Yoshinobu Tokugawa (last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate)

Yoshinobu Tokugawa was the last shogun of Japan's Tokugawa period, serving from 1866 to 1867. As leader of the samurai government, he held power during a time of increasing domestic unrest and external pressure from Western nations. Recognizing the changing times, he aimed to modernize Japan but faced opposition from those wanting a complete political shift. His reluctance to fully embrace reform led to the end of the shogunate and the Meiji Restoration, which restored imperial rule. Yoshinobu's leadership marked the conclusion of over 250 years of Tokugawa rule and the beginning of Japan's rapid modernization.