Hideyoshi's rule covers most of the Azuchi–Momoyama period of Japan, partially named after his castle, Momoyama Castle. Hideyoshi left an influential and lasting legacy in Japan, including Osaka Castle, the Tokugawa class system, the restriction on the possession of weapons to the "samurai", and the construction and restoration of many temples some of which are still visible in Kyoto.
Introduction
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Introduction
Hideyoshi's rule covers most of the Azuchi–Momoyama period of Japan, partially named after his castle, Momoyama Castle. Hideyoshi left an influential and lasting legacy in Japan, including Osaka Castle Yes,  Osaka Castle. Yes, he built the Hiroshima Castle. Yes, Osaka Castle
date of japanese surrender in world war ii
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September 2, 1945
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what were the divisions within their leadership?
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Suzuki's military-dominated cabinet favored continuing the war. For the Japanese, surrender was unthinkable—Japan had never been successfully invaded or lost a war in its history. Only Mitsumasa Yonai, the Navy minister, was known to desire an early end to the war.
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why did they surrender then?
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August 28, 1945 Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed
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what happened at hiroshima in this context?
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United States detonated an atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
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and nagasaki?
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Hours later, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb, this time on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
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were there any further surrenders followed after this?
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It was broadcasted later that Japan was indeed unconditionally surrendering to the allies.
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which interesting places are there in the former mentioned city?
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Itsukushima Island, also known as Miyajima
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how is the weather here?
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Has a humid subtropical climate characterized by cool to mild winters and hot, humid summers.
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who used to rule this place during 1589 to 1871?
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Mōri Terumoto
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who is this person?
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He was a Japanese "daimyō".
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whom did he provide his service to?
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Toyotomi Hideyoshi
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is this person another ruler?
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He is  the "de facto" leader
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what does this second last term means?
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It means practices that exist in reality, even though they are not officially recognized by laws.
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did this mention leader build any castle?
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In 1582, Hideyoshi began construction of Osaka Castle. Built on the site of the temple Ishiyama Hongan-ji destroyed by Nobunaga, the castle would become the last stronghold of the Toyotomi clan after Hideyoshi's death.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Construction of Osaka Castle
He told his commander in Korea, "Don't let my soldiers become spirits in a foreign land."
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Second campaign against Korea
Hideyoshi's rule covers most of the Azuchi–Momoyama period of Japan, partially named after his castle, Momoyama Castle. Hideyoshi left an influential and lasting legacy in Japan, including Osaka Castle, the Tokugawa class system, the restriction on the possession of weapons to the "samurai", and the construction and restoration of many temples some of which are still visible in Kyoto.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Introduction
In time he would change his surname again, to "Toyotomi". Kuroda Kanbei, who led the frontal attack, and Takenaka Hanbei, who directed the castle's defense, would both eventually serve Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Siege of Inabayama Castle | Aftermath
The birth of Hideyoshi's second son in 1593, Hideyori, created a potential succession problem. To avoid it, Hideyoshi exiled his nephew and heir Hidetsugu to Mount Kōya and then ordered him to commit suicide in August 1595. Hidetsugu's family members who did not follow his example were then murdered in Kyoto, including 31 women and several children.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Succession dispute
Furthermore, he ordered comprehensive surveys and a complete census of Japan. Once this was done and all citizens were registered, he required all Japanese to stay in their respective "han" (fiefs) unless they obtained official permission to go elsewhere. This ensured order in a period when bandits still roamed the countryside and peace was still new. The land surveys formed the basis for systematic taxation.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Cultural legacy
While this way of writing "tenshu" gradually became the standard during the reign of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the older manner of writing is preferred when discussing certain castles. One important example of this is the Azuchi Castle "tenshu" which is commonly referred as “天主.”
Tenshu | Etymology
The last remaining threat to Ieyasu's rule was Toyotomi Hideyori, the son and rightful heir to Hideyoshi. He was now a young "daimyō" living in Osaka Castle. Many samurai who opposed Ieyasu rallied around Hideyori, claiming that he was the rightful ruler of Japan. Ieyasu found fault with the opening ceremony of a temple built by Hideyori; it was as if he prayed for Ieyasu's death and the ruin of the Tokugawa clan. Ieyasu ordered Hideyori to leave Osaka Castle, but those in the castle refused and summoned samurai to gather within the castle. Then in 1614, Tokugawa besieged the Osaka Castle against Hideyori.
Tokugawa Ieyasu | Conflict with Hideyori
In 1583 Toyotomi Hideyoshi commenced construction on the site of the Ikkō-ikki temple of Ishiyama Hongan-ji. The basic plan was modeled after Azuchi Castle, the headquarters of Oda Nobunaga. Hideyoshi wanted to build a castle that mirrored Nobunaga's, but surpassed it in every way: the plan featured a five-story main tower, with three extra stories underground, and gold leaf on the sides of the tower to impress visitors. In 1585 the Inner donjon was completed. Hideyoshi continued to extend and expand the castle, making it more and more formidable to attackers. In 1597 construction was completed and Hideyoshi died the year after.
Osaka Castle | History
During the late summer of August 1585, Hideyoshi launched an attack on Etchū Province. Toyotomi Hideyoshi laid Siege of Toyama castle. However, Toyama castle garrison is led under Sassa Narimasa, one of his former allies many years back. Hideyoshi led his army of around 100,000 soldiers against 20,000 men of the Sassa Narimasa forces; in the end, however, Narimasa's defense was shattered, thus allowing the Toyotomi supremacy over Etchu province.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Toyama campaign
Nobunaga placed the castle under the command of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi in turn transferred power of Iwamura Castle to Tamaru Tomotada. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, it was occupied under Tokugawa rule by the Ogyu Daimyō from 1601 to 1638, by the Niwa clan from 1638 to 1702, and finally by the Ishikawa clan from 1702 until the end of the Tokugawa period in 1868.
