徳川家康は三河（現在の愛知県の一部）の小さな城主の家に生まれた。
TOKUGAWA Ieyasu was born to a lord of a small castle in Mikawa (a part of present-day Aichi Prefecture).

当時、各地の城主は領土拡大のために互いに果てしない戦いを繰り広げていた。
At that time provincial lords were endlessly fighting each other to expand their territories.

家康は、領土が隣の野心家、織田信長と同盟を結んだ。
Ieyasu was allied with the ambitious ODA Nobunaga, whose domain was next to his.

若き信長は天才的な戦略で次々と強敵を破り、日本の統一を目指し始める。
The young Nobunaga defeated a succession of strong rivals with his tactical brilliance and began leading Japan toward unification.

ある日、家康の長男は信長から謀反の企てがあると疑われた。信長は気性が荒く、残忍だ。
One day, his first son was suspected of plotting a rebellion by Nobunaga, who was quick-tempered and merciless.

信長に逆らえば、家族全員が殺され、領土も取られることを家康は知っていた。
If Ieyasu opposed him, he knew that all his family would be killed and his domain be taken away.

家康は泣く泣く長男を切腹させた。
Ieyasu tearfully let his son commit harakiri.

日本統一は現実のものとなってきたが、部下の明智光秀の裏切りにより信長は命を落とす。
The unification of Japan became realistic, but Nobunaga lost his life after being betrayed by his subordinate AKECHI Mitsuhide.

その後すぐに、信長の有能な家来である豊臣秀吉が光秀を破り、日本統一を果たす。
Soon after that, TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi, one of Nobunaga’s capable subordinates defeated Mitsuhide and completed the unification of Japan.

家康と秀吉は同等に近い勢力を持っていたが、家康は秀吉に次ぐ第二位の地位に甘んじた。
Ieyasu and Hideyoshi had similar power, but Ieyasu accepted the number two position after Hideyoshi.

好機が来るのをじっと待つのは家康の特徴だ。
It was a peculiar trait of Ieyasu’s to wait for a long time for a chance to arise.

大阪城を拠点にする秀吉は家康を恐れた。
Hideyoshi, whose base was in Osaka castle, was afraid of Ieyasu.

長い間家康の領地であった東海から、大阪からより遠い関東へ領土を変えるよう家康に命令した。
He ordered Ieyasu to change his domain from Tokai, which had been Ieyasu’s domain for a long time, to Kanto, farther from Osaka.

家康は命令に従い江戸城（現在の東京）に移った。
Ieyasu followed the order and moved to Edo castle (present-day Tokyo).

秀吉は、それにもかかわらず、病気で亡くなるとき、秀吉の一人息子で５歳の秀頼の後見人を家康に懇願せざるをえなかった。
Hideyoshi, in spite of that, had to beg Ieyasu to be the guardian of his only son, five-year old Hideyori, when he was dying with a disease.

しかし、家康は秀吉が亡くなると天下取りに動き始めた。
However, Ieyasu began his moves to become the ruler after Hideyoshi died.

豊臣の家臣は家康に対して立ち向かった。
Toyotomi’s subordinates stood up against Ieyasu.

1600年、徳川軍７万５千と豊臣軍８万５千による歴史的な関ケ原（現在の岐阜県）の戦いが始まる。
In 1600, the historic Sekigahara (present-day Gifu Prefecture) battle took place between Tokugawa’s army of 75,000 and Toyotomi’s army of 85,000.

家康は豊臣軍を反乱軍に仕立てることで、豊臣側の重な武将を味方につけ勝利した。
Ieyasu won the battle, as he was able to win over some of Toyotomi’s key warriors by portraying the clan’s supporters as a rebel group.

その後、家康は成長した秀頼と豊臣家に戦を仕掛け、豊臣家を完全に崩壊させてしまう。
After that, Ieyasu started a war against the grown up Hideyori and the Toyotomi clan and destroyed them completely.

家康の秀頼に対する謀略は忠義を重んじる日本人から長年にわたり批判されてきた。
Ieyasu’s plots against Hideyori were long criticized by the Japanese, who place importance on loyalty.

その一方では、日本に260年間もの平和をもたらす礎を築いた家康の業績は高く評価されている。
On the other hand, Ieyasu’s accomplishment of creating a base for a peace in Japan that lasted for 260 years is regarded highly.