = Hero and Sage Story 3 - ● 'Master of the Realm' Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Aesthetics of Patience

There are always reasons behind the rise of a nation or an ethnic group to power. These reasons may include geographical conditions, climate, cultural background, faith, and more, but above all, the leadership of a great individual cannot be excluded. Without Genghis Khan, could the Mongol people of the steppes have swept across Asia and Europe to build a world empire? Without Napoleon, would modern France exist today? Without Tokugawa Ieyasu, would the Japan of today exist?

War produces heroes, and heroes drive the wheels of historical progress. Even if one is not necessarily a war enthusiast or hero worshipper, history shows that a singular individual can gather the thoughts and forces of the people of their time to lead the world in a new direction. It is an undeniable fact that the battlefield serves as the crucible that gives birth to such individuals, or strong leaders. This is because, to this day, there is no greater arena than war (battle) for testing the totality of human abilities (from intellect and emotions to science, technology, and cultural power). Therefore, it is difficult to dispute the theory that, ironically, war has driven the advancement of human culture. 

War was also the driving force that propelled Japan to development. Through three major wars—the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the Boshin War amid the chaos of the 20th century that ended shogunate rule, and the Pacific War, born of the combination of capitalism, science, technology, and imperialism—Japan has grown into a global power. The origins of this power lie in the conquest of the realm by Tokugawa Ieyasu, who established the Edo shogunate, the third shogunate after the Kamakura and Muromachi shogunates. Therefore, understanding Tokugawa is the first step in understanding Japan.

Japan in the 16th century was in its own Warring States period. When the central royal power weakens, local warlords rise up to wage wars for domination, a phenomenon common in the histories of China, Japan, and Europe. At this time, Oda Nobunaga emerged.

Oda was a despotic monarch with a fiery temperament. When various regional daimyo (feudal lords) rose up to overthrow the weakened Muromachi shogunate and attacked the capital, the figure leading the charge was Imagawa. As Imagawa advanced toward the shogunate with an army of 20,000, all the local daimyo bowed their heads and joined him, except for Oda Nobunaga, who waited without flinching, earning the nickname 'the madman of Owari.' He then led 500 soldiers and, with the words "Life is fleeting, and death is inevitable," attacked Imagawa's main camp, beheaded Imagawa, and annihilated 3,000 of his soldiers. However, Oda Nobunaga fell before he could achieve national unification, due to internal betrayal by his vassals. The task of unification then passed to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who had been Oda's vassal. Eight years after Oda's death, Toyotomi Hideyoshi subdued the daimyo across the country one by one and finally unified Japan.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi reorganized the territories of the subdued daimyo and, when necessary, appointed his direct retainers as daimyo, thus laying the foundation for a unified Japan. He also unified the currency system and weights and measures, achieving economic unification.

Having unified Japan and established strong leadership, Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched an invasion of Korea. It is common for leaders who have achieved internal unification through the power of the sword to start foreign wars to resolve the issues arising from unification and to strengthen their leadership. Toyotomi Hideyoshi was no exception. However, the invasion of Joseon became a trap that Toyotomi Hideyoshi dug for himself.

After failing in the invasion of Joseon and Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death, the power of the shogunate passed to Tokugawa Ieyasu, based in Edo. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death, Japan once again fell into the chaos of civil war, with the decisive battle determining the direction of power being the Battle of Sekigahara. This battle was fought at Sekigahara, the geographical boundary separating eastern and western Japan, where the samurai forces of Japan divided into East and West and clashed in a great battle.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, from the East, emerged victorious in this battle, overwhelming the opposing forces of Western daimyo and establishing a unified regime once again. This time, the unification power was strong, unlike the incomplete unification of Oda or the frustrated power of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Thus, Japan entered the era of the Tokugawa shogunate, the third shogunate. For the next 260 years, until the Meiji Restoration ushered in Japan's modernization, Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and his descendants.

Without a doubt, Tokugawa Ieyasu was the ultimate victor of Japan's Warring States period. However, when discussing Tokugawa, one cannot avoid mentioning the two shoguns who preceded him, Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. This is not only because their names are indispensable when explaining the series of wars fought for the unification of Japan that led to the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, but also because these three 'generals' each possessed unique characteristics that seem to embody different aspects of a single human being. 