Iwamura Castle | Various Rulers
Theories and rumors in Japan say he could have escaped through some secret tunnel, and Tokugawa then set up an execution of a decoy or body double (known as a "kagemusha"), to make official the extinction of Toyotomi's bloodline. He continued to live as , the founder of a new branch of the Kinoshita clan (Hideyoshi's birth clan) in Bungo Province after the Shimazu clan were moved to the Satsuma Domain.
Toyotomi Kunimatsu | Survival theories
Toyotomi Hideyoshi conquered the castle for a short period ten years later. In 1615, however, the castle was destroyed due to a shogunal decree that every domain could have only one castle. The castle keep, or "tenshu", was rebuilt in 1985 out of wood, and was based on pictures of other castles of the era. It houses a museum that has items pertaining to the castle's history.
Aya Castle | History
Recognizing that they had a serious numerical disadvantage, they decided to attempt a tactic of inducing surprise and confusion in the Tokugawa camp. This was to be effected by first, Osaka captain Akashi Morishige getting behind the Tokugawa van, which would then be taken with Akashi's surprise attack, fall on Akashi, allowing Sanada with his troops and Mōri Katsunaga, who was in charge of the Osaka "rōnin", to fall into the Tokugawa front. When the confusion was to be at its height, Hideyori would have marched out of Osaka castle with his home troops and would in theory be the final blow to the Tokugawas.
Toyotomi Hideyori | War with Ieyasu
The Catholic sources of the time referred to him as (from and the honorific "-dono") and "emperor " (from "taikō", a retired "kampaku" (see Sesshō and Kampaku), and the honorific "-sama").
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Names
Toyotomi Hideyori|豊臣 秀頼|| born September 8, 1593, was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga.
Toyotomi Hideyori | Introduction
The reason Hideyoshi chose Narinaga for this was because he held extensive knowledge of Kyūshū where his ancestors from the Kikuchi clan had ruled. This year Hideyoshi bestowed the Toyotomi uji (豊臣朝臣, "Toyotomi-no-asomi", courtier of Toyotomi) upon his closest followers including Narinaga. In July, 1588 of the same year Narinaga is given the new title of "Hizen-no-kami" (肥前守) in accordance with the Junior Fifth Rank, Junior Grade (Ju go-i-no-ge, 従五位下). The same month, Emperor Go-Yōzei visited Toyotomi Hideyoshi's mansion and the Sword hunt Edict was declared. Three years later in 1591 Mōri Terumoto began the construction of Hiroshima Castle.
Hayashi Narinaga | Hideyoshi's Kyūshū Campaign (1586–1587)
In 1614, Osaka castle, the stronghold of the Toyotomi clan, represented the last obstacle to Japan's unification under the Tokugawa hegemony. Toyotomi Hideyori appointed Sanada Yukimura as the garrison commander due to his experience opposing Ieyasu's army in his castle at Ueda during the Sekigahara campaign. At that time the castle had two moats, which still exist, and Hideyori's engineers created an outer moat by cutting a channel between the canal that existed to the west and the Nekoma stream which flowed from south to north on the eastern side. The following campaign and battle is often referred to as the last stand of the samurai before the Tokugawa shogunate reformed the ways of the samurai including prohibiting practices like headhunting.
Sanada Maru | History
Like Nobunaga before him, Hideyoshi never achieved the title of "shōgun". Instead, he arranged to have himself adopted by Konoe Sakihisa, one of the noblest men belonging to the Fujiwara clan and secured a succession of high court titles Chancellor (Daijō-daijin), including, in 1585, the prestigious position of Imperial Regent (kampaku). In 1586, Hideyoshi was formally given the new clan name Toyotomi (instead of Fujiwara) by the Imperial court. He built a lavish palace, the Jurakudai, in 1587 and entertained the reigning Emperor, Emperor Go-Yōzei, the following year.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Toyotomi clan
After several years of negotiations (broken off because envoys of both sides falsely reported to their masters that the opposition had surrendered), Hideyoshi appointed Kobayakawa Hideaki to lead a renewed invasion of Korea, but their efforts on the peninsula met with less success than the first invasion. Japanese troops remained pinned down in Gyeongsang Province. In June 1598, the Japanese forces turned back several Chinese offensives in Suncheon and Sacheon, but they were unable to make further progress as the Ming army prepared for a final assault. While Hideyoshi's battle at Sacheon was a major Japanese victory, all three parties to the war were exhausted.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Second campaign against Korea
The complex was set aflame, beginning with the residences of the priests, and Hideyoshi's samurai cut down monks as they escaped the blazing buildings.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Negoro-ji campaign
Nobunaga spared the lives of many of the defenders, including Shimozuma Nakayuki, but burned the fortress to the ground. Three years later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi would begin construction on the same site, building Osaka Castle, a replica of which was constructed in the 20th century.
Ishiyama Hongan-ji War | Aftermath
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a warrior of humble background who rose to eventually become the national ruler, recognized cultural knowledge to be as important an attribute of leadership as military might and took up the practice of chanoyu as a means of demonstrating his cultivation. This had been the same with aspiring rulers before him, such as Oda Nobunaga in particular, whom Hideyoshi succeeded in the campaign to reunify the country after the fall of the Ashikaga shogunate. To further enhance their image as legitimate rulers, Nobunaga and Hideyoshi after him sought to acquire works of art that had belonged to the Ashikaga shōguns.
Grand Kitano Tea Ceremony | Background
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, then known as “Kinoshita Hideyoshi” fought a celebrated rear-guard action by which Nobunaga was able to escape the defeat.
Kanagasaki Castle | History
Eliminated the last resistance to Hideyoshi's authority. His victory signified the end of the Sengoku period. During this siege, Hideyoshi offered Ieyasu the eight Hōjō-ruled provinces in the Kantō region in exchange for the submission of Ieyasu's five provinces. Ieyasu accepted this proposal.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Odawara campaign
Upon this, Sanada realized in order to keep any structure of his original plan, he too, would need to engage alongside the "rōnin". He decided then to launch himself alongside Katsunaga's force, straight into the Tokugawas, while dispatching a messenger to Hideyori to march out at that very moment instead of a bit further on as had been decided in the plan.
