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.
Introduction
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Introduction
He is  the "de facto" leader 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 He was a retainer of the prominent lord Oda Nobunaga. 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.
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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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
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
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
Thus, Tadatsune forced this unusual status upon the kingdom.
Shimazu Tadatsune | Introduction
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
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
This effectively means that Masayuki now responds to Tokugawa Ieyasu in all military matters. The following year, 1587, sees Masayuki travelling to Sunpu to meet with Tokugawa Ieyasu. Then, he goes to Osaka to be received in audience by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and thus formally become a vassal of the Toyotomi regime.
Sanada Masayuki | Under Toyotomi regime
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
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
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
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
, also known as , was a de facto ruler of Satsuma Province during the late Heian period of Japan.
Ata Tadakage | Introduction
, formerly known as . He was a half-brother of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the most powerful and significant warlords of Japan's Sengoku period. He was also known by his court title, . He promoted Tōdō Takatora to chief engineer. He led Hideyoshi's vanguard force a few years later into Satsuma Province, contributing heavily to his half-brother's victories in gaining control of Kyūshū. Hidenaga was awarded the provinces of Kii, Izumi and Yamato, reaching a governance of one million "koku". He was regarded as Hideyoshi's brain and right-arm. He died in Kōriyama, Yamato Province (now Nara Prefecture), and his tomb is called .
Toyotomi Hidenaga | Introduction
He also proved a competent manager of the castle town of Ōmihachiman.
Toyotomi Hidetsugu | Biography
(Marked in present-day by a small bronze statue). After the Battle of Sekigahara (1600) which followed Hideyoshi's death, Katsumoto was appointed the chamberlain of the Toyotomi household whose fortune, with infant Hideyori, only son of Hideyoshi, as the head of the dynasty, became increasingly precarious before the ambitious Tokugawa Ieyasu. During the next fifteen years, Katsumoto sought to negotiate a compromise between the ruthless Ieyasu, who had already decided to destroy his former master's dynasty once and for all, and the stubborn and haughty Yodo-dono, mother of young Hideyori, who was hopelessly out of touch with the new and current Tokugawa ruler.
Katagiri Katsumoto | Biography
On the contrary, Hideyoshi tried to make him administer the provinces by making two of them public but Takakage repeatedly decline and said that his nephew Mōri Terumoto was still too young and his brother Kikkawa Motoharu had already died. He proposed to install substitute officers in Chikuzen and Chikugo and also would alternate with Sasa Narimasa (佐々成政) every half a year or year. Hideyoshi refused his resignation of the provinces and this was an opportunity for Takakage to become an independent lord under the Toyotomi administration.
Kobayakawa Takakage | Under Toyotomi Hideyoshi
In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi seized Odawara Castle and compelled the Tōhoku-region "daimyōs" to participate in the campaign. Although Masamune refused Hideyoshi's demands at first, he had no real choice in the matter since Hideyoshi was the virtual ruler of Japan. Masamune still delayed, infuriating Hideyoshi. Expecting to be executed, Masamune, wearing his finest clothes and showing no fear, faced his angry overlord. Not wanting further trouble, Hideyoshi spared his life, saying that "He could be of some use." In 1591, Masamune forfeited the ancestral land of the Date Clan (present day Date City, Kawamata, Koori, and Kunimi) to Hideyoshi, causing widespread riots.
Date Masamune | Service under Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a prominent general under Oda Nobunaga. Nobunaga unified much of Japan under his rule after defeating the Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiaki and ending the Ashikaga shogunate; however, he was betrayed by Akechi Mitsuhide and died at the Honnō-ji Incident of 1582. Hideyoshi quickly avenged his master and consolidated control over Japan afterward, with the aid of his brother Hidenaga. Hideyoshi had risen from humble roots – his father was an "ashigaru" (foot-soldier) – to become the ruler of Japan. To bolster his claim, Hideyoshi married noble women so that his heirs at least would descend from suitably distinguished families.
Battle of Sekigahara | Toyotomi clan rule
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
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
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
Viscount was a samurai of Satsuma Domain, general in the early Imperial Japanese Army, and a cabinet minister in Meiji period Japan. Part of Sophia University in Tokyo is located on the site of his house.
Takashima Tomonosuke | Introduction
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 Hideyoshi unified Japan in 1590, but Date Masamune did not abandon his desire to control the nation.
