Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉;Japanese pronunciation:[to.jo.to.mʲi(|)çi.de(ꜜ).jo.ɕi],[1][2] 27 March 1537 – 18 September 1598), otherwise known asKinoshita Tōkichirō (木下 藤吉郎) andHashiba Hideyoshi (羽柴 秀吉), was a Japanesesamurai anddaimyō (feudal lord) of the lateSengoku andAzuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" ofJapan.[3][4] Although he came from apeasant background, his immense power earned him the rank and title ofKampaku (関白, Imperial Regent) andDaijō-daijin (太政大臣, Chancellor of the Realm), the highest official position and title in the nobility class. He was the first person in history to become aKampaku who was not born a noble. He then passed the position and title ofKampaku to his nephew,Toyotomi Hidetsugu. He remained in power asTaikō (太閤), the title of retiredKampaku, until his death. It is believed, but not certain, that the reason he refused or could not obtain the title ofshogun (征夷大将軍), the leader of the warrior class, was because he was of peasant origin.[5][6]
Hideyoshi rose from a peasant background as aretainer of the prominent lordOda Nobunaga to become one of the most powerful men in Japanese history. He distinguished himself in many of Nobunaga's campaigns. After Nobunaga's death in theHonnō-ji Incident in 1582, Hideyoshi defeated his assassinAkechi Mitsuhide at theBattle of Yamazaki and became Nobunaga's successor. He then continued the campaign to unite Japan that led to the closing of the Sengoku period. Hideyoshi became thede facto leader of Japan and acquired the prestigious positions ofdaijō-daijin andkampaku by the mid-1580s. He conqueredShikoku in 1585 andKyūshū in 1587, and completed the unification by winning theSiege of Odawara in 1590 and crushing theKunohe rebellion in 1591. With the unification of Japan complete, Hideyoshi launched theJapanese 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 successorToyotomi Hideyori was displaced byTokugawa Ieyasu at theBattle of Sekigahara in 1600 which would lead to the founding of theTokugawa Shogunate.
Hideyoshi's rule covers most of theAzuchi–Momoyama period of Japan, partially named after his castle,Momoyama Castle. Hideyoshi left an influential and lasting legacy in Japan, includingOsaka Castle, theTokugawa class system, the restriction on the possession of weapons to the samurai (thesword hunt), and the construction and restoration of many temples, some of which are still visible inKyoto.
Nakamura Park inNagoya, traditionally regarded as Hideyoshi's birthplace
According to tradition, Hideyoshi was born on February 16, 1537, according to the lunarJapanese calendar (March 17, 1537, according to theJulian calendar; March 27, 1537 (Proleptic Gregorian calendar)) inNakamura,Owari Province (present-dayNakamura Ward,Nagoya), in the middle of the chaoticSengoku period under the collapsedAshikaga Shogunate. Hideyoshi had no traceable samurai lineage, and his father Kinoshita Yaemon was anashigaru – apeasant employed by the samurai as a foot soldier.[7] Hideyoshi had no surname, and his childhood given name wasHiyoshimaru (日吉丸;Japanese pronunciation:[çi.jo.ɕiꜜ.ma.ɾɯ][2]) although variations exist. Yaemon died in 1543 when Hideyoshi was seven years old.[8]
Contemporary writings fromAnkokuji 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.[9]
Many legends describe Hideyoshi being sent to study at atemple as a young man, but he rejected temple life and went in search of adventure.[10] Under the nameKinoshita Tōkichirō (木下 藤吉郎), he first joined theImagawa clan as a servant to a local ruler namedMatsushita Yukitsuna [ja](松下之綱).[citation needed]
In 1558, Hideyoshi became anashigaru for the powerfulOda clan, the rulers of his home province ofOwari, now headed by the ambitiousOda Nobunaga.[10]Hideyoshi soon became Nobunaga'ssandal-bearer, a position of relatively high status.[11] According to his biographers, Hideyoshi also supervised the repair ofKiyosu Castle, a claim described as "apocryphal", and managed the kitchen.[12]
In 1564, Hideyoshi found success as a negotiator. He managed to convince a number ofMino warlords to desert theSaitō clan, mostly with liberal bribes. This included the Saitō clan's strategist,Takenaka Shigeharu.[citation needed]
Nobunaga's easy victory at thesiege of Inabayama Castle in 1567 was largely due to Hideyoshi's efforts,[14] and despite his peasant origins. In 1568, Hideyoshi became one of Nobunaga's most distinguished generals, eventually taking the nameHashiba Hideyoshi (羽柴 秀吉). The new surname included two characters, one each from Oda's right-hand menNiwa Nagahide (丹羽 長秀) andShibata Katsuie (柴田 勝家), and the new given name included characters fromAkechi Mitsuhide (明智 光秀) andMoriYoshinari (森吉成).