Toyotomi Hideyori | War with Ieyasu
The Jurakudai or Jurakutei () was a palace constructed at the order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Kyoto, Japan. Construction began in 1586, when Hideyoshi had taken the post of Kampaku, and required nineteen months to complete. Its total area was almost equal to the Imperial Palace Enclosure. It was decorated exceptionally lavishly, but had thick walls and a moat more reminiscent of fortresses such as that at Osaka. It was located in present-day Kamigyō, on the site where the Imperial palace had stood in the Heian period. In late 1587, following the Jurakudai's completion, Hideyoshi moved there from his castle at Osaka, just after his victory over the Shimazu family in Kyūshū.
Jurakudai | Introduction
Attacking from the "sanctuary" of Buddhist temples, they were constant headaches to any warlord and even the emperor who tried to control their actions. He died in 1582 when one of his generals, Akechi Mitsuhide, turned upon him with his army. Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who founded the Tokugawa shogunate, were loyal followers of Nobunaga. Hideyoshi began as a peasant and became one of Nobunaga's top generals, and Ieyasu had shared his childhood with Nobunaga. Hideyoshi defeated Mitsuhide within a month and was regarded as the rightful successor of Nobunaga by avenging the treachery of Mitsuhide. These two were able to use Nobunaga's previous achievements on which build a unified Japan and there was a saying: "The reunification is a rice cake; Oda made it.
Samurai | Oda, Toyotomi and Tokugawa
The intricate gables and windows are a fine example of this. On those occasions when a castle was infiltrated or invaded by enemy forces, the central keep served as the last bastion of refuge, and a point from which counter-attacks and attempts to retake the castle could be made. If the castle ultimately fell, certain rooms within the keep would more often than not become the site of the "seppuku" (ritual suicide) of the daimyō, his family, and closest retainers.
Japanese castle | Buildings
During the siege of Odawara in 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi built the castle to show his power and put pressure on the Hōjō clan. It took 80 days to complete but Hideyoshi built the castle in secret behind the wooded area, so when the trees were cut one night, the castle suddenly appeared. To the Hōjō clan it looked like the castle was built in just one night so Hōjō`s army lost the will to fight. As a result 9 days later Hōjō clan surrendered. Hideyoshi used Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle as a temporary military base so the castle was soon abandoned after the Siege.
Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle | History
It ends with his defeat at Masamune and Yukimura's hands. The second series witnesses the emergence of Toyotomi Hideyoshi as the next potential unifier of the land, though, unlike in actual history, he has no connection to the Oda clan, whose retainers were almost entirely wiped out along with him by the end of the first season. The film finale depicts Japan as being in turmoil once again as Ishida Mitsunari, former subordinate of Hideyoshi, cuts a wrath of fury across the land in order to fulfill his revenge while the other leaders rally for an era of peace. Masamune and Yukimura must fight Mitsunari in order bring the country to peace as something strange is going on behind the scenes.
Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings | Plot
The second , also called the during the Sengoku period of Japanese history, occurred in 1579, five years after it was seized by Oda Nobunaga from a lord named Itami, and entrusted to Araki Murashige. Accused of sympathizing with the Mōri clan, enemies of Nobunaga, Araki shut himself in his castle and withstood siege by the armies of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Though his defense held out that long, he did not lead any men in sallying forth from the castle or otherwise attacking the besieging army. Over the course of the year, Hideyoshi's men gradually filled in the moat, making the castle's fall inevitable.
Siege of Itami (1579) | Introduction
He was allowed to keep Tosa Province, while the rest of Shikoku was divided among Hideyoshi's generals.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Shikoku Campaign
He later defeated Toyotomi Hideyori, son of Hideyoshi, at the Siege of Osaka in 1615, and emerged as the political leader of Japan. Tokugawa Ieyasu received the title of "Sei-i Taishōgun" in 1603, and Edo became the center of Tokugawa's administration. Initially, parts of the area were lying under water. The sea reached the present "Nishinomaru" area of Edo Castle, and Hibiya was a beach. The landscape was changed for the construction of the castle. Most construction started in 1593 and was completed in 1636 under Ieyasu's grandson, Tokugawa Iemitsu. By this time, Edo had a population of 150,000.
Edo Castle | History
He also proved a competent manager of the castle town of Ōmihachiman.
Toyotomi Hidetsugu | Biography
However, the final years of Hideyoshi's reign were troubled. While rivals in the Hojo clan were defeated at the Siege of Odawara in 1590, failures in the invasions of Korea significantly weakened the Toyotomi clan's power and its support from bureaucrats who served in the government. Additionally, Hideyoshi ordered the execution of his heir, the regent, as well as the entire family of his heir in 1595. When Hideyoshi died in 1598, the new heir Toyotomi Hideyori was only 5 years old, necessitating a regency government. His death created a power vacuum; there was no appointed shōgun over the armies.
Battle of Sekigahara | Toyotomi clan rule
However, since he made much of trade with Europeans, individual Christians were overlooked unofficially. In 1588, Hideyoshi forbade ordinary peasants from owning weapons and started a sword hunt to confiscate arms. The swords were melted down to create a statue of the Buddha. This measure effectively stopped peasant revolts and ensured greater stability at the expense of freedom of the individual "daimyōs".
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Kyushu Campaign
Construction of the castle was started by the Sengoku "daimyō" Tsutsui Junkei. Toyotomi Hidenaga later made it his residence and it became the headquarters of the Kōriyama Domain in the Edo period. The castle was held at various times by members of the Mizuno, Okudaira Matsudaira, Honda, Fujii Matsudaira, and Yanagisawa clans.
Yamatokōriyama | Koriyama Castle
Akechi Mitsuhide was the commander of the castle.
