Toyotomi Hideyoshi

, traditionally regarded as Hideyoshi's birthplace According to tradition, Hideyoshi was born on February 16, 1537, according to the lunar Japanese calendar (March 17, 1537, according to the Julian calendar; March 27, 1537 (Proleptic Gregorian calendar)) in Nakamura, Owari Province (present-day Nakamura Ward, Nagoya), in the middle of the chaotic Sengoku period under the collapsed Ashikaga Shogunate. Hideyoshi had no traceable samurai lineage, and his father Kinoshita Yaemon was an ashigaru – a peasant employed by the samurai as a foot soldier. Hideyoshi had no surname, and his childhood given name was although variations exist. Yaemon died in 1543 when Hideyoshi was seven years old. Contemporary writings from Ankokuji Ekei and Kakukane Ue, a retainer of the Shimazu clan, confirm Hideyoshi's poor background, with Ekei noting that Hideyoshi even had to beg on the street. Many legends describe Hideyoshi being sent to study at a temple as a young man, but he rejected temple life and went in search of adventure. Under the name , he first joined the Imagawa clan as a servant to a local ruler named . == Service under Nobunaga (1558–1582) ==

robe with a pattern of birds and other animals which is said to have been worn by Hideyoshi 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. According to his biographers, Hideyoshi also 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, a descendant of Minamoto no Yorimitsu. Hideyoshi carried out repairs on Sunomata Castle with his younger half-brother, Hashiba Koichirō, along with Hachisuka Masakatsu, and Maeno Nagayasu. Hideyoshi's efforts were well-received because Sunomata was in enemy territory, and according to legend Hideyoshi constructed a fort in Sunomata overnight and discovered a secret route into Mount Inaba, after which much of the local garrison surrendered. and despite his peasant origins. In 1568, Hideyoshi became one of Nobunaga's most distinguished generals, eventually taking the name . The new surname included two characters, one each from Oda's right-hand men and , and the new given name included characters from and . In 1570, Hideyoshi protected Nobunaga's retreat from Azai-Asakura forces at Kanegasaki. Later, in June 1570, Nobunaga allied with Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Anegawa to lay siege to two fortresses of the Azai and Asakura clans, and Hideyoshi was assigned to lead Oda troops into open battle for the first time. Later, Hideyoshi participated in the 1573 siege of Nagashima. In 1574, Hideyoshi and Araki Murashige captured Itami Castle, and later in 1575, he fought in the Battle of Nagashino against the Takeda clan. In 1576, he took part in the Siege of Mitsuji, part of the eleven-year Ishiyama Hongan-ji War. Later, Nobunaga sent Hideyoshi to Himeji Castle to conquer the Chūgoku region from the Mori clan. Hideyoshi then fought in the Battle of Tedorigawa (1577), the siege of Miki (1578), the siege of Tottori (1581) and the siege of Takamatsu (1582). When the Oda clan learned of the defeat of Takigawa Kazumasu at the Battle of Kanagawa by the Hōjō clan, Hideyoshi sent a letter to Ieyasu on July 7 giving him authorization to lead military operations to secure the two provinces from the Hōjō and Uesugi clans. As the war turned in Ieyasu's favor and Sanada Masayuki defected to the Tokugawa side, the Hōjō clan negotiated a truce. Hōjō Ujinobu and Ii Naomasa were the Hōjō and Tokugawa representatives for the preliminary meetings. Representatives from the Oda clan such as Oda Nobukatsu, Oda Nobutaka, and Hideyoshi himself mediated the negotiation until the truce officially took effect in October with both Ieyasu and Hōjō Ujinao exchanging family members as hostages as a sign of goodwill. == Rise to power (1582–1585) ==