Dokuganryū Masamune | Plot
Mitsunari met Toyotomi Hideyoshi when the former was still young and the latter was the "daimyō" of Nagahama. When Hideyoshi engaged in a campaign in the Chūgoku region, Mitsunari assisted his lord in attacks against castles like the Tottori Castle and Takamatsu Castle (in present-day Okayama). After Hideyoshi seized power, Mitsunari became known as a talented financial manager due to his knowledge and skill at calculation. From 1585 onward, he was the administrator of Sakai, a role he took together with his elder brother Ishida Masazumi. He was appointed one of the five bugyō, or top administrators of Hideyoshi's government.
Ishida Mitsunari | Service under Hideyoshi
After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the power of the Toyotomi clan declined and Japan would go to war again. The five regents he had appointed to rule in Hideyori's place began jockeying amongst themselves for power. When Toshiie died, the situation worsened and an armed conflict was inevitable. Hideyoshi's chief consort, Nene, went to the Imperial Palace after her husband's death. Hideyoshi's son and successor was very young and could not rule in his place, giving Yodo-dono all the political prestige left by Hideyoshi. However, the situation would not be easily controlled, so Ishida Mitsunari under the influence of Hideyori's mother, Yodo-dono, went to war against Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Maeda Matsu | Sekigahara
In 1585, Hideyoshi awarded him Awa Province as a fief, but he declined in favor of his son, Iemasa, serving instead as a close adviser of Hideyoshi.
Hachisuka Masakatsu | Introduction
He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Son of a minor daimyo, Tokugawa once lived as a hostage, on behalf of his father, under another Daimyo. He later succeeded as daimyo after his father's death, serving as vassal and general under Oda Nobunaga, building up his strength. After Oda's death, Tokugawa was briefly a rival of fellow Oda subordinate Toyotomi Hideyoshi, before declaring allegiance to Toyotomi and fighting on his behalf. Under Toyotomi, Tokugawa was relocated to the Kanto plains in eastern Japan, away from the Toyotomi power base in Osaka.
Tokugawa Ieyasu | Introduction
When Hideyoshi died in 1598, the five regents he had appointed to rule in Hideyori's place began jockeying amongst themselves for power. Tokugawa Ieyasu seized control in 1600, after his victory over the others at the Battle of Sekigahara. Hideyori's arranged marriage to Senhime, the seven-year-old granddaughter of Ieyasu, was designed to mitigate Toyotomi clan dissension and plotting. In this period, the eight-year-old boy practiced calligraphy with phrases wishing for peace throughout the world. However, Ieyasu continued to view the young Hideyori as a potential threat. Tokugawa forces attacked Hideyori in the Siege of Osaka in the winter of 1614.
Toyotomi Hideyori | Early life
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
Count was a diplomat and statesman during early Meiji period Japan.
Soejima Taneomi | Introduction
Ōmandokoro (大政所, 1516 – 29 August 1592) was the mother of the Japanese ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Her daughter was Asahi no kata. After her death, she received the Buddhist name Tenzui'in (天瑞院).
Ōmandokoro | Introduction
The rulers of Chōshū were the descendants of the great Sengoku warlord Mōri Motonari. Motonari was able to extend his power over all of the Chūgoku region of Japan and occupied a territory worth 1,200,000 koku. After he died, his grandson and heir Mōri Terumoto became "daimyō" and implemented a strategy of alliance with Toyotomi Hideyoshi. This would later prove to be a great mistake. After Hideyoshi's death, the "daimyō" Tokugawa Ieyasu challenged the Toyotomi power and battled with Hideyoshi's trusted advisor Ishida Mitsunari at the Battle of Sekigahara. Mōri Terumoto was the most powerful ally of the Toyotomi and was elected by a council of Toyotomi loyalists to be the titulary head of the Toyotomi force.
Chōshū Domain | History
With a total of 170,000 soldiers facing each other, the Battle of Sekigahara ensued and ended with a complete Tokugawa victory. The Western bloc was crushed and over the next few days Ishida Mitsunari and many other western nobles were captured and killed. Tokugawa Ieyasu was now the "de facto" ruler of Japan. Immediately after the victory at Sekigahara, Ieyasu redistributed land to the vassals who had served him. Ieyasu left some western "daimyōs" unharmed, such as the Shimazu clan, but others were completely destroyed. Toyotomi Hideyori (the son of Hideyoshi) lost most of his territory which were under management of western "daimyōs", and he was degraded to an ordinary "daimyō", not a ruler of Japan.
