At the exam, I came across a history question that went like this:
“In the Satsuma Domain, under the leadership of Lord (a), modern industries such as shipbuilding, spinning, and machinery were introduced, and factories were constructed.” The question then asked: Which of the following names correctly fits in the blank (a)? ① Shimazu Nariakira ② Shimazu Hisamitsu ③ Shimazu Yoshihiro ④ Shimazu Iehisa
Of course, the correct answer is ① Shimazu Nariakira. This is one of those questions often considered among the easiest in Japanese history exams. Still, I decided to look up the other options to refresh my memory.
So, I asked ChatGPT to tell me a bit about Shimazu Hisamitsu, Shimazu Yoshihiro, and Shimazu Iehisa.
It gave me summaries: Hisamitsu: the behind-the-scenes leader of Satsuma politics in the late Edo period. Yoshihiro: the famous general nicknamed “Oni-Shimazu” who fought bravely during Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s campaigns. Iehisa (1803–1858): supposedly the 12th lord of Satsuma, a nominal ruler while Hisamitsu held the real power.
At first glance, this all sounded plausible—until I double-checked. The problem with “Iehisa” When I looked up Shimazu Iehisa on Wikipedia, I found something entirely different: Born 1547, died 1587. A retainer of the Shimazu clan during the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. In other words, ChatGPT had just described a completely different person under the wrong name.
So, I asked again: “Who is this really about?” The correction—and another error This time, ChatGPT told me: “That’s actually Shimazu Narioki (1803–1858), the 12th lord of Satsuma.” But when I went back to Wikipedia, I found yet another contradiction: Narioki’s actual years are 1791–1859, not 1803–1858. And far from being the 12th lord, he’s listed as the 27th lord of Satsuma. So even the correction turned out to be unreliable.
Here’s what I eventually confirmed: Shimazu Nariakira (1820–1858): the progressive daimyo who pushed modernization. Shimazu Hisamitsu (1817–1887): the de facto leader after Narioki’s retirement. Shimazu Yoshihiro (1535–1619): the Sengoku-period general known for his military exploits. Shimazu Narioki (1791–1859): the actual 27th lord of Satsuma, remembered for appointing Zusho Hirosato to handle drastic financial reforms.
And as for the supposed “Shimazu Iehisa (1803–1858, 12th lord of Satsuma)”—he simply doesn’t exist. What happened here is a good reminder: even AI can confidently produce convincing-sounding but completely false historical information. In this case, ChatGPT itself ended up proving that its earlier explanation of “Shimazu Iehisa” was nothing more than a mix-up that matched no real historical figure.
Close call! Always double-check with reliable sources like genealogical charts or Wikipedia lists before taking AI’s word for granted.