Sakamoto Castle | Introduction
After the Siege of Mount Hiei, Sakamoto was given to Akechi Mitsuhide who built Sakamoto Castle under orders from the warlord Oda Nobunaga because Sakamoto was a strategically important place to rule. Luís Fróis described the castle as the second best castle in Japan at the time. After the loss of Battle of Yamazaki, Mitsuhide tried to return to the castle but he was killed on the way. Surrounded by Toyotomi's army, Mitsuhide's adopted son Akechi Hidemitsu set fire to the castle and killed himself. In 1583, Sakamoto castle was given to Niwa Nagahide and he rebuilt the castle. In 1586, Asano Nagamasa abandoned the castle and moved to Ōtsu Castle by Toyotomi Hideyoshi's order.
Sakamoto Castle | History
Hachimanyama Castle was built by Toyotomi Hidetsugu in 1585 under orders from Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Azuchi Castle's materials were used in the construction of the castle, also Azuchi city's functions were moved to Hachiman city. In 1595, Kyōgoku Takatsugu moved to Ōtsu Castle and Hachimanyama Castle was abandoned.
Hachimanyama Castle | History
Hideyoshi rose from a peasant background as a retainer of the prominent lord Oda Nobunaga to become one of the most powerful men in Japan. Hideyoshi succeeded Nobunaga after the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582 and continued Nobunaga's campaign to unite Japan that led to the closing of the Sengoku period. Hideyoshi became the "de facto" leader of Japan and acquired the prestigious positions of Chancellor of the Realm and Imperial Regent by the mid-1580s. Hideyoshi launched the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592 to initial success, but eventual military stalemate damaged his prestige before his death in 1598. Hideyoshi's young son and successor Toyotomi Hideyori was displaced by Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 which would lead to the founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Introduction
At the end of the first campaign, Japan's entire navy was destroyed by Admiral Yi Sun-sin of Korea whose base was located in a part of Korea the Japanese could not control. This, in effect, put an end to Japan's dream of conquering China as the Koreans simply destroyed Japan's ability to re-supply their troops who were bogged down in Pyongyang.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | First campaign against Korea
Takeda Castle was built as Izushi Castle. It was constructed by Otagaki Mitsukage, a retainer of Yamana Sōzen, lord of the area, in 1441. Otagaki then became lord of the castle. It was conquered in 1577 by Hideyoshi Toyotomi during the Tajima Province campaign. It was then placed under the control of his younger brother, Hidenaga. Akamatsu Hirohide, the last lord of the castle, fought on the side of Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Even though he served valiantly in the battle, Hirohide was accused of arson. He then committed seppuku and the castle was abandoned.
Takeda Castle | History
During his brief stay in Nagoya Castle in what is today Saga Prefecture, on Kyūshū, Hideyoshi memorized the "shite" (lead roles) parts of ten Noh plays, which he then performed, forcing various "daimyōs" to accompany him onstage as the "waki" (secondary, accompanying role). He even performed before the emperor.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Death of Sen no Rikyū
In 1569, Ichikawa no Tsubone, the wife of a Mori family retainer from western Japan. When her husband was absent from the campaign, she assumed responsibility for the defense of Konomine castle with her armed ladies-in-waiting. Attacks on the yamashiro (the mountaintop castles), the characteristic fortress of the daimyo, have provided many unwanted opportunities for women to engage in defense and suffer the ultimate sacrifice if the castle falls. Women participated in battles until the unification of Japan by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In 1591 several women defended Kunohe Castle even when it was on fire in the Kunohe Rebellion. After Hideyoshi's death, his concubine Yodo-dono took over the "de facto" leadership of the Toyotomi clan and in 1614 she and her son, Hideyori, led a rebellion against the Tokugawa shogunate.
Onna-bugeisha | Sengoku Period
The construction of the original Fushimi Castle was begun in 1592, the year after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's retirement from the regency, and completed in 1594. Twenty provinces provided workers for the construction, which numbered between 20,000 and 30,000. Though bearing the external martial appearance of a castle, the structure was intended as a retirement palace for Hideyoshi, and was furnished and decorated as such. It is particularly famous for its Golden Tea Room in which both the walls and the implements were covered in gold leaf. The castle was intended to be the site for Hideyoshi's peace talks with Chinese diplomats seeking an end to the Seven-Year War in Korea, but an earthquake destroyed the castle entirely only two years after its completion.
Fushimi Castle | History
First, the term was initially reserved for those castles under the direct control of Nobunaga or one of his vassals. These include Sakamoto Castle, Takatsuki Castle, Ashikaga Yoshiaki’s Nijō Castle, Azuchi Castle, Itami Castle, Kitanosho Castle, Yamazaki Castle, Nagahama Castle, Ishigakiyama Ichiyoru Castle, Yodo Castle"." Second, in its earliest uses there was no single standard for writing the term. The earliest variants include 天主 (literally translated: “Master of Heaven”), 殿主 (literally translated: “Master of the Palace/Mansion”), 殿守 (literally translated: “Protector of the Palace/Mansion),” or phonetically as てんしゅ. The first known use of the current standard “天守” (literally translated: “Protector of Heaven”) appears in a letter dated the 27th day, 10th month of Tensho 7 (15 November 1579) issued by Nobunaga.
Tenshu | Etymology
However, due a revolt by his retainers Jinbō Nagatsumi lost control of Toyama Castle in 1581. Nobunaga was unforgiving of this incompetence, and installed his general Sassa Narimasa in his place. The Jinbō clan then disappears from history (with the major exception of the place name, Jinbōchō, Tokyo after a surviving clan member who entered the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu). Under Sassa Narimasa, the castle was greatly expanded in size, and new moats and towers were added. Narimasa also began a series of flood control works which gradually transformed the area surrounding the castle from a marsh to rich rice lands.