Tokugawa Ieyasu | Battle of Sekigahara
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
A few years later, Hideyoshi's anger eased and Nobukatsu regained some land to rule. He became the guardian of Toyotomi Hideyori after Hideyoshi's death. However, he betrayed the Toyotomi clan at the Siege of Osaka, and surrendered to Tokugawa Ieyasu. As a result, he was permitted to remain a "daimyō" by the Tokugawa shogunate. Though he is often described as an incompetent general, he managed to survive the series of upheavals. After the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, he became the lord of the Uda-Matsuyama Domain in Yamato Province (modern-day Nara Prefecture), and comfortably lived the rest of his life.
Oda Nobukatsu | Decline of Nobukatsu
, was a politician and cabinet minister in the Empire of Japan, serving as governor of Akita Prefecture and of Tokushima Prefecture, and as a member of the Lower House of the Diet of Japan seven times, and once as a cabinet minister.
Toyosuke Hata | Introduction
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
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
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
He was a tutor of the young Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Koide Hidemasa | Introduction
He was allowed to keep Tosa Province, while the rest of Shikoku was divided among Hideyoshi's generals.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Shikoku Campaign
In 1558, Hideyoshi became an "ashigaru" for the powerful Oda clan, the rulers of his home province of Owari, now headed by the ambitious Oda Nobunaga. Hideyoshi soon became one of Nobunaga's sandal-bearers, a position of relatively high status, and was present at the Battle of Okehazama in 1560 when Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto to become one of the most powerful warlords in the Sengoku period. According to his biographers, Hideyoshi supervised the repair of Kiyosu Castle, a claim described as "apocryphal", and managed the kitchen. In 1561, Hideyoshi married One, the adopted daughter of Asano Nagakatsu. Hideyoshi carried out repairs on Sunomata Castle with his younger half-brother, Toyotomi Hidenaga, along with Hachisuka Masakatsu, and Maeno Nagayasu.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Service under Nobunaga (1558–1582)
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
In 1595, Hidetada married Oeyo of the Oda clan and they had two sons, Tokugawa Iemitsu and Tokugawa Tadanaga. They also had several daughters, one of whom, Senhime, married twice. The other daughter, Kazuko "hime", married Emperor Go-Mizunoo (of descent from the Fujiwara clan). Knowing his death would come before his son Toyotomi Hideyori came of age, Hideyoshi named five regents—one of whom was Hidetada's father, Ieyasu—to rule in his son's place. Hideyoshi hoped that the bitter rivalry among the regents would prevent any one of them from seizing power. But after Hideyoshi died in 1598 and Hideyori became nominal ruler, the regents forgot all vows of eternal loyalty and were soon vying for control of the nation.
Tokugawa Hidetada | Military achievements (1593–1605)
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
The dream of a Japanese conquest of China was put on hold indefinitely. The Tokugawa government later not only prohibited any further military expeditions to the Asian mainland but closed Japan to nearly all foreigners during the years of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was not until the late 19th century that Japan again fought a war against China through Korea, using much the same route that Hideyoshi's invasion force had used. After his death, the other members of the Council of Five Regents were unable to keep the ambitions of Tokugawa Ieyasu in check. Two of Hideyoshi's top generals, Katō Kiyomasa and Fukushima Masanori, had fought bravely during the war but returned to find the Toyotomi clan castellan Ishida Mitsunari in power.
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
The situation was changed when Toyotomi Hideyoshi reunified Japan. Once he became the ruler of Japan, Hideyoshi began to pay attention to external threats, particularly the expansion of European power in East Asia. The turning point for Catholic missions was the San Felipe incident, where in an attempt to recover his cargo, the Spanish captain of a shipwrecked trading vessel claimed that the missionaries were there to prepare Japan for conquest. These claims made Hideyoshi suspicious of the foreign religion. He attempted to curb Catholicism while maintaining good trading relations with Portugal and Spain, which might have provided military support to Dom Justo Takayama, a Christian "daimyō" in western Japan.