In 1570, Hideyoshi protected Nobunaga's retreat fromAzai-Asakura forces atKanegasaki. Later, in June 1570, Nobunaga allied withTokugawa Ieyasu at theBattle of Anegawa to lay siege to two fortresses of the Azai and Asakura clans, and Hideyoshi was assigned to leadOda troops into open battle for the first time.[12][15]
In 1573, after victorious campaigns against the Azai and Asakura, Nobunaga appointed Hideyoshidaimyō of three districts in the northern part ofŌmi Province. Initially, Hideyoshi stayed at the former Azai headquarters atOdani Castle, but moved to Kunitomo town and renamed it "Nagahama" in tribute to Nobunaga. Hideyoshi later moved to the port at Imahama onLake Biwa, where he began work on Imahama Castle and took control of the nearby Kunitomofirearms factory that had been established some years previously by the Azai and Asakura. Under Hideyoshi's administration, the factory's output of firearms increased dramatically.[16] Later, Hideyoshi participated in the 1573siege of Nagashima.[17]
On June 21, 1582, during theSiege of Takamatsu,Oda Nobunaga and his eldest son and heirNobutada were both killed in theHonnō-ji incident. Their assassination ended Nobunaga's quest to consolidate centralised power inJapan under his authority. Hideyoshi, seeking vengeance for the death of his lord, made peace with theMōri clan and thirteen days later metAkechi Mitsuhide and defeated him at theBattle of Yamazaki, avenging Nobunaga and taking his authority and power for himself.[17]: 275–279
Meanwhile, theHōjō clan and the Uesugi clan invaded Kai and Shinano province when they heard of Nobunaga's death, beginning theTenshō-Jingo war.[a][21][22] When the Oda clan learned of the defeat ofTakigawa Kazumasu at theBattle 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.[b] As the war turned in Ieyasu's favor and Sanada Masayuki defected to the Tokugawa side, the Hōjō clan negotiated a truce.[24] Hōjō Ujinobu andIi Naomasa were the Hōjō and Tokugawa representatives for the preliminary meetings.[25][26] Representatives from the Oda clan such asOda Nobukatsu,Oda Nobutaka, and Hideyoshi himself mediated the negotiation until the truce officially took effect in October with both Ieyasu andHōjō Ujinao exchanging family members as hostages as a sign of goodwill.[27]
In 1582, Hideyoshi began construction ofOsaka Castle. Built on the site of the templeIshiyama Hongan-ji, which was destroyed byNobunaga,[28] construction was completed in 1597. The castle would become the last stronghold of theToyotomi clan after Hideyoshi's death.[29]
In late 1582, Hideyoshi was in a very strong position. He summoned the powerfuldaimyō toKiyosu Castle so that they could determineNobunaga's heir.Oda Nobukatsu andOda Nobutaka quarreled, causing Hideyoshi to instead choose Nobunaga's infant grandsonOda Hidenobu.[30]
Shibata Katsuie initially supported Hideyoshi's decision,[30] but later supported Nobunaga's third son Nobutaka, for whom Katsuie had performed thegenpuku ritual. He allied with Nobutaka andTakigawa Kazumasu against Hideyoshi. Tension quickly escalated between Hideyoshi and Katsuie, and at theBattle of Shizugatake in the following year, Hideyoshi destroyed Katsuie's forces.[31] Hideyoshi had thus consolidated his own power, dealt with most of the Oda clan, and now controlled some 30 provinces.[14]: 313–314
In 1584, Nobukatsu allied himself withTokugawa Ieyasu, and the two sides fought at the inconclusiveBattle of Komaki and Nagakute. This ultimately resulted in a stalemate, although Hideyoshi's forces were delivered a heavy blow.[13] Ieyasu and Hideyoshi never fought against each other in person, but the former managed to check the advance of the latter's allies.[32] After Hideyoshi and Ieyasu heard the news ofIkeda Tsuneoki andMori Nagayoshi's deaths, both withdrew their troops.[33]
Edo period portrayal of Sakakibara Yasumasa chasing Toyotomi Hideyoshi at Mount Komaki
Following this, Ieyasu's generalSakakibara Yasumasa circulated a derogatory manifesto condemning Hideyoshi's conduct as betrayal towards the will of Oda Nobunaga and also insulting Hideyoshi's origins.[34] This infuriated Hideyoshi, who offered a reward of 100,000Kan (Japanese gold ingot) to anyone who could bring him Yasumasa's head.[35][c]