Toyama Castle | History
The first attempt, spanning from 1592 to 1596, was initially successful but suffered setbacks from the Joseon Navy and ended in a stalemate. The second attempt began in 1597 but was less successful as the Koreans, especially their navy, led by Admiral Yi Sun-Sin, were prepared from their first encounter. In 1598, Toyotomi called for retreat from Korea prior to his death. Without leaving a capable successor, the country was once again thrust into political turmoil, and Tokugawa Ieyasu took advantage of the opportunity. On his deathbed, Toyotomi appointed a group of the most powerful lords in Japan—Tokugawa, Maeda Toshiie, Ukita Hideie, Uesugi Kagekatsu, and Mōri Terumoto—to govern as the Council of Five Regents until his infant son, Hideyori, came of age.
Sengoku period | Unification
Toyotomi Hideyoshi is also shown, under the name of Hideyoshi Hashiba. His unlikely charisma inspires his troops after he is wrongly told of Nobunaga's death, which leads his friend to comment, "Maybe he would be the one to unite Japan, if Lord Oda was dead."
Kessen III | Historical background
Because of his low birth with no family name, to the eventual achievement of Imperial Regent, the highest title of Imperial nobility, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had quite a few names throughout his life. At birth, he was given the name . At "genpuku", he took the name . Later, he was given the surname Hashiba and the honorary court office Chikuzen no Kami; as a result, he was styled . His surname remained Hashiba even as he was granted the new "Uji" or "sei" ( or , clan name) Toyotomi by the Emperor. The Toyotomi "Uji" was simultaneously granted to a number of Hideyoshi's chosen allies, who adopted the new "Uji" "" (Toyotomi no some, courtier of Toyotomi).
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Names
He held the generals in contempt, and they sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hideyoshi's underage son and designated successor Hideyori lost the power his father once held, and Tokugawa Ieyasu was declared "shōgun" following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Death
Opportunities were sometimes provided for those who were not "fudai;" and the Sugihara held the fief until their line failed in 1653. The second lord died without a son, and his nephew became the head of the fief. However, he died at age 17 without heir, which ended the Sugihara dominion in Toyooka. Control passed to the Tokugawa shogunate.
Toyooka Domain | Introduction
Mitsuhide was well known as a master of castle construction, and was engaged in the construction of many castles.
Akechi Mitsuhide | Castles built or reconstructed by Mitsuhide
He was armed with only gauntlets, and was large in physique and so strong, that he can deflect a hail of arrows with a wave of his hand and drain a part of Seto Inland Sea to defeat Chosokabe Motochika
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | In popular culture
In August 1600, Torii was forewarned by spies that an army of 40,000 battle-hardened followers of Toyotomi Hideyori were annihilating everything in their path on their march to Fushimi Castle. The 2000 man garrison at Fushimi Castle was badly outnumbered, yet escape for the men inside was still possible. In an act of loyalty to his lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, Torii chose to remain behind, pledging that he and his bastion would fight to the finish. In a last statement addressed to his son Tadamasa, Torii described how his family served the Tokugawa for generations and how his own brother had been killed in battle.
Torii Mototada | Last stand and death
Toyotomi Hideyoshi had earlier established a similar practice of requiring his feudal lords to keep their wives and heirs at Osaka Castle or the nearby vicinity as hostages to ensure their loyalty. Following the Battle of Sekigahara and the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate, this practice was continued at the new capital of Edo as a matter of custom. It was made compulsory for the "tozama daimyōs" in 1635, and for the "fudai daimyōs" from 1642. Aside from an eight-year period under the rule of Tokugawa Yoshimune, the law remained in force until 1862.
Sankin-kōtai | History
Construction on the current main "tenshu" ("donjon") at Inuyama began in 1601, and continued through 1620. Inuyama Castle was the final obstacle against Oda Nobunaga's unification of Owari Province. After Nobunaga had defeated the Imagawa clan at the Battle of Okehazama in 1560, his cousin, Oda Nobukiyo, seized Inuyama Castle with the support of Saito Yoshitatsu on Mino Province. Nobugana recaptured the castle in 1564. After Nobunaga's death, Toyotomi Hideyoshi appointed Ishikawa Sadakiyo as castellan of Inuyama. Ishikawa rebuilt the defenses of the castle in line with contemporary designs and the current shape of the donjon is a result of this reconstruction.
Inuyama Castle | History
Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea took place between 1592 and 1598, at the same time as the high point in Azuchi–Momoyama style castle construction within Japan. Many Japanese castles (called "Wajō" 倭城 in Japanese and "Waeseong" in Korean) were built along the southern shores of Korea. All that remains of these castles today are the stone bases.
Japanese castle | Korea
Nagahama Castle was built in 1575-1576 by Hashiba Hideyoshi (later known as Toyotomi Hideyoshi) in the village then called Imahama, renaming the area Nagahama. Previously, he had ruled from Odani Castle, though found this hard to do as it was a "yamashiro" (mountaintop castle). Hideyoshi was succeeded as lord by Yamanouchi Kazutoyo after the 1583 Battle of Shizugatake. Kazutoyo was then replaced by Naito Nobunari after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. In 1615, the castle was demolished, though parts of it were used in the construction of Hikone Castle.
Nagahama Castle | History
The castle was first founded in 1185 by Kato Kagekado who was the vassal or retainers of Minamoto no Yoritomo and from the 13th to 16th centuries, it was in the fief of the Tōyama clan (遠山氏 "Tōyama-shi"). In the late 16th century, Toyama Kageto (who became a retainer of Oda Nobunaga) would be the last of the Toyama family to hold the castle.
Iwamura Castle | Background
Hideno Takayoshi began a complete reconstruction of the castle, which was completed by his son, Hideno Yoshiakira. The Hineno were reassigned in 1601, and the domain was returned to the hands of the Suwa clan by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The Suwa remained in control of the castle until the Meiji restoration. Following the establishment of the Meiji government and the abolition of the han system, the remaining structures of the castle were dismantled in 1875, leaving only the stone foundations. A Shinto Shrine dedicated to the war dead was established within the grounds in 1900 and the area of the Second and Third Baileys was built over as a residential district.
