Toyotomi Hideyoshi
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Hideyoshi in old age |
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (
Shinjitai (modern Japanese) writing: 豊臣秀吉;
Kyūjitai (historical) writing: 豐臣秀吉; born
Hiyoshi-maru 日吉丸; coming of age (gempuku) as
Kinoshita Tōkichirō 木下藤吉郎 and later made
Hashiba and martial nobility in the style of
Hashiba Chikuzen no Kami Hideyoshi 羽柴筑前守秀吉;
1536 -
September 18,
1598), was a
Sengoku daimyo who unified
Japan. He succeeded his former liege,
Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. He was also known for his unsuccessful invasion of
Korea in
Hideyoshi's Invasions. He is noted for a number of cultural legacies, including the restriction that only members of the
samurai class could
bear arms.
The period of his rule is often called the
Momoyama period, after Toyotomi's castle. It lasted from
1582 to his death in 1598, or (according to some scholars) until
Tokugawa Ieyasu seized power after the
Battle of Sekigahara in
1600.
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100 Aspects of the Moon #7, by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi: "Inaba Mountain Moon" The young Toyotomi Hideyoshi leads a small group assaulting the castle on Inaba Mountain; 1885, 12th month |
Toyotomi Hideyoshi was born in what is now
Nakamura-ku, Nagoya in
Owari province, the home of the
Oda clan. He was born with no traceable samurai lineage and hence without a surname: his childhood given name was
Hiyoshimaru, although variations exist. According to
Maeda Toshiie and a European missionary named
Luis Frois, he was
polydactyl"he had two thumbs on his right hand, and he didn't amputate his extra thumb as other Japanese in his period would have done. As a youth, he first joined the
Imagawa clan as a servant of local ruler Matsushita, under the name Kinoshita Tokichiro.
Later, he joined the Oda clan as a lowly servant. He was noticed for his resourcefulness and rose to a high position within a relatively short time. Despite his peasant origins, he quickly became one of
Oda Nobunaga's most distinguished generals, eventually taking the name Hashiba (the name was made up of two characters, each taken from Oda's two other right-hand men,
Niwa Nagahide and
Shibata Katsuie) Hideyoshi.
Some of his well-known exploits under Oda Nobunaga, many of them exaggerated and romanticized, include the legendary overnight construction of
Sunomata Castle, his encounters with
Takenaka Shigeharu, and later the siege of
Takamatsu Castle.
After the assassinations of Oda Nobunaga and his eldest son,
Oda Nobutada at the hands of
Akechi Mitsuhide in
1582, Hashiba defeated Akechi at the
Battle of Yamazaki and established his
de facto succession to Oda's military rule.
At the
Kiyosu Meeting to decide on a
de jure successor, Hashiba cast aside the apparent candidate,
Oda Nobutaka and his advocate, Oda clan's chief general, Shibata Katsuie, by supporting Nobutada's young son,
Oda Hidenobu. Having won the support of the other two Oda elders, Niwa Nagahide and
Ikeda Itsuoki, Hashiba established Hidenobu's position, as well as his own influence in the Oda clan. Tension quickly escalated between Shibata and Hashiba, and at the
Battle of Shizugatake in the following year, Hashiba destroyed Shibata's forces and thus consolidated his own power, absorbing most of the Oda clan into his control.
However, Nobunaga's other son,
Oda Nobukatsu remained hostile to Hashiba. He allied himself with
Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the two sides fought at the inconclusive
Battle of Komaki-Nagakute. It ultimately resulted in a stalemate, although the Hashiba forces were delivered a heavy blow. Finally, Hashiba made peace with Nobukatsu, ending the pretext for war between the Tokugawa and Hashiba clans. Tokugawa eventually subjected himself to become a vassal to Hashiba.
Hideyoshi wanted the title of
shogun in order to be truly considered the active ruler of Japan. However, the
emperor was unable to grant such a title to someone of Hideyoshi's lowly origins. He requested the last
Muromachi shogun,
Ashikaga Yoshiaki, to accept him as an adopted son, but was refused. Unable to become
shogun, in
1585 he took the position of regent (
kampaku), as the
Fujiwara Regents had done, and it was around this time that he married
Lady Yodo, the mother of his future son. In
1586, Hashiba was formally given the name Toyotomi by the imperial court. He built a lavish palace, the
Jurakudai, in 1587 and entertained the reigning
Emperor Go-Yozei the following year.
Afterwards, Toyotomi subjugated
Kii Province and conquered
Shikoku under the
Chosokabe clan. He also took control of
Etchu and conquered
Kyushu. In
1587, Toyotomi banished
Christian missionaries from Kyushu to exert greater control over the
Kirishitan daimyo. In
1588, Toyotomi started a sword hunt and forbade ordinary peasants from owning weapons. This measure effectively stopped peasant revolts and ensured greater stability at the expense of individual freedom. The
1590 Siege of Odawara against the
Late Hojo clan in
Kanto, the last resisting force to Toyotomi's authority, signified the end of the
Sengoku period.
