April 8th (Year unknown)
Donated by the Homma Family
This is a letter from Tokugawa Mitsukuni to Yakuin Sōhaku (1576-1663), physician to the Edo Shōgunate (later to be a physician in the Imperial Court).
Tokugawa Mitsukuni (1628-1700) was the second lord of Mito Domain, and the grandson of Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu. He’s well-known by the name “Mito Komon.” He had his coming of age ceremony on July 6th, 1636, whereupon he took the name “Mitsukuni,” having been granted the use of the character “Mitsu” from the name of the third shōgun, Tokugawa Iemitsu. Around the year 1679, he changed the final character in his name, although the pronunciation remained the same.
During the initial approximate 40 years that he went by the name “Mitsukuni,” he left on pilgrimage to the shrines at Nikko a number of times, but as he is called “Chūshō General Mito,” it is believed this would have been written before 1662, the year in which he was promoted from the rank of Ukone no Gon no Chujo, which relates to that title, to state counselor.