Takashima Castle | History
Towards the end of the Bakumatsu period, the 10th daimyō of Fukue Domain, Gotō Moriakira began reconstruction of Ishida Castle, with the work completed by Gotō Morinori, the 11th and final "daimyō". It was the last Japanese castle to be built under the Tokugawa Bakufu.
Fukue Domain | History
The castle was constructed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, at the time a minor retainer of Oda Nobunaga, while they were pressing the Siege of Inabayama Castle in the mid-16th century. "The work of building at Sunomata was done by a band of adventurers under the direction of a local robber baron named Hachisuka." Hideyoshi used pre-constructed sections to put up the fortress and it was finished so quickly that it gave the impression that it was done overnight, although the work took several days to complete. Hideyoshi's success with the construction of this castle greatly raised his prestige and standing with Nobunaga, and marked the start of his rise to fame.
Sunomata Castle | Introduction
According to local folklore, Yoshitaka faced rebellions from the people of his region, who attacked his castle. The rebels were slain, but their bloodstains showed through the walls even after painting them over, prompting the governor to have the walls painted red. The original castle housed a small shrine for the rebel leader Utsonomiya Shigefusa.
Nakatsu Castle | Legacy
He built his castle in the fishing village of Edo (now Tokyo). He was to become the most powerful daimyo and the most senior officer under the Toyotomi regime. Tokugawa preserved his strength in Toyotomi's failed attempt to conquer Korea. After Toyotomi's death, Ieyasu seized power in 1600, after the Battle of Sekigahara. He received appointment as "shōgun" in 1603, and voluntarily abdicated from office in 1605, but remained in power until his death in 1616. He implemented a set of careful rules known as the "bakuhan" system, designed to keep the daimyos and samurai in check under the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Tokugawa Ieyasu | Introduction
The first thing that Shogun Ietsuna and the regency had to address was the "rōnin" (masterless samurai). During the reign of Shogun Iemitsu, two samurai, Yui Shōsetsu and Marubashi Chūya, had been planning an uprising in which the city of Edo would be burned to the ground and, amidst the confusion, Edo Castle would be raided and the "shōgun", other members of the Tokugawa and high officials would be executed. Similar occurrences would happen in Kyoto and Osaka. Shosetsu was himself of humble birth and he saw Toyotomi Hideyoshi as his idol.
Tokugawa Ietsuna | Shogunal regency (1651–1663)
The mayor announced plans in 2009 to completely reconstruct in wood the main towers of Nagoya Castle that were destroyed during the Second World War, just as in the original structure.
Takashi Kawamura (politician) | Biography
The castle's origins go back to the Sengoku period. At that time Shimadachi Sadanaga of the Ogasawara clan built a fort on this site in 1504, which originally was called Fukashi Castle. In 1550 it came under the rule of the Takeda clan and then Tokugawa Ieyasu. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi transferred Ieyasu to the Kantō region, he placed Ishikawa Kazumasa in charge of Matsumoto. Kazumasa and his son Yasunaga built the tower and other parts of the castle, including the three towers: the keep and the small tower in the northwest, both begun in 1590, and the Watari Tower; the residence; the drum gate; the black gate, the "Tsukimi Yagura", the moat, the innermost bailey, the second bailey, the third bailey, and the sub-floors in the castle, much as they are today.
Matsumoto Castle | History
Five regents were appointed to rule until his maturity, and conflicts among them began quickly. In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu deposed Hideyori and took power after winning the Battle of Sekigahara. In 1614, Hideyori came into conflict with the Tokugawa clan, leading to Tokugawa Ieyasu's Siege of Osaka from 1614 to 1615. As a result of the siege, Hideyori and his mother, Yodo-dono, committed seppuku in the flames of Osaka castle. After their death, the Toyotomi clan dissolved, leaving the Tokugawa clan to solidify their rule of Japan and the last member of the Toyotomi clan was (1609–1645). A rumour said that Toyotomi Hideyori's son Toyotomi Kunimatsu escaped execution, and another rumour said that Hideyori had an illegitimate son named Amakusa Shirō.
Toyotomi clan | Unity and conflict
In 1615 during the Siege of Osaka, Hideyori was defeated and committed suicide by "seppuku", while his castle was taken by the forces of Tokugawa Hidetada and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Kunimatsu, who was seven years of age at the time, was captured by Tokugawa forces, and was later executed by decapitation.
Toyotomi Kunimatsu | Introduction
His appointment to Takada Domain came with a "kokudaka" of 750,000 "koku", making the domain the second largest in Japan, and was intended to offset neighbouring Kanazawa Domain ruled by the "tozama" Maeda clan. Although Fukushima Castle was well-designed and was conveniently close to the port at Naoetsu, Tadateru found that it was too small for his forces, and was also subject to frequent flooding. In 1614, he decided to build a completely new castle at a more inland location. During this time period, the relations between the Tokugawa shogunate and Toyotomi Hideyori and his supporters based in Osaka were rapidly approaching open war.
Takada Castle | Background
Ieyasu distributes the Toyotomi family area as a prize for the Sekigahara, and the Toyotomi family will have less control. As Hideyori's guardian, Yodo-dono has the leadership of Osaka Castle, after Ieyasu ends the Council of Five elders.
Yodo-dono | Sekigahara campaign
The Second Bailey had a wide dry moat [S] on its south and east, and the Third Bailey ("San-no-Maru") [3]. The palace structures were located adjacent to the main fortifications in the "Hana-no-Maru" enclosure [H].
Matsushiro Castle | Situation
The concept of the was explicated by the historian Matsunosuke Nishiyama in the post-war period to describe the social structures associated with exclusive family control and networks of instructors, a characteristic of the feudal era whose influence on traditional arts is still felt today.
Iemoto | History
The second Shinbashira (leader of Tenrikyo), Shozen Nakayama, later adopted the term to refer to the fourteen verses that were written in Miki Nakayama's handwriting and given away. Though these verses are considered to be the unnumbered verses of the Ofudesaki, they are not published with the Ofudesaki.
