Matsudaira Sadanobu

Sadanobu enacted the Kansei Reforms, a series of austerity measures including sumptuary laws, reduction of government spending, and promotion of Confucian education. He also banned unorthodox teachings and cracked down on corruption, restoring shogunate finances but stifling cultural innovation.

Matsudaira Sadanobu was appointed roju under Shogun Tokugawa Ienari. He immediately set out to reverse the policies of his predecessor Tanuma Okitsugu, launching a conservative reform program to restore fiscal stability and moral order.

Sadanobu issued an edict promoting Neo-Confucianism as the official ideology and suppressing other schools of thought, including Western learning (Rangaku). This strengthened ideological control but limited intellectual diversity in Japan.

Sadanobu resigned from his position as roju after facing opposition from within the shogunate and the shogun himself. He retired to his domain but continued to influence policy indirectly until his death.