If the beginning of the Edo period was due to TOKUGAWA Ieyasu, the beginning of Edo natural history was also due to his influence.

In 1607, Ieyasu, who had already retired from the position of shogun to become ogosho ("Grand Highness"), received a copy of Honzo Komoku, the definitive book on botanical herbs. Ieyasu (70 years old at the time), who had always loved herbs and was said to be a health fanatic, kept this book at his side and read it with great affection.

The three generations that followed Ieyasu, Hidetada, and Iemitsu, all seem to have been quite fond of flowers, with Hidetada being recorded as having a "flower habit". Iemitsu's obsession with bonsai was so great that the story is told that OKUBO Hikozaemon, the "chief advisor under the whole world," felt uneasy about the situation and remonstrated Iemitsu by throwing one of his favorite bonsai pots on the ground.

Since natural history is not generally done for profit, only those who have no shortage of daily necessities can participate in the field. In addition, much of the essence of natural history has been preserved in the form of illustrations, but the cost of producing such illustrations is high. In this sense, natural history was a study for the lord who could afford to live a comfortable life. Many of the lords who are closely related to the present exhibition were involved in the study of natural history.

• The 8th shogun : TOKUGAWA Yoshimune
• The feudal lord of Omi Katata : HOTTA Masaatsu
• The feudal lord of Toyama : MAEDA Toshiyasu
• The feudal lord of Ise Nagashima : MASUYAMA Sessai *Sessai is his pen name. His real name is Masakata.
• The feudal lord of Takamatsu : MATSUDAIRA Yoritaka
• The feudal lord of Hitachi Kasama : MAKINO Sadamoto

Many of the feudal lord naturalists had their illustrations drawn by professional painters or by vassals who had a good artistic sense. However, some geniuses, such as MASUYAMA Sessai and MAKINO Sadamoto, took up the brush and drew excellent illustrations of flora and fauna by themselves.

So what about their main task of reigning over their lands?

HOTTA Masaatsu was a talented bureaucrat who served as a wakadoshiyori (young elder) for 42 years, and was an outstanding figure who assisted with the Kansei reforms by MATSUDAIRA Sadanobu, a roju (elder). MATSUDAIRA Yoriyasu and MAEDA Toshiyasu both devoted themselves to rebuilding their domains by promoting industry and encouraging learning, even though their fiefs were repeatedly hit by natural disasters. The achievements of the famed TOKUGAWA Yoshimune are well known in history textbooks.

In this way, it seems that they did not simply pursue natural history because they had money and time on their hands. Their rich intellect and learning, their goal of fostering industry, and above all, their overflowing curiosity may have driven them to natural history in the midst of their hectic political work.