around 1582 In 1582, Hideyoshi began construction of Osaka Castle. Built on the site of the temple Ishiyama Hongan-ji, which was destroyed by Nobunaga, construction was completed in 1597. The castle would become the last stronghold of the Toyotomi clan after Hideyoshi's death. Conflict with Katsuie '' No.67, by Yoshitoshi: The Moon and Hideyoshi at the Battle of Shizugatake. In late 1582, Hideyoshi was in a very strong position. He summoned the powerful daimyō to Kiyosu Castle so that they could determine Nobunaga's heir. Oda Nobukatsu and Oda Nobutaka quarreled, causing Hideyoshi to instead choose Nobunaga's infant grandson Oda Hidenobu. Shibata Katsuie initially supported Hideyoshi's decision, Hideyoshi had thus consolidated his own power, dealt with most of the Oda clan, and now controlled some 30 provinces. Ieyasu and Hideyoshi never fought against each other in person, but the former managed to check the advance of the latter's allies. After Hideyoshi and Ieyasu heard the news of Ikeda Tsuneoki and Mori Nagayoshi's deaths, both withdrew their troops. This infuriated Hideyoshi, who offered a reward of 100,000 Kan (Japanese gold ingot) to anyone who could bring him Yasumasa's head. Later, Hideyoshi made peace with Nobukatsu and Ieyasu, ending the pretext for war between the Tokugawa and Hashiba clans. However, Ieyasu continued to refuse to become Hideyoshi's vassal. Hideyoshi had begun to move towards attacking Ieyasu, but the 1586 Tenshō earthquake caused extensive damage to Osaka, causing Hideyoshi to abandon the campaign against Ieyasu. Hideyoshi sent his younger sister Asahi no kata and mother Ōmandokoro to Tokugawa Ieyasu as hostages. In response, Ieyasu finally traveled to Osaka and expressed his intention to submit to Hideyoshi. Toyotomi clan and Imperial Court appointment Like Oda 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. These included Chancellor (Daijō-daijin), and in 1585, the prestigious position of Imperial Regent (kampaku). Also in 1585, Hideyoshi was formally given the new clan name Toyotomi (instead of Fujiwara) by the Imperial Court. == Unification of Japan (1585–1592) ==

