Famous Feudal Japanese People
Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582)
Oda Nobunaga was a member of the Fujiwara family. He was born in 1534 to a wealthy father who was a government official. He was a great warrior when he grew up. In 1568 he helped Ashikaga Yoshiaki become the shogun. He then had a falling out with Ashikaga so he deposed him. That was the end of the Ashikaga shogunate. This made Oda the new shogun. He started to get rid of tolls and strengthen the military. He attacked monasteries that belonged to Enryaku-ji, the headquarters of the Tendai sect of Japanese Buddhism. He then started attacking neighboring regions in an attempt to unify Japan. He had successfully unified half of Japan when he was killed by Akechi Mitsuhide. He died in 1582 having paved the way for the unification of Japan.
Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645)
Miyamoto Musashi was born in 1584 in the Hariama province in Japan. He became a skilled swordsman and in 1600 he travel to the city of Kyoto. He got into the Yoshioka School of swordsmanship. It was here that he proceeded to duel with the people from the school. He won sixty duels without losing one. He served the ruler of Osaka castle. He defended Osaka castle from many assaults and killed many rivals. He served there for 40 years. Towards the end of Miyamoto's life he was suffering from a disfiguring skin condition. He then wrote a book called Gorin No Sho. This book was about his swordsmanship and it was published the same year he died, 1645. His book would give Americans in the 1980's a glimpse into the Japanese mind.
Akechi Mitsuhide (1526-1582)
Akechi Mitsuhide served Oda Nobunaga. In 1571 Nobunaga went to war with the Mori clan. Nobunaga ordered Akechi to lead his contingent into battle and invade Tamba. In 1578 Akechi was fighting the Hatano clan in Tamba. Akechi was able to get Hatano Hideharu to submit with the promise of safe treatment. Oda ignored Akechi's promise and had Hideharu executed. People from the Hatano clan accused Akechi of breaking his promise. These men then went and killed Akechi's mother. This caused Akechi to harbor ill will towards Oda. In 1582 Oda ordered Akechi to march west and help General Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Akechi marched on Oda instead. Akechi murdered Oda and his heir and claimed himself as the new shogun. Toyotomi was able to respond in time and he marched against Akechi. The two armies clashed at Yamazaki. Toyotomi was victorious and Akechi was killed while fleeing the battle.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598)
Toyotomi was a remarkable man. He was born in 1536 as a peasant. Yet in his life time he would become a great commander and eventually a shogun. He served Nobunaga and when Nobunaga went to war with the Mori clan in 1571 he was a co-commander of the campaign with Akechi Mitsuhide. He had won many important battles for Oda when in 1582 his partner Akechi murdered Oda and claimed himself the new shogun. Toyotomi forced the clan he was attacking to surrender before going after Akechi. He and his army fought with Akechi and his army at Yamazaki. It was here where he killed Akechi. At Oda's funeral, Toyotomi placed the head of Akechi before Oda's grave.
Then a daimyo named Shibata Katsuie plotted to overthrow Hideyoshi. He secured the aid of Oda Nobutaka and Takigawa Kazumasu. Tokugawa Ieyasu remained neutral while Meada Toshiie and KanaMôri Nagachika joined Toyotomi's side. Before Shibata was able to strike, Takigawa attacked Toyotomi and lost. This caused Shibata to lose on ally and the element of surprise. In the end Toyotomi won and this made it clear that he was Nobunaga's successor. After this victory Tokugawa decide to fight Toyotomi. This fight would last only a year and would end in a truce.
In 1590, Toyotomi had almost all of Japan under his control. In 1597 Toyotomi attempted to invade Korea. The Japanese had captured Seoul in May but Korean guerrillas, Chinese troops, and the nearly invincible Korean navy drove the Japanese back to Japan. That same year Toyotomi launched a second invasion. He had gotten farther into Korea when he grew ill and died in 1598. This allowed Tokugawa to claim the title shogun since Toyotomi's heirs were dead.
Then a daimyo named Shibata Katsuie plotted to overthrow Hideyoshi. He secured the aid of Oda Nobutaka and Takigawa Kazumasu. Tokugawa Ieyasu remained neutral while Meada Toshiie and KanaMôri Nagachika joined Toyotomi's side. Before Shibata was able to strike, Takigawa attacked Toyotomi and lost. This caused Shibata to lose on ally and the element of surprise. In the end Toyotomi won and this made it clear that he was Nobunaga's successor. After this victory Tokugawa decide to fight Toyotomi. This fight would last only a year and would end in a truce.
In 1590, Toyotomi had almost all of Japan under his control. In 1597 Toyotomi attempted to invade Korea. The Japanese had captured Seoul in May but Korean guerrillas, Chinese troops, and the nearly invincible Korean navy drove the Japanese back to Japan. That same year Toyotomi launched a second invasion. He had gotten farther into Korea when he grew ill and died in 1598. This allowed Tokugawa to claim the title shogun since Toyotomi's heirs were dead.
Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543 - 1616)
Tokugawa was born the son of a minor lord named Matsudaira Hiroada. He spent most of his young life defending his clan from Oda Nobuhiro. In his later years he became an ally to Oda Nobunaga and he and his soldiers were present in many of his campaigns. Tokugawa was staying with Nobunaga when he was killed by Akechi. He narrowly escaped with his life. After Toyotomi rose to power and fought with Shibata Katsuie, Tokugawa knew that he and Toyotomi would eventually become foes. Soon after Toyotomi won his fight against Shibata Katsuie, he and Tokugawa fought. The war would last only a year and would end with a truce. This truce allowed the Tokugawa to be excused from the rest of Toyotomi's campaigns. In one campaign Tokugawa was given the region of Kanto for his help. After Toyotomi's death, Tokugawa became the shogun. This was the start of the Tokugawa shogunate. He ruled until 1616 where he grew ill and died.