Everything about Toyotomi Hidetsugu totally explained
was a nephew and retainer of
Toyotomi Hideyoshi who lived during the
Sengoku period of the 16th century of
Japan.
A practitioner of the
shudo tradition, Hidetsugu had a number of wakashu. Among these were Yamamoto Tonoma, Yamada Sanjuro, and his most beloved,
Fuwa Bansaku, who gained lasting renown for his beauty of body and spirit.
Life
Hidetsugu was born to Hideyoshi's elder sister, but adopted by the
Miyoshi clan and given the name
Miyoshi Nobuyoshi. He later renamed himself Hashiba Hidetsugu, in honor of his famous uncle: "Hashiba" was the Hideyoshi's family name, and "Hidetsugu" can be translated as "next
Hide".
After the
Incident at Honnō-ji in
1582, Hidetsugu was given a 400 thousand
koku fiefdom in
Ōmi Province because he was one of Hideyoshi's few relatives. In his subsequent career as a general, Hidetsugu he sustained heavy losses in the
Battle of Nagakute against
Tokugawa Ieyasu, but he proved himself in Hideyoshi's
Invasion of Shikoku and
Siege of Odawara. He also proved a competent manager of the
castle town of
Ōmihachiman.
In
1590, (
Tenshō 18), he was appointed castellan of
Kiyosu Castle in
Owari Province, where
Oda Nobukatsu had once ruled. The following year, Hideyoshi lost his legitimate heir
Tsurumatsu (who died before adulthood) and so gave Hidetsugu the position of
Kanpaku, regent to the Emperor. This meant Hidetsugu had to move to
Jurakudai in
Osaka, and resulted in a so-called "dual system of government" (二元政治) run by Hidetsugu and Hideyoshi, with the assumption that Hidetsugu would succeed Hideyoshi after his death. As Hideyoshi was busy handling the
Seven-Year War in the
Korean Peninsula (Battles of Bunroku and Keicho), Hidetsugu acted in his place to handle domestic affairs.
However, in
1593, Hideyoshi's mistress gave a birth to a new heir,
Hideyori, and the relationship between Hidetsugu and Hideyoshi began to deteriorate. Rumours spread of Hidetsugu committing repeated and unjust murder, earning him the nickname "life-killing kanpaku" (殺生関白) - although modern historians doubt that these rumours were accurate.
Finally, in 1595, Hidetsugu was accused of plotting a coup and ordered to commit
seppuku at
Mt. Koya. Together with him died his three wakashu, who committed seppuku with his assistance. ("The Love of the Samurai: A Thousand Years of Japanese Homosexuality" by Tsuneo Watanabe and Jun'ichi Iwata; p.54)
Daimyo associated with him were confined, Jurakudai was destroyed, and his children and mistresses were executed at
Sanjogawara. Only one was spared: a daughter named
Okiku, one month old, who was adopted by her grandfather's nephew,
Goto Noriyoshi (Goto Okiyoshi? original: 後藤興義).
Further Information
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