Later, Hideyoshi made peace with Nobukatsu and Ieyasu, ending the pretext for war between theTokugawa andHashiba clans. However, Ieyasu continued to refuse to become Hideyoshi's vassal. Hideyoshi had begun to move towards attacking Ieyasu, but the1586 Tenshō earthquake caused extensive damage to Osaka, causing Hideyoshi to abandon the campaign against Ieyasu. Hideyoshi sent his younger sisterAsahi no kata and motherŌmandokoro to Tokugawa Ieyasu as hostages. In response, Ieyasu finally traveled to Osaka and expressed his intention to submit to Hideyoshi.[33]
LikeOda Nobunaga before him, Hideyoshi never achieved the title ofshōgun. Instead, he arranged to have himself adopted byKonoe Sakihisa, one of the noblest men belonging to theFujiwara clan, and secured a succession of high court titles. These includedChancellor (Daijō-daijin), and in 1585, the prestigious position of Imperial Regent (kampaku).[37] Also in 1585, Hideyoshi was formally given the new clan nameToyotomi (instead ofFujiwara) by the Imperial Court.[13] He built a lavish palace in 1587, theJurakudai, and entertained the reigningEmperor Go-Yōzei the following year.[38]
Hideyoshi promulgated a ban on Christianity in form of the "Bateren-tsuiho-rei" (the Purge Directive Order to the Jesuits) on July 24, 1587.Letter from Duarte de Meneses, Viceroy ofPortuguese India, to Hideyoshi dated April 1588, concerning the suppression of Christians, a National Treasure of Japan[39][40]
Also in 1585, Hideyoshi launched thesiege of Negoro-ji and subjugatedKii Province.[41] TheNegoro-gumi, the warrior monks ofNegoro-ji, were allied with theIkkō-ikki and withTokugawa Ieyasu, whom they supported in theBattle 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 toŌta Castle by this time, which Hideyoshi laterbesieged. 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.[citation needed]
In 1588, Hideyoshi implementedSword hunt, where he forbade ordinary peasants from owning weapons and started asword hunt to confiscate all weapons owned by peasants.[47] The weapons were melted down into building material for the Hall of the Great Buddha at theHōkō-ji temple inKyoto, that was built by Hideyoshi.[48] This measure effectively stopped peasant revolts, and ensured greater stability at the expense of freedom of the individualdaimyō.[49][50]
In 1590, Hideyoshi carried out theOdawara Campaign against theHōjō clan in theKantō region,[51] 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 toacrobats, fire-eaters, andjugglers. The defenders slept on the ramparts with theirarquebuses and armor; despite their smaller numbers, they discouraged Hideyoshi from attacking.[15] Hideyoshi hadIshigakiyama Ichiya Castle secretly constructed in a nearby forest.[52][53][54]During the siege, Hideyoshi offered Ieyasu the eight Hōjō-ruled provinces in theKantō region, in exchange for the submission of Ieyasu's five provinces, which Ieyasu accepted.[55]
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 theOnodera clan.[56]
In February 1591, Hideyoshi orderedSen no Rikyū to commit suicide, likely in one of his angry outbursts.[57] Following Rikyū's death, Hideyoshi turned his attention from tea ceremony toNoh, which he had been studying since becoming Imperial Regent. During his brief stay inNagoya Castle in what is todaySaga Prefecture, onKyūshū, Hideyoshi memorised theshite (lead role) parts of ten Noh plays, which he then performed, forcing variousdaimyō to accompany him onstage as thewaki (secondary, accompanying role). He even performed before the emperor.[58]
TheKunohe rebellion, aninsurrection that occurred inMutsu Province from March 13 to September 4, 1591, began whenKunohe Masazane, a claimant to daimyo of theNanbu clan, launched a rebellion against his rivalNanbu Nobunao which spread across Mutsu Province. Nobunao was backed by Hideyoshi, who along with sent a large army into theTōhoku region in mid-1591 which quickly defeated the rebels. Hideyoshi's army arrived atKunohe 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.[59]