, to Hideyoshi dated April 1588, concerning the suppression of Christians, a National Treasure of Japan Also in 1585, Hideyoshi launched the siege of Negoro-ji and subjugated Kii Province. The Negoro-gumi, the warrior monks of Negoro-ji, were allied with the Ikkō-ikki and with Tokugawa Ieyasu, whom they supported in the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute the previous year. After attacking a number of other outposts in the area, Hideyoshi's forces attacked Negoro-ji from two sides. Many of the Negoro-gumi had already fled to Ōta Castle by this time, which Hideyoshi later besieged. 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. In the 1585 Invasion of Shikoku, Toyotomi forces seized Shikoku island, the smallest of Japan's four main islands, from Chōsokabe Motochika. Toyotomi's forces arrived 113,000 strong under Toyotomi Hidenaga, Toyotomi Hidetsugu, Ukita Hideie and the Mōri clan's "Two Rivers", Kobayakawa Takakage and Kikkawa Motoharu. Opposing them were 40,000 men of Chōsokabe's. Despite the overwhelming size of Hideyoshi's army, and the suggestions of his advisors, Motochika chose to fight to defend his territories. During the late summer of August 1585, Hideyoshi launched an attack on Etchū Province and Hida Province where he besieged Toyama Castle. 1586-1588 activities In 1586 Hideyoshi conquered Kyūshū, wresting control from the Shimazu clan. Toyotomi Hidenaga, Hideyoshi's half-brother, landed in the south of Bungo Province on Kyūshū's eastern coast. Meanwhile, Hideyoshi took his own forces down a more western route, in Chikuzen Province. Later that year, with a total of 200,000 soldiers against the 30,000 men of the Shimazu forces, the two brothers met in Satsuma Province. They besieged Kagoshima castle, the Shimazu clan's home. The Shimazu surrendered. In 1588, Hideyoshi forbade ordinary peasants from owning weapons and launched a sword hunt to confiscate all such weapons. The weapons were melted down into building material for the Hall of the Great Buddha at the Hōkō temple in Kyoto. which was built by Hideyoshi. This measure effectively stopped peasant revolts, and ensured greater stability at the expense of freedom of the individual daimyō. Odawara Campaign In 1590, Hideyoshi carried out the Odawara Campaign against the Later Hōjō clan in the Kantō region, in what historian Stephen Turnbull refers to as "the most unconventional siege lines in samurai history". The samurai were entertained by everything from concubines, prostitutes, and musicians to acrobats, fire-eaters, and jugglers. The defenders slept on the ramparts with their teppō and armor; despite their smaller numbers, they discouraged Hideyoshi from attacking. Hideyoshi had Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle secretly constructed in a nearby forest. During the siege, Hideyoshi offered Ieyasu the eight Hōjō-ruled provinces in the Kantō region, in exchange for the submission of Ieyasu's five provinces, which Ieyasu accepted. In late September of the same year, an uprising broke out in the Yokote Basin, Senboku district (Senboku District, Akita in post-Meiji era), in opposition to the Taiko land survey conducted by the Toyotomi government. Although the Senboku rebellion was suppressed later, the result was a disaster for the Onodera clan. Following Rikyū's death, Hideyoshi turned his attention from tea ceremony to Noh, which he had been studying since becoming Imperial Regent. During his brief stay in Nagoya Castle in what is today Saga Prefecture, on Kyūshū, Hideyoshi memorised the shite (lead role) parts of ten Noh plays, which he then performed, forcing various daimyō to accompany him onstage as the waki (secondary, accompanying role). He even performed before the emperor. The Kunohe rebellion, an insurrection that occurred in Mutsu Province from March 13 to September 4, 1591, began when Kunohe Masazane, a claimant to daimyo of the Nanbu clan, launched a rebellion against his rival Nanbu Nobunao which spread across Mutsu Province. Nobunao was backed by Hideyoshi, who along with sent a large army into the Tōhoku region in mid-1591 which quickly defeated the rebels. Hideyoshi's army arrived at Kunohe Castle in early September. Masazane, outnumbered, surrendered Kunohe Castle and was executed with the castle defenders. The Kunohe rebellion was the final battle in Hideyoshi's campaigns during the Sengoku period and completed the unification of Japan. == Taikō (1592–1598) ==

. The Great Buddha of Kyoto was built by Hideyoshi to show off his power. attended the flower viewing. The future stability of the Toyotomi dynasty after Hideyoshi's eventual death was put in doubt when his only son, three-year-old Tsurumatsu, died in September 1591, which followed his half-brother Hidenaga's death from illness earlier that year in February. Hideyoshi subsequently named his nephew Hidetsugu his heir, adopting him in January 1592. Hideyoshi resigned as kampaku to take the title of taikō (retired regent), and Hidetsugu succeeded him as kampaku. In 1592, Hideyoshi began an invasion of Korea with the intent of conquering Korea and eventually Ming China. In 1593, he attempted but failed at compelling Taiwan into a tributary relationship. Hideyoshi's explicit war goal was for Japan to replace China at the top of the international order. In the aftermath, Hideyoshi solidified his authority by securing loyalty oaths, signed in blood, from magistrates and daimyos including influential damiyo like Tokugawa Ieyasu, Maeda Toshiie, Ukita Hideie, Mori Terumoto, and Kobayakawa Takakage. Second campaign against Korea After several years of negotiations, which were broken off after envoys from both sides falsely reported that the opposition had surrendered, Hideyoshi appointed Kobayakawa Hideaki to lead a renewed invasion of Korea. This invasion met with less success than the first; Japanese troops remained pinned down in Gyeongsang Province, and although the Japanese forces turned back several Chinese offensives in Suncheon and Sacheon in June 1598, they were unable to make further progress as the Ming army prepared for a final assault. While Hideyoshi's battle at Sacheon, led by Shimazu Yoshihiro, was a major Japanese victory, all three parties to the war were exhausted. He told his commander in Korea, "Don't let my soldiers become spirits in a foreign land.". == Death ==

