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Toyotomi Hideyoshi

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Toyotomi Hideyoshi c1598 Kodai-ji Temple
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Personal Information
Born: February 2, 1536 or
March 26, 1537
Place of Birth: Owari Province
Died: September 18, 1598
Cause of Death: Illness
Place of Death: Fushimi Castle
Style name: 豊臣 秀吉
Served: Oda
Toyotomi
Participation(s): Siege of Inabayama Castle
Siege of Okawachi Castle
Battle of Anegawa
Siege of Odani Castle
Sieges of Nagashima
Battle of Nagashino
Siege of Shikisan
Battle of Tedorigawa
Siege of Miki
Siege of Tottori
Battle of Yamazaki
Battle of Shizugatake
Battle of Komaki and Nagakute
Siege of Toyama
Siege of Odawara Castle (1590)

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉) also known as Kinoshita Tōkichirō (木下 藤吉郎) and Hashiba Hideyoshi (羽柴 秀吉) is the second unifier of Japan. He succeeded his former lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle.

Biography[]

Childhood[]

Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the time known as Kinoshita Tōkichirō was born into a family of humble origins. His father by the name of Kinoshita Yaemon served as an ashigaru in the service under Oda Nobuhide.[1]

Military Career[]

Hideyoshi's first master was a minor Imagawa retainer by the name of Matsushita Yukitsuna,[2] although this venture did not succeed as by 1558, Hideyoshi entered the service of the Oda clan. Oda Nobunaga appears to have taken a particular interest in him and is said to have given him the nickname “Monkey” (saru) in reference to his somewhat simian appearance.[3] One well-known narrative regarding Hideyoshi’s early service under Oda Nobunaga recounts that he was employed as Nobunaga’s sandal bearer and reputedly gained his lord’s favor by warming the straw sandals inside his clothing during the winter.[4]

By the late 1550s and early 1560s, Hideyoshi served as a member of Oda Nobunaga's horse guards (umamawarishu) before eventually rising to the position of one of Nobunaga's captains.[5]

During the Oda clan’s conflict with the Saitō clan, Hideyoshi is recorded as having taken an active role, though accounts differ on his precise actions in the campaign that secured Mino Province. One tale describes his men scaling Mount Inabayama, where the Saitō stronghold stood, and signaling their success with gourds used as water flasks—an image later incorporated into Hideyoshi’s heraldry. Another, more plausible account credits him with overseeing construction of a forward base at Sunomata to support the Oda assault during the Siege of Inabayama Castle. Later accounts claim the fort was built overnight, depicting it as a lightweight façade whose apparent rapid completion unnerved the Saitō.[6]

In 1570, Hideyoshi was appointed commander of the forces raised by Oda Nobunaga in Ōmi Province and took part in the Battle of Anegawa.[7] After the Azai and Asakura forces recovered from their defeat at Anegawa, they advanced southward through Ōmi Province. In response, Oda Nobunaga ordered Hideyoshi together with Niwa Nagahide and Tokugawa Ieyasu, to establish a camp on the eastern outskirts of Kyoto to defend the city.[8]

During the Oda's campaign against the Azai and Asakura clans Hideyoshi was tasked with reducing the fortress on Mount Yamamoto, which was defended by the forces of Atsuji Sadayuki. As part of his campaign, during which he set fire to areas at the base of the mountain, roughly one hundred light infantry emerged from the stronghold in a counter-attack. Awaiting a tactically advantageous moment, Hideyoshi ordered a swift assault that overwhelmed the attackers, resulting in their defeat and the taking of more than fifty heads. Oda Nobunaga subsequently offered high praise for Hideyoshi’s performance.[9]

Upon assuming control of Ōmi in 1572, Hideyoshi adopted the surname Hashiba, derived from characters taken from the names of two of Nobunaga’s prominent generals: Niwa Nagahide and Shibata Katsuie.[10]

In 1575, Hashiba Hideyoshi commanded a contingent at the Battle of Nagashino, serving in the leadership of a reserve unit positioned to launch a counterattack against the Takeda right flank.[11]

Over the next five years, Hashiba Hideyoshi served under Nobunaga in a series of campaigns that culminated in the destruction of the Takeda clan and the surrender of the Ikkō-ikki’s Ishiyama Hongan-ji, enabling Nobunaga to extend his authority westward. The task of securing this region was entrusted to Hideyoshi, who advanced along the San’yōdō Road toward the strongholds of the Mōri clan and their allies, making slow but steady progress throughout the campaign.[12]

Chūgoku Campaign[]

During the Chūgoku campaign, Himeji in Harima Province (then known as Himeyama) was the first fortress that Toyotomi Hideyoshi was required to address. Its castellan, Kodera Masamoto, maintained an uncertain allegiance to the Mōri clan. Present in the castle, however, was Kuroda Yoshitaka, who had married Masamoto’s daughter and temporarily assumed the Kodera surname. Acting as an intermediary, Yoshitaka communicated with Oda Nobunaga through Hideyoshi, providing a concise assessment of the strategic situation.[13]