Kirishitan | Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Christian "daimyōs"
Hideyoshi's efforts were well-received because Sunomata was in enemy territory, and according to legend constructed a fort in Sunomata overnight and discovered a secret route into Mount Inaba, after which much of the local garrison surrendered. In 1564, Hideyoshi was very successful as a negotiator. He managed to convince, mostly with liberal bribes, a number of Mino warlords to desert the Saitō clan. Hideyoshi approached many Saitō clan samurai and convinced them to submit to Nobunaga, including the Saitō clan's strategist, Takenaka Shigeharu.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Service under Nobunaga (1558–1582)
Count was a Japanese statesman and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan, active in the Meiji and Taishō period Empire of Japan.
Hirata Tosuke | Introduction
While Ieyasu was serving as one of Hideyoshi's staff in Kyūshū, Yasumasa was to supervise Kantō, as one of the chief administrators.
Sakakibara Yasumasa | Service under Ieyasu
Viscount was the 8th and final "daimyō" of Shimabara Domain in Hizen Province, Kyūshū, Japan (modern-day Nagasaki Prefecture).
Matsudaira Tadakazu | Introduction
Following the Battle of Odawara in 1590, he was awarded with Matsuzaka Castle in Ise Province, with revenues of 35,000 "koku," and was appointed to assist Hideyoshi's proclaimed successor, Toyotomi Hidetsugu. He fought in the Bunroku Campaign in Korea (1592-1593), successfully taking the Korean capital of Seoul. He was subsequently purged with other supporters of Hidetsugu in 1595, and was forced to commit seppuku.
Hattori Kazutada | Introduction
Several times in Japanese history, the new ruler sought to ensure his position by calling a . Armies would scour the entire country, confiscating the weapons of the enemies of the new regime. In this manner, the new ruler sought to ensure that no one could take the country by force as he had just done. The most famous sword hunt was ordered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1588.
Sword hunt | 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
When Hideyoshi invasion Korea in 1592, Terumoto himself led a 'division' of troops there, although much of his time seems to have been taken up fighting Korean partisans.
Mōri Terumoto | Service Under Hideyoshi
While the title of shogun went into abeyance due to technical reasons, Oda Nobunaga and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who later obtained the position of Imperial Regent, gained far greater power than any of their predecessors had. Hideyoshi is considered by many historians to be among Japan's greatest rulers.
Shogun | Azuchi–Momoyama period (1573–1600)
When Toyotomi Hideyoshi died in 1598, Japan came to be governed by the Council of Five Elders, among whom Tokugawa Ieyasu possessed the most authority. After defeating Ishida Mitsunari in the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Ieyasu essentially seized control of Japan for himself, and abolished the Council. In 1603, the Tokugawa shogunate was established, with its capital at Edo. Hideyori and his mother Yodo-dono were allowed to stay at Osaka Castle, a fortress that had served as Hideyoshi's residence and that was he found himself in a fief valued at 657,400 koku. Hideyori remained confined to the castle for several years.
Siege of Osaka | Background
Duke , son of Hiromichi, was a Japanese politician of the Meiji period (1868–1912) who served as a member of House of Peers in the Diet of Japan. Takatsukasa Nobuhiro was his brother, and Toshimichi was his son.
Nobusuke Takatsukasa | Introduction
Marquis was a Japanese imperial bureaucrat and university professor.
Yasumasa Matsudaira | Introduction
Mitsunari was a leader of bureaucrats in Hideyoshi's government, and was known for his unbending character. Though he had many friends, he was on bad terms with some "daimyōs" that were known as good warriors, including Hideyoshi's relatives Kuroda Nagamasa and Hachisuka Iemasa. Additionally, the young warrior Kobayakawa Hideaki developed a grudge against Mitsunari as a result of rumors spread by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Toward the end of Taiko Hideyoshi's life, Hideyoshi ordered the execution of his heir Hidetsugu and the execution of his family, leaving his new heir to be the extremely young child Toyotomi Hideyori. After Hideyoshi's death, the conflicts in the court worsened.
Ishida Mitsunari | Sekigahara Campaign
This marked the end of Hōjō power.
Prince Moriyoshi | Introduction
In the hope of founding a new dynasty, Hideyoshi had asked his most trusted subordinates to pledge loyalty to his infant son Toyotomi Hideyori. Despite this, almost immediately after Hideyoshi's death, war broke out between Hideyori's allies and those loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu, a "daimyō" and a former ally of Hideyoshi. Tokugawa Ieyasu won a decisive victory at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, ushering in 268 uninterrupted years of rule by the Tokugawa clan.