The contrasting personalities and leadership styles of these three provide both entertainment and lessons, as if observing contrasting examples of character and leadership. This distinct contrast is also likely why they often appear as protagonists in novels and films, both within Japan and abroad.

There is an interesting story that compares the personalities and leadership styles of the three. A bird in a cage does not sing. In such a situation, the three shoguns each solve the problem in their own way.
 
 First, Oda Nobunaga orders, "Immediately cut off the bird's head." In reality, if faced with such a situation, Oda, with his fiery temper, would have swiftly beheaded not just the bird but humans as well.

Next is Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He orders, "Gently coax and persuade the bird to sing." There is a true story that when Toyotomi Hideyoshi was Oda's vassal, he once warmed his master's shoes against his chest before presenting them. Such was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, so he would have found a way to coax and persuade the bird to sing. His style of managing subordinates and rival daimyo was similar.

Lastly, Tokugawa Ieyasu orders, "Wait until the bird sings." Patience was Tokugawa Ieyasu's motto and nature. The birth of the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan until just before the dawn of Japan's modernization, was supported by a strong force, and that force was the virtue of 'patience.' He had the terrifying patience to wait for the right moment and the courage to seize the opportunity when it came. It was only natural that Tokugawa Ieyasu, with his patience and courage—rather than Oda's rashness or Toyotomi's cunning—should grasp the power of a unified Japan. Once in power, Tokugawa Ieyasu consolidated the power structure by inheriting and developing the Toyotomi system established by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and externally, he focused on minimizing the aftermath of the failed invasion wars and restoring East Asia's international relations.

Although he never restored relations with the Ming dynasty, relations with Korea were normalized through the persistent efforts of the daimyo of Tsushima. Maritime trade was also actively conducted, extending to the Indochina Peninsula and South Asia. In 1614 and 1615, Toyotomi Hideyori, the son of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, based in Osaka, attempted to restore power but was defeated in both the Osaka battles by Tokugawa Ieyasu, leaving no more challengers to the Tokugawa family.

The leadership and personality of Tokugawa Ieyasu, demonstrated in closing the Warring States period and transitioning to a new shogunate era, have long been enshrined as mythical figures, not only in Japan but also in our country. His strategies and wisdom are utilized as valuable textbooks not only in politics but also for business executives. 

However, it is not easy to emulate Tokugawa Ieyasu's 'terrifying patience.' In contrast, looking at our politics, there are too many politicians who indulge in immediate gains and behave lightly, almost mocking Tokugawa Ieyasu's patience.
 
As the season approaches for public realignments within political parties ahead of the presidential election, there are far too many politicians who ruin their careers due to a lack of patience. Not only are there those who abandon their parties at the drop of a hat and drift like migratory birds, but there are also many "third-rate leaders" who, caught up in the illusion of power and the fleeting trap of popularity, refuse to accept the results of the primaries, run for the presidency, and end up forgotten. This is not only because they lacked patience and failed to see life in the long term, but also because they were simply not fit for the role.

☆ Author:  Atty Jeong-kee Kim ☆

● Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Summa Cum Laude, State University of New York at Stony Brook
-  Doctor of Jurisprudence, Marquette University Law School
- Senior Executive Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
- Research Scholar in North Korean Studies, Peking University

● Experience
- Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai
- Commissioner General for the Korean Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo
- CEO, Asia-Pacific Local Government Network for Economic and Social Development (CityNet)
- Secretary General, World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization(WeGO)
- Law Clerk, Milwaukee Circuit Court, USA
- Senior Attorney-at-Law, Dr & Aju LLC
- Distinguished Visiting Professor, World Economy Research Institute, Nanjing University
- Research Professor, Institute of Oriental Studies, Peking University
- Distinguished Professor, Graduate School of Political Science, Kookmin University
- Chair Professor, Graduate School of Business, Dongguk University
- First President of Soongsil Cyber University

● Publications
- Georo English Studies Series for College Students [10 volumes] (Georo Publishing)
- I Challenge the Possibility of One Percent (Chosun Ilbo)
- The Art of Negotiation (Cheongnyonneongsin Publishing)
- Korea and the World (Chekmidum Publishing)