Within Harima, the only other significant local power was Bessho Nagaharu of Miki Castle. Yoshitaka argued that, should the Kodera align themselves with Nobunaga, the lesser families of the province would likely follow, thereby placing them in a favorable position to move against Miki. Through Yoshitaka’s mediation sent his ten-year-old son, Kuroda Nagamasa, to Nobunaga as a hostage. Masamoto was persuaded to surrender Himeji to Hideyoshi without resistance. The acquisition of this key stronghold not only provided Hideyoshi with a crucial strategic foothold but also secured the enduring loyalty of Yoshitaka, whose service would continue throughout Hideyoshi’s life.[14]

The next objective was Miki, whose fall initiated the Siege of Miki. The operation extended far longer than Hideyoshi had anticipated. Seeking to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, Hideyoshi hoped to persuade Bessho Nagaharu to defect to the Oda side, and the siege itself was conducted on Hideyoshi’s behalf by the Kodera and Kuroda families.[15]

Despite Hideyoshi’s strategic intentions, not all aspects of his plan succeeded. Although Miki Castle was ultimately secured, Bessho Nagaharu chose to commit seppuku rather than submit to Oda. At the same time, Hideyoshi was compelled to address a developing threat in his rear. Araki Murashige, who had submitted to Oda Nobunaga had been granted control of Itami Castle. During Hideyoshi’s advance along the San’yōdō, however, Murashige aroused suspicion. Fearing an imminent attack, he withdrew into Itami Castle and raised its defenses.[16]

The Kodera and Kuroda forces moved against Murashige during the Siege on Miki. Evidence of this is found in a letter from Hideyoshi stating: “As far as the lord of Itami is concerned, it seems to me it will be defeated in three to five days because you have filled the moat in so quickly.” Hideyoshi’s prediction proved overly optimistic and Murashige endured a siege lasting roughly a year before ultimately escaping and seeking refuge with the Mōri.[17]

In early 1580, Hideyoshi received the provinces of Harima and Tajima as his fief, establishing Himeji Castle as his new headquarters. From Himeji, he was able to pursue a more expansive strategy against the Mōri. Later that same year, he advanced northward into Inaba Province, identifying Tottori Castle as his next major target.[18] The Siege of Tottori stands as a notable example of a siege successfully concluded through starvation tactics. The castle, defended by Kikkawa Tsuneie, withstood Hideyoshi’s encirclement for approximately 200 days.[19]

Hideyoshi’s next objective against the Mōri was their strategic stronghold of Takamatsu Castle. During the Siege of Takamatsu, he executed a successful flooding operation by diverting a river with dikes to submerge the castle.[20] However, intelligence later indicated that Mōri Terumoto was preparing to advance against Hideyoshi’s forces. In response, Hideyoshi dispatched a messenger to Oda Nobunaga, reporting the situation and urgently requesting reinforcements.[21] Recognizing the urgency of Hideyoshi’s predicament, Nobunaga dispatched a number of his generals ahead of his own forces. Among these, the most significant was Akechi Mitsuhide, whose advance was intended to support Hideyoshi.[22] During the siege, Hideyoshi received news of Oda Nobunaga’s death at the Battle of Honnō-ji, prompting him to promptly negotiate surrender terms with the Mōri, bringing the operation to a conclusion.[23]

Rise To Power[]

Gallery[]

Sources[]

  1. ↑ Warriors of Medieval Japan, Stephen Turnbull p. 88
  2. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 8
  3. ↑ A History of Japan, Kenneth G. Henshall, p. 45
  4. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 9
  5. ↑ Jeroen Pieter Lamers, Japonius Tyrannus: The Japanese Warlord, Oda Nobunaga Reconsidered, p. 30
  6. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 10
  7. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 12
  8. ↑ Jeroen Pieter Lamers, Japonius Tyrannus: The Japanese Warlord, Oda Nobunaga Reconsidered, pg. 49
  9. ↑ The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga, Brill's Japanese Studies Library Volume: 36, Gyūichi Ōta, eds./trans. Jurgis S.A. Elisonas and Jeroen P. Lamers, p. 171
  10. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 15
  11. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 15
  12. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 16
  13. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 18
  14. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 19
  15. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 19
  16. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 19
  17. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 19
  18. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 20.
  19. ↑ Samurai Sourcebook, Stephen Turnbull, p. 231.
  20. ↑ Samurai Sourcebook, Stephen Turnbull, p. 232.
  21. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 22
  22. ↑ Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Stephen Turnbull, p. 23
  23. ↑ Samurai Sourcebook, Stephen Turnbull, p. 232.
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