Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the 16th century unifier of Japan

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1539–September 18, 1598) was the leader of Japan who reunified the country after 120 years of political fragmentation. During his rule, known as the Momoyama or Peach Mountain era, the country coalesced as a more or less peaceful federation of 200 independent daimyo (great lords), with him as imperial regent.

Early life

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was born in 1536, in Nakamura, Owari Province, Japan . He was the second son of Yaemon, a peasant and part-time soldier of the Oda clan, who died in 1543 when he was 7 years old and his sister about 10. Hideyoshi’s mother soon remarried. Her new husband also served Oda Nobuhide, the daimyo from the Owari region, and she had another son and a daughter.

Hideyoshi was small for his age and skinny. His parents sent him to a temple for education, but the boy ran away in search of adventure. In 1551, he joined the service of Matsushita Yukitsuna, a servant of the powerful Imagawa family in Totomi province. This was unusual because both Hideyoshi’s father and stepfather had served the Oda clan.

join ode

Hideyoshi returned home in 1558 and offered his services to Oda Nobunaga, son of the daimyo. At that time, the Imagawa clan’s army of 40,000 soldiers was invading Owari, Hideyoshi’s home province. Hideyoshi took a big risk: Oda’s army only numbered about 2,000 assets. In 1560, the armies of Imagawa and Oda clashed at the Battle of Okehazama. Oda Nobunaga’s tiny force ambushed Imagawa’s troops in a heavy storm and won an incredible victory, driving off the invaders.

Legend has it that the 24-year-old Hideyoshi served in this battle as Nobunaga’s sandal bearer. However, Hideyoshi does not appear in Nobunaga’s surviving writings until the early 1570s.

Promotion

Six years later, Hideyoshi led a raid that captured Inabayama Castle for the Oda clan. Oda Nobunaga rewarded him by making him a general.

In 1570, Nobunaga attacked the castle of his brother-in-law, Odani. Hideyoshi led the first three detachments of a thousand samurai each against the fully fortified castle. Nobunaga’s army used the devastating new technology of firearms, instead of mounted swordsmen. However, muskets are of little use against castle walls, so Hideyoshi’s section of Oda’s army prepared for a siege.

By 1573, Nobunaga’s troops had defeated all of their enemies in the area. For his part, Hideyoshi was given control of three regions within Omi Province. By 1580, Oda Nobunaga had consolidated power in more than 31 of Japan’s 66 provinces.

Seizure

In 1582, Nobunaga’s general Akechi Mitsuhide turned his army against his lord, attacking and invading Nobunaga’s castle. Nobunaga’s diplomatic machinations had led to the hostage murder of Mitsuhide’s mother. Mitsuhide forced Oda Nobunaga and his eldest son to commit seppuku .

Hideyoshi captured one of Mitsuhide’s messengers and learned of Nobunaga’s death the next day. He and other Oda generals, including Tokugawa Ieyasu, rushed to avenge their lord’s death. Hideyoshi caught up with Mitsuhide first, defeating and killing him at the Battle of Yamazaki just 13 days after Nobunaga’s death.

A succession struggle broke out in the Oda clan. Hideyoshi supported Nobunaga’s grandson, Oda Hidenobu. Tokugawa Ieyasu preferred the remaining eldest son, Oda Nobukatsu.

Hideyoshi prevailed, installing Hidenobu as the new Oda daimyo. Throughout 1584, Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu engaged in intermittent skirmishes, none decisive. At the Battle of Nagakute, Hideyoshi’s troops were crushed, but Ieyasu lost three of his top generals. After eight months of this costly struggle, Ieyasu sued for peace.

Hideyoshi now controlled 37 provinces. In conciliation, Hideyoshi distributed land to his defeated enemies in the Tokugawa and Shibata clans. He also granted land to Samboshi and Nobutaka. This was a clear sign that he was seizing power in his own name.

Hideyoshi reunites Japan

In 1583, Hideyoshi began the construction of the osaka castle , a symbol of his power and his intention to rule all of Japan. Like Nobunaga, he refused the title of shogun . Some courtiers doubted that a farmer’s son could legally claim that title. Hideyoshi sidestepped the potentially embarrassing debate by taking the title of kampaku , or “regent”, instead. Hideyoshi then ordered the restoration of the Imperial Palace, which lay in ruins, and offered gifts of money to the cash-strapped imperial family.

