Born in 1837 as the seventh son of Tokugawa Nariaki, lord of the Mito domain. Mito was known for its "sonno" (revere the emperor) tradition, shaping Yoshinobu's worldview from childhood.
In 1866, he became the 15th and last Tokugawa Shogun. He pursued modernization with French support but faced mounting pressure from the Satsuma-Choshu alliance.
On October 14, 1867, Yoshinobu performed the Taisei Hokan (Return of Political Power) at Nijo Castle, ending 260 years of Tokugawa rule. After his forces lost at Toba-Fushimi in January 1868, he fled to Edo and entrusted Katsu Kaishu with negotiating the bloodless surrender.
He spent his remaining years in Shizuoka pursuing hobbies including photography, hunting, and cycling. He died in 1913 at age 77 — the last shogun who successfully adapted to the modern era.