, Kyoto Toyotomi Hideyoshi died at Fushimi Castle on September 18, 1598 (Keichō 3, 18th day of the 8th month). His last words, delivered to his closest daimyō and generals, were "I depend upon you for everything. I have no other thoughts to leave behind. It is sad to part from you." His death was kept secret by the Council of Five Elders to preserve morale, and they ordered Japanese forces in Korea to return to Japan. According to the Tokugawa Jikki record, Hideyoshi held a secret meeting with Koide Hidemasa and Katagiri Katsumoto where he shared his regret of launching invasions of Korea. Hideyoshi also instructed Hidemasa and Katsumoto to guide Hideyori into making an alliance with Ieyasu, as he predicted the power of the Tokugawa clan would grow unchecked after his death, and the only solution for the Toyotomi clan to survive was to not oppose Ieyasu. After Hideyoshi's death, the other members of the Council of Five Elders were unable to keep Ieyasu's ambitions 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. He held the generals in contempt, and they sided with Ieyasu. Hideyori lost the power his father once held, and Ieyasu's power was consolidated when his Eastern Army defeated the Mitsunari's Western Army at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Ieyasu, who was appointed as a shogun in 1603 and established the Tokugawa shogunate, attacked Osaka Castle twice in 1614 and 1615 (the Siege of Osaka), forcing Hideyoshi's concubine Yodo-dono and Hideyori to commit suicide, destroying the Toyotomi clan. It is now believed that Hideyoshi's loss of all his adult heirs, leaving only the five-year-old Hideyori as his successor, was the primary reason for the weakening of the Toyotomi regime and its eventual downfall. == Family ==