History of Japan | Azuchi–Momoyama period (1568–1600)
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 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
In 1590, the new ruler of Japan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi enlisted Tokugawa Ieyasu and others in attacking the domain of the Hōjō in what became known as the Siege of Odawara (1590). Hideyoshi enlisted Ieyasu for this campaign by promising to exchange the five provinces under Ieyasu's control for the eight Kantō provinces, including the city of Edo. In order to keep Ieyasu from defecting to the Hōjō side (since the Hōjō and the Tokugawa were formerly on friendly terms), Hideyoshi took the eleven-year-old Hidetada as a hostage. In 1592 Hideyoshi presided over Hidetada's coming of age ceremony; it was then that Ieyasu's son dropped his childhood name, Takechiyo (竹千代), and assumed the name Hidetada.
Tokugawa Hidetada | Early life (1579–1593)
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
After the death of Hideyoshi in 1598, Hideyori became the successor of Hideyoshi and Chacha became the mother of paramount. But Hideyori still was a child and could not manage the retainer, and conflict of front generals and administrative staff became serious. Tokugawa Ieyasu who was the largest lord under Toyotomi government aimed at next hegemony, stirred up the conflict of both party and supported front generals. Ishida Mitsunari (1560-1600), the chief administrative staff of Toyotomi government, raised his army to stop the ambition of Ieyasu, but was defeated at the Battle of Sekigahara and was executed. After the defeat of the Western Army, the Toyotomi clan lost much of its sovereignty, even though Yodo-dono did not actively participate in the Battle of Sekigahara it is said that more than 2,000 Toyotomi vassals participated in the battle and relations between Tokugawa-Toyotomi declined.
Yodo-dono | Sekigahara campaign
Hideyoshi had thus consolidated his own power, dealt with most of the Oda clan, and controlled 30 provinces. The famous kirishitan daimyō and samurai Dom Justo Takayama fought on his side at this epic battle.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Conflict with Katsuie
After brief flash-forwards both to the morning of the battle as well as to the present day, Toyotomi Hideyoshi meets a young temple acolyte, "Sakichi", and recruits him into his service after being impressed with him. Sakichi, who is Ishida Mitsunari, gains wealth and prestige in his new master's service, and eventually is granted a large domain. Hideyoshi unifies most of Japan and takes the title of taikō, but also grows erratic in his old age. He orders a series of expensive invasions of Korea, bankrupting the nobles, and also orders the execution of his heir, the regent, as well as the entire family of his heir, including their women and children.
Sekigahara (film) | Plot
A graduate of the Faculty of Agriculture of Tokyo Imperial University in 1913, he served as a secretary to the Prime Minister of Japan and adjutant to Prince Chichibu He became Count on his father's death in 1922 and served as a member of the House of Peers. He was succeeded by his son, , and grandson .
Toyama Domain | Maeda Toshiatsu
They were later supplanted by the Ukita clan, and Ukita Hideie was one of the regents Toyotomi Hideyoshi appointed for his son. After Kobayakawa Hideaki helped Tokugawa Ieyasu to win the Battle of Sekigahara over Ukita and others, he was granted Ukita's domains in Bizen and Mimasaka.
Bizen Province | Historical record
His sons would serve Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first Kamakura shōgun.
Sasaki Hideyoshi | Introduction
Hideyoshi, after three more months of increasing sickness, died on September 18, 1598. He was nominally succeeded by his young son Hideyori but as he was just five years old, real power was in the hands of the regents. Over the next two years Ieyasu made alliances with various "daimyōs", especially those who had no love for Hideyoshi. Happily for Ieyasu, the oldest and most respected of the regents, Maeda Toshiie, died after just one year.
Tokugawa Ieyasu | Death of Hideyoshi
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
The following year, he was attacked and defeated at Miyazaki by the forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He submitted to Hideyoshi's authority, turned over the castle to him, and took up retirement at Ijûin in Satsuma province. Uwai died of illness several years later, in 1589.
Uwai Satokane | Introduction
After Hideyoshi's death, that year, Kagekatsu then allied himself with Ishida Mitsunari, against Tokugawa Ieyasu, as the result of some political dispute.