Ofudesaki | Exterior Volume
Japan's requests were thus denied and peace efforts reached an impasse. A second invasion of Korea began in 1597, but it too resulted in failure as Japanese forces met with better organized Korean defenses and increasing Chinese involvement in the conflict. Upon the death of Hideyoshi in 1598, his designated successor Toyotomi Hideyori was only 5 years old. As such, the domestic political situation in Japan became unstable, making continuation of the war difficult and causing the Japanese to withdraw from Korea. At this stage, most of the remaining Japanese commanders were more concerned about internal battles and the inevitable struggles for the control of the shogunate.
Azuchi–Momoyama period | Korean campaigns
Toyotomi Hideyoshi changed Japanese society in many ways. These include the imposition of a rigid class structure, restriction on travel, and surveys of land and production. Class reforms affected commoners and warriors. During the Sengoku period, it had become common for peasants to become warriors, or for samurai to farm due to the constant uncertainty caused by the lack of centralized government and always tentative peace. Upon taking control, Hideyoshi decreed that all peasants be disarmed completely. Conversely, he required samurai to leave the land and take up residence in the castle towns. This solidified the social class system for the next 300 years.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Cultural legacy
The castle was constructed in 1596 by a "daimyō" named Tōdō Takatora after being given a small fiefdom by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1595. The castle experienced major repairs and expansion in 1671. The Ōte Gate was burnt to the ground by American bombing during World War II.
Uwajima Castle | History
But the baby died of an unexplained illness within a few weeks after birth.) Kasuke is said to have shouted out for lowered taxes when he was tied to the execution pole. Matsumoto Castle had been built with a structural defect which caused it to lean, rumored to be due to Tada Kasuke's passionate outcry. But the rumor started in the Meiji period when the castle tower actually started to lean to one side.)
Jōkyō uprising | Evasive tactic
However, in 1591, Masamune submitted to Toyotomi Hideyoshi and was ordered to relocate his territories further north to Iwadeyama Castle. Kōri-Nishiyama Castle was abandoned at that time.
Kōri-Nishiyama Castle | History
Tanaka Yoshimasa dismantled the existing donjon and built a much larger three-story tower at the edge of the second bailey, facing the front of the castle. The reason for this unusual orientation is unknown; possibly due to space limitations, and possibly to impress his authority over the "jōkamachi". The castle also had a secondary three-story donjon and ten corner "yagura", which made it very well-equipped considering its size and the "kokudaka" of the territory. Following the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, the castle became the headquarters of Nishio Domain, which changed hands many times during the Edo period between several "fudai daimyō" houses.
Nishio Castle | History
Kiyomasa was a renowned castle-builder. During the Imjin war he built several strategic Japanese-style castles in the territories he conquered. Ulsan castle was one of such fortresses and the site of Kiyomasa's most famous battle — the Siege of Ulsan on December 22, 1597. Kiyomasa led the defense of the castle, successfully holding at bay Chinese general Yang Hao's army, which numbered 60,000. He defended the castle until November 23, 1598. However, his bravery was not reported to Hideyoshi by his rival and superior Ishida Mitsunari. Hideyoshi recalled him to Kyōto.
Katō Kiyomasa | During the Imjin War
Himeji Castle's construction dates to 1333, when a fort was constructed on Himeyama hill by Akamatsu Norimura, the ruler of the ancient Harima Province. In 1346, his son Sadanori demolished this fort and built Himeyama Castle in its place. In 1545, the Kuroda clan was stationed here by order of the Kodera clan, and feudal ruler Kuroda Shigetaka remodeled the castle into Himeji Castle, completing the work in 1561. In 1580, Kuroda Yoshitaka presented the castle to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and in 1581 Hideyoshi significantly remodeled the castle, building a three-story keep with an area of about . Following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu granted Himeji Castle to his son-in-law, Ikeda Terumasa, as a reward for his help in battle.
Himeji Castle | History
Once Hideyori was born, he ordered Toyotomi Hidetsugu to commit ritual suicide on Mount Kōya, this causing Hideyoshi's only possible heir to be his infant son Hideyori. The people closest to Hidetsugu, such as his family and retainers, were also put to death. In 1595 Toyotomi Hideyoshi officially announced five laws and ordinances (Japanese: 御定五ヶ条 "Onkite" "Gokajō") to maintain the stability of the regime and overcome the upheaval of politics after the removal of Hidetsugu.
Council of Five Elders | Leading up to the creation of the council
Katō Kiyomasa, a contemporary of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was made "daimyō" of half of the (old) administrative region of Higo in 1588. Afterwards, Kiyomasa built Kumamoto Castle. Due to its many innovative defensive designs, Kumamoto Castle was considered impregnable, and Kiyomasa enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest castle-builders in Japanese history. After Kiyomasa died in 1611, his son, Tadahiro, succeeded him. In 1632, Tadahiro was removed by Tokugawa Iemitsu and replaced with the Hosokawa clan. Hosokawa Tadatoshi, the third lord of Kumamoto, was the patron of the artist and swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. The current administrative body of the City of Kumamoto was founded on April 1, 1889.
Kumamoto | History
During the Sengoku period, in 1558 Hosono Fujiatsu built a castle at the conjunction of the Ano and Iwata rivers, using the rivers as natural moats. Oda Nobunaga took control of the castle in 1568 and ordered his younger brother Oda Nobukane to reside there in 1577 to consolidate Oda control over the Ise region. Under Oda Nobukane, the castle was greatly expanded in size, with the completion of the primary, secondary and third baileys, a five-story donjon and secondary donjon. Under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Nobukane was transferred to Tanba Province, and the castle was given to Hideyoshi’s retainer, Tomita Nobuhiro in 1595 along with a 50,000 "koku" domain.
