He became daimyō on his father's death in 1758. He was received in formal audience by Shogun Tokugawa Ieharu in 1763 and made his first visit to his domain in 1765. The domain had been devastated by years of crop failures, peasant uprisings, plots among his retainers and fiscal mismanagement by his predecessors.
Upon the passing of his father in 1758, he ascended to the position of daimyō. In 1763, he was formally welcomed by Shogun Tokugawa Ieharu, and two years later, he made his first trip to his fiefdom. The domain had suffered greatly due to prolonged crop failures, peasant uprisings, treachery among his retainers, and financial mismanagement by his predecessors.