A year later, Toyotomi resigned as
kampaku to take the title of
taiko (retired regent). His adopted son,
Hidetsugu (actually his nephew) succeeded him as
kampaku.
His health faltering, but still yearning for some accomplishment to solidify his legacy, he devised two ill-fated campaigns through the Korean peninsula toward China. Hideyoshi's forces occupied much of the Korean peninsula. However, Hideyoshi's forces were not able to invade China. Near his deathbed, Toyotomi ordered the forces withdrawn--his clan's coffers decreased and vassals of Hideyoshi at odds over responsibility for the failure.
In
1598, Toyotomi Hideyoshi died. Rather than strengthen his position, the military expeditions served to weaken the clans that were loyal to the Toyotomi name. Following Toyotomi's death, the other members of the Council of Five Regents were unable to keep the ambitions of
Tokugawa Ieyasu in check. Toyotomi's underaged son and designated successor
Hideyori lost the claim to the power his father once held, and Tokugawa Ieyasu was declared shogun following the
Battle of Sekigahara.
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Osaka Castle reconstructed after World War Two |
It is important to note the many ways in which Toyotomi Hideyoshi changed Japanese society. During the
Sengoku period, it became common for peasants to become warriors, or even for samurai to farm due to the constant uncertainty of no centralized government and always tentative peace. Upon taking control, Toyotomi decreed that all peasants be disarmed completely. This solidified the social class system for the next 300 years. Furthermore, he ordered all of Japan to be surveyed, including a census. Once this was done and all citizens were registered, he required all Japanese to stay in their respective provinces (or '
han') without official permission to go elsewhere. These steps were taken to ensure a modicum of peace in a period of time where bandits still roamed the countryside and peace was still new. But also by surveying the countryside, Japanese land and resources could be utilized properly. In
1588, Toyotomi effectively abolished
slavery by stopping sales of slaves. Contract and indentured labor replaced slavery.
In
1590 Toyotomi completed construction of the huge
Osaka Castle, the largest and most formidable in all Japan, to guard the western approaches to
Kyoto. His contributions were not all military, however. Inspired by the dazzling
Kinkaku (
golden pavilion) temple in northwestern Kyoto, he constructed a fabulous portable tea room, known as
kigame no zashiki ("golden chamber"), covered with gold leaf and lined inside with red gossamer. Using this mobile innovation, he was able to practice the
Japanese tea ceremony wherever he went, powerfully projecting his unrivaled power and status upon his arrival.
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Toyokuni Shrine (Kyoto), dedicated to Hideyoshi |
Politically, he set up a governmental system that balanced out the most powerful Japanese warlords (or
daimyo). A council was created to include the most influential lords. At the same time, a regent was designated to be in command. The combined polity functioned in some ways like a president with a parliament.
At the time of his death, Toyotomi had hoped to set up a system stable enough to survive until his son grew old enough to become the next leader. A
council of five regents was formed, consisting of the five most powerful daimyo. Following the death of
Maeda Toshiie, however, Tokugawa Ieyasu began to secure alliances, including political marriages (which had been forbidden by Toyotomi). Things eventually came to a head and the pro-Toyotomi forces fought against Tokugawa and his allies in the battle of Sekigahara. Tokugawa won and received the title of Seii-tai Shogun two years later.
Tokugawa, asserting their wisdom, left in place the majority of Toyotomi's decrees to use as a base upon which his fledgling shogunate was built. This ensured that Toyotomi's cultural legacy remained.
Being the subject of much fiction and speculation, Toyotomi's life is also frequently used as a source of inspiration in fictional works, films, and
video games.
Toyotomi's stereotypical, monkey-like appearance, for example, is used in
Capcom's
Onimusha, and he is portrayed in the popular video game as a sneaky and cunning character.
In January 2006,
Capcom's released one of its popular console franchise ever: The Fourth
Onimusha Saga:
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams , Hideyoshi was depicted as the new leader that alligned himself with the evil Genma (Demon) Clan , followed by the death of his predecessor-
Oda Nobunaga (portrayed here as the Evil Genma Lord) in the end of previous saga:
Onimusha 3: Demon Siege. Soki, (a.k.a.
Yuki Hideyasu), one of the sons of
Tokugawa Ieyasu & adoptive son of Hideyoshi, whom was chosen as the new generation warrior of the Oni-Clan, declared battle against Hideyoshi, after he uncovered the terrible truth of his adoptive father's identity & his insidious agenda...
In Koei's
Samurai Warriors Xtreme Legends, Hashiba Hideyoshi is a powerful monkey-like character wielding a three-segment staff. The said game also featured his achievement on building Sunomata Castle, where he would dance around and sing :
"Behold the castle that is built in just one day.