Replica ofGreat Buddha of Kyoto. The Great Buddha of Kyoto was built by Hideyoshi to show off his power.
The future stability of theToyotomi 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-brotherHidenaga's death from illness earlier that year in February. Hideyoshi subsequently named his nephewHidetsugu his heir, adopting him in January 1592. Hideyoshi resigned askampaku to take the title oftaikō (retired regent), and Hidetsugu succeeded him askampaku.[48]
In 1592, Hideyoshi began an invasion of Korea with the intent of conquering Korea and eventually Ming China.[61]: 99 In 1593, he attempted but failed at compelling Taiwan into a tributary relationship.[62]: 60 Hideyoshi's explicit war goal was for Japan to replace China at the top of the international order.[61]: 92 Hideyoshi wrote to his adopted son Hidetsugu that "it is not Ming China alone that is destined to be subjugated by us, but India, the Philippines, and many islands in the South Sea will share a like fate."[61]: 99–100
In the first campaign, Hideyoshi appointedUkita Hideie as field marshal, and had him go to the Korean peninsula in April 1592.Konishi Yukinaga occupiedSeoul, which was the capital of theJoseon dynasty of Korea, on June 19. After Seoul fell, Japanese commanders held a war council there in June and determined targets of subjugation calledHachidokuniwari, literallyEight(八) Route(道), Country(国) Division(割). Each targeted province was attacked by one of the army's eight divisions:[citation needed]
Within four months, Hideyoshi's forces had a route intoManchuria and had occupied much of Korea. The Korean kingSeonjo of Joseon escaped toUiju and requested military intervention from China. In 1593, theWanli Emperor ofMing China sent an army under generalLi Rusong to block the planned Japanese invasion of China and recapture the Korean peninsula. On January 7, 1593, the Ming relief forces recaptured Pyongyang and surroundedSeoul, butKobayakawa Takakage,Ukita Hideie,Tachibana Muneshige andKikkawa Hiroie were able to win theBattle of Byeokjegwan north of Seoul, in modern day Goyang City. At the end of the first campaign, Japan's entire navy was destroyed by AdmiralYi Sun-sin of Korea, whose base was located in a part of Korea the Japanese could not control. This destroyed Japan's ability to resupply their troops in Seoul, effectively ending the invasion.[citation needed]
Following Hideyoshi's appointment of his nephewHidetsugu to the position ofkampaku, tensions started to develop due to the dual power structure between Hidetsugu, who led the court system, and Hideyoshi, who retained actual military power as retired regent. Although Hideyoshi orchestrated Hidetsugu's rise, the regent's position was governed by established court frameworks, limiting Hideyoshi's ability to bypass precedents. This led to the formation of two factions: the "Taiko (Hideyoshi's) group" and the "Kampaku (Hidetsugu's) group," which clashed over political and military issues.[48]
The birth of Hideyoshi's second son in 1593,Hideyori, exacerbated these tensions, as it introduced another potential heir to the Toyotomi dynasty. In July 1595, amidst suspicions of treason and the ongoing Korean invasion, Hidetsugu was stripped of his titles, exiled toMount Kōya, and then ordered to commit suicide in August 1595. Hidetsugu's family members who did not follow his example, including 31 women and several children, were then beheaded inKyoto.[48][63][64][65][66] In the aftermath, Hideyoshi solidified his authority by securing loyalty oaths, signed in blood, from magistrates and daimyos including influential damiyo likeTokugawa Ieyasu,Maeda Toshiie,Ukita Hideie,Mori Terumoto, andKobayakawa Takakage.[48]
After several years of negotiations, broken off because envoys of both sides falsely reported that the opposition had surrendered, Hideyoshi appointedKobayakawa Hideaki to lead a renewed invasion of Korea. This invasion met with less success than the first; Japanese troops remained pinned down inGyeongsang Province, and although the Japanese forces turned back several Chinese offensives inSuncheon andSacheon in June 1598, they were unable to make further progress as theMing army prepared for a final assault. While Hideyoshi'sbattle at Sacheon led byShimazu 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.".[4]