Hideyoshi also decided to put the island of Kyushu under his authority. This island housed the main commercial ports through which the merchandise of China , Korea, Portugal and other nations, came to Japan. Many of the Kyushu daimyo had converted to Christianity under the influence of Portuguese merchants and Jesuit missionaries. Some had been forcibly converted, and Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines were destroyed.

In November 1586, Hideyoshi sent a large invasion force to Kyushu, totaling some 250,000 soldiers. Several local daimyo also joined their side, so it didn’t take long for the massive army to crush all resistance. As usual, Hideyoshi confiscated all of the land, then returned smaller portions to his defeated enemies and rewarded his allies with much larger fiefs. He also ordered the expulsion of all Christian missionaries in Kyushu.

The final reunification campaign took place in 1590. Hideyoshi sent another large army, probably over 200,000 strong, to conquer the powerful Hojo clan, who ruled the area around Edo (now Tokyo). Ieyasu and Oda Nobukatsu led the army, along with a naval force to suppress Hojo resistance from the sea. The defiant daimyo Hojo Ujimasa withdrew to Odawara Castle and settled in to wait for Hideyoshi.

After six months, Hideyoshi sent Ujimasa’s brother to ask for the surrender of the Hojo daimyo. He refused, and Hideyoshi launched a three-day all-out attack on the castle. Ujimasa finally sent his son to hand over the castle. Hideyoshi ordered Ujimasa to commit seppuku. He confiscated the domains and exiled Ujimasa’s son and brother. The great Hojo clan was wiped out.

Hideyoshi’s reign

In 1588, Hideyoshi prohibited all Japanese citizens, including samurai, from owning weapons. Is ” sword hunting ” angered farmers and warrior monks, who had traditionally kept weapons and participated in wars and rebellions. Hideyoshi wanted to clarify the boundaries between the different social class in japan and prevent uprisings by monks and peasants.

Three years later, Hideyoshi issued another order prohibiting hiring to ronin , the wandering samurai without masters. Towns were also prohibited from allowing farmers to become merchants or artisans. The Japanese social order was to be set in stone. This law helped usher in an era of peace and stability that lasted for centuries.

To keep the daimyo at bay, Hideyoshi ordered them to send their wives and children to the capital city as hostages. The daimyo themselves would spend alternate years in their fiefs and in the capital. This system, called sankin kotai either ” alternate assistance “, was codified in 1635 and continued until 1862.

Finally, Hideyoshi also ordered a nationwide population census and survey of all lands. He measured not only the exact sizes of the different domains, but also the relative fertility and expected yield of the crop. All this information was key to establishing the taxes.

succession issues

Hideyoshi’s only children were two boys, by his main concubine Chacha (also known as Yodo-dono or Yodo-gimi), the daughter of Oda Nobunaga’s sister. In 1591, Hideyoshi’s only son, a young boy named Tsurumatsu, died suddenly, soon followed by Hideyoshi’s half-brother Hidenaga. The kampaku adopted Hidenaga’s son Hidetsugu as their heir. In 1592, Hideyoshi became taiko or retired regent, while Hidetsugu took the title of kampaku. However, this “retirement” was in name only: Hideyoshi maintained his grip on power.

However, the following year, Hideyoshi’s concubine, Chacha, gave birth to a new son. This baby, Hideyori, posed a serious threat to Hidetsugu. Hideyoshi had a substantial force of bodyguards posted to protect the boy from any attack by his uncle.

Hidetsugu developed a bad reputation throughout the country as a cruel and bloodthirsty man. Hideyoshi could not tolerate this dangerous and unstable man, who posed an obvious threat to baby Hideyori.

In 1595, he accused Hidetsugu of plotting to overthrow him and ordered him to commit seppuku. Hidetsugu’s head was displayed on the city walls after his death. Shockingly, Hideyoshi also ordered Hidetsugu’s wives, concubines, and children to be brutally executed, except for a one-month-old daughter.