What genius could have done this you say ?
It's Hideyoshi, Hideyoshi we praise.
Who built the castle in just one day ! Whee !
It's Hideyoshi, Hideyoshi we praise !
He built the castle in just one day !"
Due to the removal of the Siege of Inabayama stage in the second installment of the game, this event and song is no longer featured.
Toyotomi's life and struggles also inspired the popular video game series by
Koei,
Taikou Risshiden.
In Visco Games' arcade shoot-em-up
Vasara 2, Toyotomi (as Hashiba Hideyoshi) is an enemy boss who guards the stage just before
Oda Nobunaga's. He appears and attacks the heroes in a gigantic chimpanzee-like robot (named, fittingly, the "Golden Monkey") with extremely long arms.
As Messier Undertree, Toyotomi appears in Cantos LVI and LVIII of
Ezra Pound's long poem
The Cantos.
Also, in James Clavell's famous novel
Shogun, though Toyotomi Hideyoshi isn't a character by name, the figure of the Taiko in this historical novel bears a remarkable resemblance to him while going by a different name.
Recently, Toyotomi Hideyoshi has been confirmed as a new character in Sengoku Basara 2.
Seiyuu Ryotaro Okiayu is confirmed as his voice actor. Contrary to his usual short, monkey-ish appearance, Hideyoshi is depicted as a huge man with huge armor and fights with his bare hands, using it to grab his enemies and use them to bash his other opponents or throwing them wildly.
Japanese grammar schools even today impart to children an intriguing story intended to offer an insight into the different characters of these three great historical contemporaries: Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. First a brief background:
Nobunaga wanted to unify the many mini-kingdoms of Japan and become sole ruler. An aggressive and brilliant military tactician and commander, he was a very impetuous man and not surprisingly, rather callous and coarse even toward trusted subordinates. He came very close to attaining his goal of a unified nation, but in the end his recklessness and closely associated lack of any real understanding of the men serving him eventually led to his assassination.Hideyoshi, on the other hand, as well as being a fine military commander, had long held a reputation for being a brilliant manipulator as well - an excellent reader of people: the very skill in which his boss, Nobunaga, was most sorely lacking.Hideyoshi's subtle methods in the long run thus proved far more successful than Nobunaga's brash methods and he succeeded where Nobunaga had failed, unifying the many separate domains into one country and becoming the first military ruler of a unified land. Tokugawa meanwhile, had long coveted the same position, but did not have the power base or support equal to Nobunaga or Hideyoshi, and thus could not compete with either; he had to settle for demonstrating his skill in the art of being patient - but in his case, the "all good things come to him who waits" folk saying could not have been more true: in the end, Tokugawa came to power after Hideyoshi, and his clan proceeded to rule the country for the next 200 years. Under the Tokugawas, the Samurai caste was eventually put out of work since regulations were issued which greatly curbed the use and even carrying of swords (this as a means of reducing potential rebellion - which was not always successful).
The story told in Japanese grammar schools today regards these three famous men, and their individual approach to a problem, as being faced with a songbird (known as a "Hototogisu") which will not sing. When asked what he would do in this situation:
* Nobunaga replies: "Kill it."
* Hideyoshi replies: "Make it want to sing", while
* Tokugawa replies: "Wait."
A very simple, but effective demonstration of each man's most notable character trait.
Due to his low birth and ascendence to the high nobility, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had quite a few names throughout his life. While he is most commonly known as "Toyotomi Hideyoshi" in English, this is actually wrong. Hideyoshi's last adopted
myōji (苗字, patrilineal surname) is Hashiba (羽柴). Toyotomi (豊臣) is, in fact, a newly created
sei (", matrilineal surname) granted by the emperor and used concurrently with his
myōji. As is the rule with
sei, Hideyoshi's name is correctly read as
Toyotomi no Hideyoshi, similar to
Minamoto no Yoshitsune.
The Toyotomi
sei was simultaneously granted to a number of Hideyoshi's chosen allies, whom adopted the new
sei "豊臣朝臣" (Toyotomi no asomi, courtier of Toyotomi).
*
Eiji Yoshikawa:
Taiko (
historical fiction). Kodansha International (Japan), 2001, ISBN 4770026099
*
Mary Elizabeth Berry:
Hideyoshi (
historical work). Harvard Council on East Asian Studies (Boston), 1989, ISBN 0674390261
*
Hideyoshi Toyotomi (in Japanese)
*
SengokuDaimyo.com The website of Samurai Author and Historian
Anthony J. Bryant**Anthony J. Bryant is the author of
Sekigahara 1600: The Final Struggle for Power, Praeger Publishers, September 2005
*
The Toyokuni shrine at Find-A-Grave