• Father: Kinoshita Yaemon (d. 1543) • Adopted father: Konoe Sakihisa (1536–1612) • Mother: Ōmandokoro (1513–1592) • Siblings: • Toyotomi Hidenaga (1540–1591) • Tomo (1534–1625), married Soeda Jinbae • Asahi no kata (1543–1590), married first Soeda Oshinari then Tokugawa Ieyasu Wives and concubines • Wife Nene (between 1541 and 1549–1624), or One, later Kōdai-in • Minami-dono, daughter of Yamana Toyokuni • Yodo-dono (1569–1615), or Chacha, later Daikōin, daughter of Azai Nagamasa • Minami no Tsubone, daughter of Yamana Toyokuni • Kyōgoku Tatsuko, daughter of Kyōgoku Takayoshi • Kaga-dono or Maahime, daughter of Maeda Toshiie • Kaihime, daughter of Narita Ujinaga • Sonnomaru-dono, adopted daughter of Gamō Ujisato, daughter of Oda Nobunaga • Kusu no Tsubone, later Hokoin, daughter of Azai Nagamasa • Sanjo-dono or Tora, daughter of Gamō Katahide • Himeji-dono, daughter of Oda Nobukane • Hirozawa no Tsubone, daughter of Kunimitsu Kyosho • Ōshima or Shimako, later Gekkein, daughter of Ashikaga Yorizumi • Anrunkin or Otane no Kata • Ofuku, later Enyu-in, daughter of Miura Noto no Kami and mother of Ukita Hideie Children (Ishimatsumaru) • Hashiba Hidekatsu (Ishimatsumaru) (1570–1576) by Minami-dono • daughter (name unknown) by Minami-dono • Toyotomi Tsurumatsu (1589–1591) by Yodo-dono • Toyotomi Hideyori (1593–1615) by Yodo-dono Adopted sons • Hashiba Hidekatsu (Tsugaru) (1567–1586), fourth son of Oda Nobunaga • Oda Nobutaka, later Toyotomi Takahiro (1576–1602), seventh son of Oda Nobunaga • Oda Nobuyoshi, later Toyotomi Musashi (1573–1615), eighth son of Oda Nobunaga • Oda Nobuyoshi (d. 1609), tenth son of Oda Nobunaga • Ukita Hideie (1572–1655), son of Ukita Naoie • Toyotomi Hidetsugu (1568–1595), first son of Hideyoshi's sister Tomo with Miyoshi Kazumichi • Toyotomi Hidekatsu (1569–1592), second son of Hideyoshi's sister Tomo with Miyoshi Kazumichi • Toyotomi Hideyasu (1579–1595), third son of Hideyoshi's sister Tomo with Miyoshi Kazumichi • Yūki Hideyasu (1574–1607), Tokugawa Ieyasu's second son • Ikeda Nagayoshi, third son of Ikeda Nobuteru • Kobayakawa Hideaki (1577–1602), Hideyoshi's nephew from his wife Nenes family • Prince Hachijō Toshihito (1579–1629), sixth son of Prince Masahito Adopted daughters • Gohime (1574–1634), daughter of Maeda Toshiie, married to Ukita Hideie • O-hime (1585–1591), daughter of Oda Nobukatsu, married to Tokugawa Hidetada • Oeyo (1573–1626), daughter of Azai Nagamasa, married to Saji Kazunari, Toyotomi Hidekatsu, Tokugawa Hidetada • Konoe Sakiko (1575–1630), daughter of Konoe Sakihisa, married to Emperor Go-Yōzei • Chikurin-in (1579/80–1649), daughter of Ōtani Yoshitsugu. She was also known as Akihime and Riyohime. She was married to Sanada Yukimura. They had two sons, Sanada Daisuke and Sanada Daihachi, and some daughters • Toyotomi Sadako (1592–1658), daughter of Toyotomi Hidekatsu with Oeyo, later became the adopted daughter of Tokugawa Hidetada and married to Kujō Yukiie • Daizen-in, daughter of Toyotomi Hidenaga, married to Mōri Hidemoto • Kikuhime, daughter of Toyotomi Hidenaga, married to Toyotomi Hideyasu • Maeda Kikuhime (1578–1584), daughter of Maeda Toshiie Grandchildren • Toyotomi Kunimatsu (1608–1615) • (1609–1645) ==Character and policy analysis ==

Described as a "hitotarashi" (a person with natural charisma or a master charmer), Hideyoshi was skilled at winning people over and mastering human psychology. This resulted in favorable views from both his superiors and his subordinates, and for some opposing warlords to open up to him and agree to surrender after meeting him in person. According to Japanese historian Watanabe Daimon, Hideyoshi had a deep inferiority complex which influenced his behavior after he became regent, as he often toyed with or pranked his vassals. This behavior may have stemmed from his humble origin and experiences during Nobunaga's lifetime, such as not being permitted to ride alongside other generals who hailed from samurai class and being required to dismount before bowing. Religious policy In 1587, while trying to establish control in some parts of Kyushu, Hideyoshi encountered Buddhist temples that had been sacked by Catholic forces attempting to forcibly convert the island. In response, he issued the Bateren Edict on June 19, 1587, which ordered the expulsion of Christian missionaries from Japan. Promulgated during Hideyoshi's campaign to unify Kyushu, the edict was a response to several perceived threats posed by Christianity, == Legacy ==