This excessive cruelty was not an isolated incident in Hideyoshi’s later years. He also ordered his friend and tutor, the master of the Rikyu tea ceremony, to commit seppuku at the age of 69 in 1591.

invasions of korea

In the late 1580s and early 1590s, Hideyoshi sent several emissaries to King Seonjo of Korea, demanding safe passage through the country for the Japanese army. Hideyoshi informed the king from Joseon who intended to conquer Ming China and india . The Korean ruler did not respond to these messages.

In February 1592, 140,000 Japanese army soldiers arrived in an armada of some 2,000 ships and ships. It attacked Busan, in the southeast of Korea. Within weeks, the Japanese advanced on the capital city of Seoul. King Seonjo and his court fled north, leaving the capital to be burned and looted. By July, the Japanese also controlled Pyeongyang. The troops of samurai battle-hardened they cut through the Korean defenders like a sword through butter, much to the concern of China.

The ground war went Hideyoshi’s way, but the Korean naval force made life difficult for the Japanese. The Korean fleet had better weaponry and more experienced sailors. It also had a secret weapon: the iron-clad “turtle ships”, which were nearly invulnerable to Japan’s low-powered naval guns. Deprived of its food and ammunition supplies, the Japanese army became bogged down in the mountains of northern Korea.

the korean admiral Yi Sun Shin he won a devastating victory over Hideyoshi’s navy at the Battle of Hansan-do on August 13, 1592. Hideyoshi ordered his remaining ships to cease fighting the Korean navy. In January 1593, the Wanli Emperor of China sent 45,000 troops to reinforce the beleaguered Koreans. Together, the Koreans and the Chinese drove Hideyoshi’s army out of Pyeongyang. The Japanese were pinned down and with their navy unable to deliver supplies, they began to starve. In mid-May 1593, Hideyoshi relented and ordered his troops to return to Japan. However, he did not give up on his dream of a continental empire.

In August 1597, Hideyoshi sent a second invasion force against Korea. This time, however, the Koreans and their Chinese allies were better prepared. They stopped the Japanese army before reaching Seoul and forced it back towards Busan in a slow and exhausting journey. Meanwhile, Admiral Yi set out to once again crush Japan’s rebuilt naval forces.

Death

Hideyoshi’s grand imperial plan came to an end on September 18, 1598, when the taiko died. On his deathbed, Hideyoshi regretted sending his army into this Korean quagmire. He said: “Don’t let my soldiers become spirits in a foreign land.”

However, Hideyoshi’s greatest concern as he lay dying was the fate of his heir. Hideyori was only 5 years old and unable to assume his father’s powers, so Hideyoshi established the Council of Five Elders to rule as his regents until he came of age. This council included Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hideyoshi’s old rival. The old taiko extracted votes of loyalty to his young son from several other high-ranking daimyo and sent valuable gifts of gold, silken robes, and swords to all major political players. He also made personal appeals to the members of the Council to protect and faithfully serve Hideyori.

Hideyoshi’s Legacy

The Council of Five Elders kept the death of the taiko a secret for several months while they withdrew the Japanese army from Korea. However, with that matter complete, the council split into two opposing camps. On one side was Tokugawa Ieyasu. In the other were the four remaining elders. Ieyasu wanted to seize power for himself. The others supported little Hideyori.

In 1600, the two forces came to blows at the Battle of Sekigahara. Ieyasu prevailed and pleaded shogun . Hideyori was confined to Osaka Castle. In 1614, the 21-year-old Hideyori began gathering soldiers, preparing to challenge Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu launched the siege of Osaka in November, forcing it to disarm and sign a peace pact. The following spring, Hideyori again tried to raise troops. The Tokugawa army launched an all-out attack on Osaka Castle, reducing sections to rubble with their cannon and setting the castle on fire.

Hideyori and his mother committed seppuku. His 8-year-old son was captured by Tokugawa forces and beheaded. That was the end of the Toyotomi clan. The Tokugawa shoguns would rule Japan until the Meiji Restoration of 1868.

Although his lineage did not survive, Hideyoshi’s influence on Japanese culture and politics was enormous. It solidified the class structure, unified the nation under central control, and popularized cultural practices such as the tea ceremony. Hideyoshi finished the unification started by his lord, Oda Nobunaga, laying the foundation for the peace and stability of the Tokugawa Era.