Uesugi Kagekatsu | Service under Hideyoshi
This gave Hideyoshi the Fujiwara legitimacy, clearing the way for his appointment as kampaku.
Konoe Sakihisa | Introduction
Count was a Japanese politician and cabinet minister of the Meiji period.
Hijikata Hisamoto | Introduction
He rose from relatively humble origins as an ashigaru (a foot soldier) to become a "daimyō". During his lifetime he changed his feudal master seven times and worked for ten people, but in the end he rendered loyalty to Tokugawa Ieyasu, who became his last master. Tōdō Takatora was promoted rapidly under Hashiba Hidenaga, the younger brother of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and he participated in the invasions of Korea as a commander of Toyotomi's fleet. His fiefdom at that time was Iyo-Uwajima. During the Edo period, the wealth of each fiefdom was measured as a volume of rice production in "koku".
Tōdō Takatora | History
After nearly a century of political instability and warfare, Japan was on the verge of unification by Oda Nobunaga, who had emerged from obscurity in the province of Owari (present-day Aichi Prefecture) to dominate central Japan. In 1582, Oda was assassinated by one of his generals, Akechi Mitsuhide, and allowed Toyotomi Hideyoshi the opportunity to establish himself as Oda's successor after rising through the ranks from "ashigaru" (footsoldier) to become one of Oda's most trusted generals. Toyotomi eventually consolidated his control over the remaining "daimyōs" but ruled as "Kampaku" (Imperial Regent) as his common birth excluded him from the title of "Sei-i Taishōgun." During his short reign as Kampaku, Toyotomi attempted two invasions of Korea.
Sengoku period | Unification
Viscount was a Japanese statesman of the Meiji period.
Fukuoka Takachika | Introduction
Though he was Masamune's eldest son, Hidemune was born by a concubine, and therefore could not be the successor to the Sendai Domain, which his father ruled. Masamune therefore considered the possibility of having Hidemune start a branch family. This was made possible in 1614, when father and son took part in the Osaka Campaign: Hidemune received the 100,000 "koku" Uwajima Domain which Tokugawa Ieyasu granted to Masamune. Hidemune immediately entered his new fief as "daimyō", and ruled until his retirement in Meireki 3 (1657).
Date Hidemune | Introduction
The court at this time was split between pro-Chinese and pro-Japanese factions; Jana Ueekata was strongly pro-Chinese, and it is said he behaved rudely to Japanese envoys from Satsuma. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi, through agents of Satsuma, demanded that the Kingdom supply forces and supplies to aid in his invasions of Korea, King Shō Nei ignored the demand, largely upon the advice of Jana Ueekata. In 1602, a Ryukyu ship was washed ashore in the Sendai domain , and was repatriated in 1603 by the order of Ieyasu Tokugawa . After that, a messenger to thank Ieyasu was often requested. However Ryukyu officials did not show any gratuity to Tokugawa Shogunate.
Jana Ueekata | Biography
The stability of the Toyotomi dynasty after Hideyoshi's death was put in doubt with the death of his son Tsurumatsu in September 1591. The three-year-old was his only child. When his half-brother Hidenaga died shortly after, Hideyoshi named his nephew Hidetsugu his heir, adopting him in January 1592. Hideyoshi resigned as "kampaku" to take the title of "taikō" (retired regent). Hidetsugu succeeded him as "kampaku". With Hideyoshi's health beginning to falter, but still yearning for some accomplishment to solidify his legacy, he adopted Oda Nobunaga's dream of a Japanese conquest of China and launched the conquest of the Ming dynasty by way of Korea (at the time known as Koryu or Joseon).
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | "Taikō"
The most influential figure within the Toyotomi was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three "unifiers of Japan". Oda Nobunaga was another primary unifier and the ruler of the Oda clan at the time. Hideyoshi joined Nobunaga at a young age, but was not highly regarded because of his peasant background. Nevertheless, Hideyoshi's increasing influence allowed him to seize a significant degree of power from the Oda clan following Oda Nobunaga's death in 1582. As the virtual ruler of most of Japan, Hideyoshi created a new clan name "Toyotomi" in 1584, and achieved the unification of Japan in 1589. When Hideyoshi died in 1598, his son Toyotomi Hideyori was only five years old.
