The Tokugawa head family had many concubines in its inner palace, but it often lost lineage and had to adopt children from Tokugawa Gosanke (three privileged branches of the Tokugawa family) and Gosankyo (three other privileged branches) many times.
多くの側室を大奥に抱えていたが、宗家はたびたび血筋がとだえ、近親の分家や徳川御三家、御三卿から養子を迎えることが少なくなかった。