Toyotomi Hideyoshi died atFushimi Castle on September 18, 1598 (Keichō 3, 18th day of the 8th month). His last words, delivered to his closestdaimyō 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 theCouncil of Five Elders to preserve morale, and they ordered Japanese forces inKorea to return to Japan.
According to theTokugawa Jikki record, Hideyoshi held a secret meeting withKoide Hidemasa andKatagiri 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 theTokugawa clan would grow unchecked after his death, and the only solution for the Toyotomi clan to survive was to not oppose Ieyasu.[67]
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'stop generals,Katō Kiyomasa andFukushima Masanori, had fought bravely during the war but returned to find theToyotomi clancastellanIshida 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 theBattle of Sekigahara in 1600. Ieyasu, who was appointed as ashogun in 1603 and established theTokugawa shogunate, attackedOsaka Castle twice in 1614 and 1615 (theSiege of Osaka), forcing Hideyoshi's concubineYodo-dono and Hideyori to commit suicide, destroying theToyotomi clan.[68][69]
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.[64][65][66]
Chikurin-in (1579/80–1649), daughter ofŌtani Yoshitsugu. She was also known as Akihime and Riyohime. She was married toSanada Yukimura. They had two sons, Sanada Daisuke and Sanada Daihachi, and some daughters
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.[70] According to Japanese historianWatanabe 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.[71]
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.[72] In response, he issued theBateren Edict[d] on June 19, 1587, which ordered the expulsion ofChristianmissionaries from Japan. Promulgated during Hideyoshi's campaign to unify Kyushu, the edict was a response to several perceived threats posed by Christianity,[73] to exert greater control over theKirishitandaimyō[74] or to prohibit human trafficking.[75] Around that time, at least 50,000 Japanese people were sold overseas as slaves, mainly by Portuguese merchants.[76] This stance was further shown in Hideyoshi's letter sent in 25 July 1590 toAlessandro Valignano, which content are similar the contents of a letter he sent to the ruler ofJoseon. In those letters, Hideyoshi expressed his unique religious view that Indian Buddhism, Chinese Confucianism, and Japanese Shinto are fundamentally one unit, while also warned that he would no longer tolerate the propagation of Christianity ("evil religion" in Hideyoshi's letter), and he would no longer allow Christian missionaries to enter the country, albeit he still allowed merchants from Europe (Nanban) to enter and trade.[77]
In January 1597, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had twenty-six Christians arrested as an example to Japanese who wanted to convert toChristianity. They are known as theTwenty-six Martyrs of Japan. They included five EuropeanFranciscanmissionaries, oneMexican Franciscan missionary, three JapaneseJesuits and seventeen Japaneselaymen including three young boys. They were tortured, mutilated, and paraded through towns across Japan. On February 5, they were executed inNagasaki by publiccrucifixion.[78]
A replicatedOsaka Castle has been created on the site of Hideyoshi's greatdonjon. The iconic castle has become a symbol ofOsaka's re-emergence as a great city after its devastation inWorld War II.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi changedJapanese society in many ways. These include the imposition of a rigidclass structure, restrictions on travel, and surveys of land and production.[79]
Class reforms affected commoners and warriors. During theSengoku 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.[80] Conversely, he required samurai to leave the land and take up residence in the castle towns.[81][82]