has been created on the site of Hideyoshi's great donjon. The iconic castle has become a symbol of Osaka's re-emergence as a great city after its devastation in World War II. By 18 August 1915 Hideyoshi was given posthumous rank of Senior First Rank. Toyotomi Hideyoshi changed Japanese society in many ways. These include the imposition of a rigid class structure, restrictions 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 centralised 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. 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. In 1590, Hideyoshi completed construction of the Osaka Castle, the largest and most formidable in all Japan, to guard the western approaches to Kyoto. In that same year, Hideyoshi banned "unfree labour" or slavery in Japan, but forms of contract and indentured labour persisted alongside the period penal codes' forced labour. Hideyoshi also influenced the material culture of Japan. He lavished time and money on the Japanese tea ceremony, collecting implements, sponsoring lavish social events, and patronizing acclaimed masters. As interest in the tea ceremony rose among the ruling class, so too did the demand for fine ceramic implements, and during the course of the Korean campaigns, not only were large quantities of prized ceramic ware confiscated but many Korean artisans were forcibly relocated to Japan. Inspired by the dazzling Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, he had the Golden Tea Room constructed, which was covered with gold leaf and lined inside with red gossamer. Using this mobile innovation, he was able to practice the tea ceremony wherever he went, displaying his power and status at all times. Politically, he set up a governmental system that balanced out the most powerful Japanese warlords (or daimyō). A council was created to include the most influential lords. At the same time, a regent was designated to be in command. Just before his death, Hideyoshi hoped to set up a system stable enough to survive until his son grew old enough to become the next leader. Ieyasu left in place the majority of Hideyoshi's decrees and built his shogunate upon them. This ensured that Hideyoshi's cultural legacy remained. In a letter to his wife, Hideyoshi wrote: == Names ==

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). == In popular culture ==

Films In the 1949 Mexican hagiographic film Philip of Jesus, Luis Aceves Castañeda plays a character corresponding to Hideyoshi but named "Emperor Iroyoshi Taikosama". In the 2009 Japanese historical fantasy film Goemon, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (played by Eiji Okuda) features as the principal antagonist to the film's protagonist, Ishikawa Goemon. This is based on the tradition that Goemon was executed for his failed attempt to assassinate Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1594, but the film otherwise bears little resemblance to either historical events or the received tradition. In the film, Goemon murders Hideyoshi's stand-in, avoids his execution by boiling (being replaced by an associate), succeeds in murdering Hideyoshi on a later occasion, and survives to intervene in the Battle of Sekigahara. Goemon is portrayed as the faithful retainer and avenger of Oda Nobunaga, unhistorically depicted as the victim of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. All of this is counter to historical facts; tradition credits Goemon with serving Nobunaga's enemies the Miyoshi clan and his murderer, Akechi Mitsuhide, as well as with failed murder attempts on both Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi is portrayed by actor/director Takeshi Kitano in his 2023 film Kubi. Anime In the anime series Great Pretender (2020), Hideyoshi is referenced many times by Laurent Thierry, one of the central protagonists of the series. Documentary In the Netflix documentary series Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan (2021), Hideyoshi is portrayed by Masami Kosaka. The show depicts his life and rise to power. Television Actor Naoto Takenaka portrays Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 1996 NHK drama Hideyoshi, which shows his life from his time under Oda Nobunaga to his rise as a leader himself who helped to unify Japan. It earned an average TV rating of 30.5% running from January 7 – December 22, 1996. He would reprise this role again in Nioh 2. Additionally, actor Yukijirō Hotaru plays The Taikō (Nakamura Hidetoshi), a character based on Toyotomi Hideyoshi, in the 2024 miniseries Shōgun. Video Games Toyotomi Hideyoshi is an NPC and playable character in Koei Tecmo's Samurai Warriors series and ''Nobunaga's Ambition'' series. Both of these games follow historical events of the late Sengoku Period. == See also ==

Footnotes References Bibliography • • Berry, Mary Elizabeth. (1982). Hideyoshi. Cambridge: Harvard UP, ; • Haboush, JaHyun Kim. (2016) The Great East Asian War and the Birth of the Korean Nation (2016) excerpt • • Jansen, Marius B. (2000). The Making of Modern Japan. Cambridge: Harvard UP. ; • Joly, H. L., Legend in Japanese Art, London, 1908. • Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; • Thornton, S. A., The Japanese Period Film: A Critical Analysis, Jefferson, NC, 2008. == External links ==