Tsu Castle | History
Hashiba shaped it. In the end, only Ieyasu tastes it." (Hashiba is the family name that Toyotomi Hideyoshi used while he was a follower of Nobunaga.)
Samurai | Oda, Toyotomi and Tokugawa
Ieyasu, acting as the , remained the effective ruler of Japan until his death. Ieyasu retired to Sunpu Castle in Sunpu, but he also supervised the building of Edo Castle, a massive construction project which lasted for the rest of Ieyasu's life. The result was the largest castle in all of Japan, the costs for building the castle being borne by all the other "daimyōs", while Ieyasu reaped all the benefits. The central donjon, or "tenshu", burned in the 1657 "Meireki" fire. Today, the Imperial Palace stands on the site of the castle. In 1611, Ieyasu, at the head of 50,000 men, visited Kyoto to witness the enthronement of Emperor Go-Mizunoo.
Tokugawa Ieyasu | Construction of Edo castle
Hachiōji Castle was built in the 1570s by Hōjō Ujiteru. It was constructed on a mountain, with many features located in strategic positions to deter an enemy force. Ujiteru left only 1,300 men behind at Hachiōji Castle when he went to help lift the Siege of Odawara (1590), which had been surrounded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Shortly thereafter, on June 23, 1590, more of Hideyoshi's forces, numbering 50,000 and led by Maeda Toshiie and Uesugi Kagekatsu, arrived to take the castle, which fell in just one day. Hideyoshi then commanded that the castle be destroyed, as he worried that it could be used against him.
Hachiōji Castle | History
After the Date clan fell out of favor with central ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi, control of the castle transferred to the warlord Gamō Ujisato, who rebuilt a number of hill castles, including Naganuma Castle, on the model of his own Matsusaka Castle.
Naganuma Castle | History
In the first campaign, Hideyoshi appointed Ukita Hideie as field marshal, and had him go to the Korean peninsula in April 1592. Konishi Yukinaga occupied Seoul, which had been the capital of the Joseon dynasty of Korea, on June 19. After Seoul fell easily, Japanese commanders held a war council in June in Seoul and determined targets of subjugation called Hachidokuniwari (literally, dividing the country into eight routes) by each corps (the First Division of Konishi Yukinaga and others from Pyeongan Province, the Second Division of Katō Kiyomasa and others from Hangyong Province, the Third Division of Kuroda Nagamasa and others from Hwanghae Province, the Fourth Division of Mōri Yoshinari and others from Gangwon Province; the Fifth Division of Fukushima Masanori and others from Chungcheong Province; the Sixth Division by Kobayakawa Takakage and others from Jeolla Province, the Seventh Division by Mōri Terumoto and others from Gyeongsang Province, and the Eighth Division of Ukita Hideie and others from Gyeonggi Province).
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | First campaign against Korea
Number of wars occurred in order to make Japan a peaceful country but no warlords successfully achieved this objective, until Hideyoshi Toyotomi reigned. He created unity across Japan. But his death led to chaos. His son, Hideyori is supposed to succeed the throne but the Tokugawa clan believes that he can't. And so, the conflict between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa clan arises, also between the two brothers in the Sanada clan, Yukimura who sided in the Toyotomi clan and Nobuyuki Sanada who joined Tokugawa. A fateful battle awaits the two.
Samurai Warriors (TV series) | Plot
At last Hidetora takes refuge in the Third Castle, abandoned after Saburo's forces followed their lord into exile. Tango does not follow him. Kyoami, the court fool, then jokes about Hidetora's predicament, only to be thrown out of the Third Castle.
Ran (film) | Plot
Stalled by the enemy's caution, Kinoshita's men were able to quickly transform the fragile framework into a functioning fortification, and then into a complete castle. Nobunaga then ordered Kinoshita to remain as steward of the castle, and bestowed upon him the name "Hideyoshi".
Siege of Inabayama Castle | Mino campaign
Hideyoshi had on his deathbed appointed a group of the most powerful lords in Japan—Tokugawa, Maeda, Ukita, Uesugi, Mōri—to govern as the Council of Five Elders until his infant son, Hideyori, came of age. An uneasy peace lasted until the death of Maeda Toshiie in 1599. Thereafter, Ishida Mitsunari accused Ieyasu of disloyalty to the Toyotomi name, precipitating a crisis that led to the Battle of Sekigahara. Generally regarded as the last major conflict of the Azuchi–Momoyama period and "sengoku-jidai", Ieyasu's victory at Sekigahara marked the end of the Toyotomi reign. Three years later, Ieyasu received the title "Sei-i Tai-shōgun", and established the Edo "bakufu", which lasted until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
Azuchi–Momoyama period | Sekigahara and the end of the Toyotomi rule
From 1558－1573, the castle lord was Sassa Narimasa's subordinate. When the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute occurred in 1584, Ikeda Tsuneoki came there. After the war, Toyotomi Hideyoshi stayed at Jōjō Castle. The founder of Higashikasugai, Mayor Hayashi Kimbei, lived here during the Meiji period.
Jōjō Castle | History
Katsura returned as Prime Minister from 14 July 1908, to 30 August 1911. His second term was noteworthy for the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty of 1910. He also promulgated the Factory Act in 1911, the first act for the purpose of labor protection in Japan. Katsura was increasingly unpopular during his second term over public perception that he was using his office to further both his personal fortune and the interests of the military "(gunbatsu)" over the welfare of the people. He also faced growing public dissatisfaction over the persistence of the "hanbatsu" domainal based politics. After his resignation, he became a "kōshaku" (公爵 = prince), Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan and one of the "genrō."
Katsura Tarō | Second administration
The bombing continued the next day, on the mournful anniversary of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death. Ieyasu thought that on that day Hideyori would be in the temple dedicated to his father, so he ordered that his forces fire towards the place. The projectile almost hit Hideyori's head, hitting one of the pillars of Yodo-dono's quarters, who became terrified and pressed to reach an arrangement with the shogunate.
Siege of Osaka | Bombing of Osaka Castle