Furthermore, he ordered comprehensive surveys and acomplete census of Japan. Once this was done and all citizens were registered, he required all Japanese to stay in their respectivehan (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.[83]
In 1590, Hideyoshi completed construction of theOsaka Castle, the largest and most formidable in all Japan, to guard the western approaches toKyoto. In that same year, Hideyoshi banned "unfree labour" orslavery in Japan,[84] but forms of contract and indentured labour persisted alongside the period penal codes'forced labour.[85]
Hideyoshi also influenced the materialculture of Japan. He lavished time and money on theJapanese 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 prizedceramic ware confiscated but many Korean artisans were forcibly relocated to Japan.[86]
Inspired by the dazzlingGolden Pavilion inKyoto, he had theGolden Tea Room constructed, which was covered withgold 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.[87]
Politically, he set up a governmental system that balanced out the most powerful Japanese warlords (ordaimyō). A council was created to include the most influential lords. At the same time, a regent was designated to be in command.[88]
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.[89]
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:
I mean to do glorious deeds and I am ready for a long siege, with provisions and gold and silver in plenty, so as to return in triumph and leave a great name behind me. I desire you to understand this and to tell it to everybody.[90]
TheCatholic sources of the time referred to him asCuambacondono[91] (fromkampaku and the honorific-dono) and "emperorTaicosama"[91] (fromtaikō, a retiredkampaku (seeSesshō and Kampaku), and the honorific-sama).
In the 1949 Mexican hagiographic filmPhilip of Jesus,Luis Aceves Castañeda plays a character corresponding to Hideyoshi but named "Emperor Iroyoshi Taikosama".[92]
In the 2009 Japanesehistorical fantasy filmGoemon, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (played byEiji 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,[93] 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 theBattle of Sekigahara. Goemon is portrayed as the faithful retainer and avenger ofOda 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 theMiyoshi clan and his murderer,Akechi Mitsuhide, as well as with failed murder attempts on both Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.[94]
Hideyoshi is portrayed by actor/directorTakeshi Kitano in his 2023 filmKubi.
ActorNaoto Takenaka portrays Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 1996 NHK dramaHideyoshi, 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 inNioh 2. Additionally, actorYukijirō Hotaru plays The Taikō (Nakamura Hidetoshi), a character based on Toyotomi Hideyoshi, in the 2024 miniseriesShōgun.[97]
^The name "Tenshō-Jingo War" was coined by Tashiro Takashi in 1980.[19][20]
^Ieyasu's position and actions here are not those of an independent feudal lord, but as a feudal lord under the Oda regime, with the aim of defeating the Hojo clan[23]
^This story of Yasumasa insulting Hideyoshi was first appeared in a work ofArai Hakuseki. Historian Watanabe Daimon stated that it is difficult to confirm the veracity of this story.[36]
^Bateren is derived from the Latinpatrem, which meansfather in the accusative case, or the Portuguese wordpadre
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^abTurnbull, Stephen R. (1977).The Samurai: A Military History. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co. p. 142.
^abSansom, George (1961).A History of Japan, 1334–1615. Stanford University Press. p. 278.ISBN978-0-8047-0525-7.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
^abTurnbull, Stephen (1998).The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Cassell & Co. p. 241.ISBN9781854095237.
^abcTurnbull, Stephen (2000).The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Cassell & Co. pp. 87,223–224, 228,230–232.ISBN978-1-85409-523-7.
^Turnbull, Stephen (1977).The Samurai. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. pp. 156–160.ISBN978-0-02-620540-5.
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