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Second lord of Mito domain in the early Edo period. Born third son of Tokugawa Yorifusa, he succeeded to the domain in 1661. In his youth he was inspired by Sima Qian's Shiji and resolved to compile an official Japanese history. In 1657 he established the Shōkōkan archive and devoted his life to the Dai Nihon Shi project (completed 1906, more than 200 years after his death). The work covers emperors from Jimmu to Gokomatsu and adopted the theory of Southern Court legitimacy, greatly advancing loyalist thought. He also invited Ming-dynasty exile Zhu Shunshui to Mito and promoted Confucian and Neo-Confucian learning. His popular name "Mito Kōmon" derives from his honorary title; the famous "inrō scene" from the television drama is fictitious—no record exists of him actually touring the country.

A man of strong moral conviction and passionate scholarly dedication. He prioritized principle over deference to the shogunate, consistently advocating the politically sensitive position that the Southern Court was the legitimate imperial line. He revered his guest Zhu Shunshui as a teacher, revealing an enlightened openness to foreign knowledge.

Dai Nihon Shi formed the foundation of Mito Learning (Mitogaku), which through loyalist and expulsionist thought became one of the intellectual roots of the Meiji Restoration. The national television drama "Mito Kōmon" aired for more than half a century, imprinting on modern Japanese the image of a righteous old lord who bows to no power. Kairakuen garden in Mito, famous for its plum trees, is associated with the domain and is one of Japan's most celebrated gardens.