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How did Tokugawa Ieyasu strengthen the administration of his early domain?

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Statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu in ornate robes holding a bow, with arrows on his back, at the Tosho-gu shrine in Nikko, Japan. — Tokugawa Ieyasu Statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Tōshō Shrine in Nikkō, Japan.

To strengthen the administration of his early domain, Tokugawa Ieyasu focused on both military organization and civil governance. During the 1560s, he worked to improve his army’s command structure while simultaneously appointing civil administrators to manage his territory.1

To ensure order and stability, Ieyasu formulated and enforced specific procedures for taxation, law enforcement, and litigation. He also directed military efforts toward suppressing rebellious Buddhist sectarian groups that threatened his control. As his influence grew, he developed Hamamatsu into a strategic and commercial center, and later, he continued to enlarge his vassal force and increase his domain's productivity to improve the overall reliability of his administration.1