Toyotomi clan | Unity and conflict
He never regained the territory. He was given Iwatesawa and the surrounding lands as his home domain. Masamune moved there, rebuilt the Iwadeyama Castle, renamed it Iwadeyama, and encouraged the growth of a town at its base. Masamune stayed at Iwadeyama for 13 years and turned the region into a major political and economic center.
Date Masamune | Service under Hideyoshi
Marquis was a bureaucrat, government minister and court official in late Meiji period Japan.
Sasaki Takayuki | Introduction
Prince was the first head of the Tokugawa clan after the overthrow of the Tokugawa bakufu, and a significant figure in Japanese politics and diplomacy during the Meiji, Taishō and early Shōwa period Japan. When Prince Tokugawa travelled to other nations representing Japan during his diplomatic journeys, he usually presented his name being Prince Iyesato Tokugawa.
Tokugawa Iesato | Introduction
Count was the thirteenth (and final) "daimyō" of Toyama Domain. Toshiatsu was born in Edo as the 11th son of Maeda Nariyasu of Kaga Domain in 1859. He was selected to be "daimyō" on the forced retirement of Maeda Toshikata. However, Toshiatsu was only three years old at the time, therefore Toyama came effectively under the direct control of Kaga Domain. From 1869 until the abolition of the han system he was appointed imperial governor of Toyama, and afterwards relocated to Tokyo. From October Meiji 4 to December Meiji 6 he studied in Paris, and visited London before returning to Japan.
Toyama Domain | Maeda Toshiatsu
Viscount was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army. His wife was a daughter of General Nozu Michitsura. He was the founder of the Imperial Japanese Army Engineering Corps.
Uehara Yūsaku | Introduction
Of those few Constables who became lords in their own right, most if not all abused this system, earning great revenues for themselves.
Shiba Takatsune | Introduction
He told his commander in Korea, "Don't let my soldiers become spirits in a foreign land."
Toyotomi Hideyoshi | Second campaign against Korea
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)
To avoid his predecessor's fate, Ieyasu established a dynastic pattern soon after becoming shogun by abdicating in favor of Hidetada in 1605. Ieyasu retained significant power until his death in 1616; but Hidetada nevertheless assumed a role as formal head of the bakufu bureaucracy. Much to the dismay of Ieyasu, in 1612, Hidetada engineered a marriage between Sen, Ieyasu's favorite granddaughter, and Toyotomi Hideyori, who was living as a commoner in Osaka Castle with his mother. When this failed to quell Hideyori's intrigues, Ōgosho Ieyasu and Shogun Hidetada brought an army to Osaka. Father and son once again disagreed on how to conduct this campaign against the recalcitrant Toyotomi forces in Osaka.
Tokugawa Hidetada | "Shōgun" (1605–1623)
After the Battle of Odawara (1590), Ieyasu was transferred from the Tōkai region to the provinces of the Kantō region. Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered that Ōkubo Tadayo be raised at that point to the status of daimyō, and was assigned the "fief" of Odawara, with an income of 45,000 "koku". He continued to rule in Odawara until his death in 1594, and was succeeded by his son, Ōkubo Tadachika.
Ōkubo Tadayo | Biography
He went on to say how he chased the sparrows that ate the millet. Sujin accordingly chose his younger son Ikume to become the next Crown prince, while his older son Toyoki was chosen to govern the east. Toyoki ultimately became the ancestor of the Kamitsuke and Shimotsuke clans. In the 60th year of Sujin's reign (38 BC), Sujin told his ministers that he wanted to look at divine treasures brought from the heavens by which were housed in the Izumo Shrine. was the keeper of the treasures, but at the time was away on business in Tsukushi Province. Furune's younger brother , accommodated the Imperial Edict on his behalf by sending his two younger brothers as carriers of these treasures to show the Emperor.
Emperor Sujin | Choosing an heir and Divine treasures
Prince was the 13th head of the Mito branch of the Tokugawa clan and the President of the House of Peers in the Diet of Japan.
Kuniyuki Tokugawa | Introduction
At first he opposed Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi but later swore loyalty and became a retainer of Hideyoshi who awarded him domains in Iyo Province on Shikoku and Chikuzen Province on Kyūshū, totalling 350,000 "koku". Hideyoshi gave him the title "Chûnagon" also appointed him to the Council of Five Elders but died before Hideyoshi himself.
Kobayakawa Takakage | Introduction