Hotta Masatoshi

Hotta Masatoshi (born 1634, Edo [now Tokyo], Japan—died Oct. 7, 1684, Edo) was a statesman who began his career as an adviser to the fourth Tokugawa shogun of Japan, Ietsuna (shogun 1651–80), when he was still heir apparent. After Ietsuna became shogun, Hotta was made one of his top officials and did much to reorganize and reconsolidate the Tokugawa administration. Following Ietsuna’s death in 1680, Hotta single-handedly blocked the attempts of another official to have...