#Hosokawa Harumoto

[theworldaswedontknowit]

The Sengoku Period: 1460s - 1560

So, when did the Sengoku Jidai start? Honestly, like its namesake I can’t really pinpoint a date but it’s definitely within the realms of the 1450s to 1460s and I’d pick the days when Yamana Sozen declared his allegiance to the succession of the Shogun – Ashikaga Yoshimasa’s son and his son in law, Hosokawa Katsumoto, pledged himself to the Shogun’s brother who had been selected before the child was born. You see this situation time and again in history, all over the world, the brother gest picked because the guy has no son…only for a son to be born. Honestly, the same situation can be seen in the Todo family 130 years later and they were minor for most of their early existence.

In 1467 Yamana would gather troops with another war lord, Ouchi Masahiro and Hosokawa’s home would go up in flames. The game was on.

With rumours that Yamana intended to attack the Imperial palace Hosokawa demanded all of the Imperial family moved, paying no heed to whether these rumours were true or not. In the end Yamana did actually attack the Imperial palace and the fighting between them in Kyoto brought about its destruction. Genuinely, they completely destroyed it. The fighting would go on for months before Hosokawa convinced the Emperor and Shogun to denounce the Yamana as nothing more than rebels and undermine their supporter. Yet, it had little affect and even the deaths of both Yamana and Hosokawa did nothing to lighten up the situation.

Finally the Shogun – you know the big military leader dude, only this one was a little too concerned with poetry to actually control the situation – appealed for these people to disperse and essentially go home. However, it wouldn’t come to an end and Kyoto would still be being destroyed until 1477 when Ouchi Masahiro finally backed down, returning home but not before burning his part of Kyoto. Even with the Onin war over riots and mobs continued to descend on the city and honestly this ain’t ever gonna get better. Well, it is, but not for a long time.

The Onin war is also where we can see elements of the idea of the Western and Eastern armies. Yamana being the west and Hosokawa being the east. In 130 years time we’re going to see the big bang that is Sekigahara, the war that brought an end to the period end in much the same way as the war that started it all. Ishida Mitsunari, commander of the Western army will lose to Tokugawa Ieyasu, commander of the Eastern army, in 1600.

It’s these mobs however, that spelled the rise of the Ji-samurai or common birth samurai. What was once disorganised militias became organised armies and instrumented the rise of a very different kind of Samurai. Before this Samurai had typically been of noble birth but now simple famers and their sons did so as well. Good examples of “farmer” turned Samurai is Toyotomi Hideyoushi himself, who rose from Oda’s sandal bearer to nearly Shogun.

With these armies rising, the Hatakeyama family tearing apart any peace in their bit of the map over a family feud the future looked grim. With Yoshimasa retiring and putting his 15 year old son on the throne things really did turn sour. The Ashikaga’s suddenly seem to go through a time of not producing their own sons. Yoshihisa would produce only the daughter before dying in 1489 at the age of 24, his father taking the throne back and also dying a year later. From then on only one natural son of the Shogun, Yoshimasa, would take over before being followed by the brother who was part of the starting of the war. Then two adoptive sons, the uncle sandwiched between them.

The dominating family of the early Segoku Jidai was the Hosokawa but from what I can tell a lot of their wars were infighting. The Ryo Hosokawa war began in 1507 and was a dispute over who was going to succeed the head of the family, much like with the Shogun. Only this time Hosokawa Masamoto is super duper dead. The war would end when Hosokawa Harumoto defeated Hosokawa Takakuni, only for the entire head family to collapse when Harumoto died in 1563.

Come 1543 the Warring states is in full swing. Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen are beginning to show their capabilities, Mori Motonari is being the hotshot in the south and…the Date…aren’t really doing anything? Oda is 9, Hideyoushi is 6 and Ieyasu is a few months old. Okay, so not much is really going on but the Portuguese have just arrived and this is a big deal because what do they bring with them? Why, guns of course!

This little addition to the Japanese weapon arsenal is going to change the face of Samurai warfare. Even today, many historical figures are depicted in favouring it. Data Masamune’s weapon in Samurai Warriors is a sword and gun, which I think is an appropriate metaphor for how wars were fought now. The addition of guns allowed for distance combat, indeed it was a factor in the bringing down of the “Demon Horsemen of Kai” and if something that sounds that badass can be defeated with guns the you know everything is going to go down.

Update on the Hosokawa, the Miyoshi have just betrayed them and oh boy, that’s one massive screw you to them. Under Miyoshi Nagayoshi the Miyoshi are going to expand their territory and go on regular campaigns against the Hosokawa. Two years later Sue Harukata is going to betray Ouchi Yoshitaka at the incident at Tainei-ji. So, the two biggest players who started this all are out of picture. Just about the write time for the next big one to waltz right in.

Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) is considered the first Unifier of Japan and with good reason. While getting together much of the middle ground of Honshu, he paved the way for Hideyoushi to take up his mantle and for Ieyasu to take over and finish the job. Without Oda the warring states may have gone on longer or at least it would look very different. Without Oda, Hideyoushi wouldn’t have gone through his rise to power, certainly not in the same way at least. Ieyasu is a different matter I’ll get into another time.

So, 1560, it’s a big year. Oda Nobunaga is 26 years old, he’s finally the cemented head of the Oda clan after a succession struggle with his younger brother. That younger brother is now dead and Nobunaga really wants to show his might and his skill. He spies an opportunity at Okehazama.

The Imagawa would invade and a plucky young general, named Matsudaira Motoyasu, would capture one of Oda’s castle, Marune. This plucky little general is the future Tokugawa Ieyasu. At a disadvantage Oda looked for ways he could defeat the Imagawa and honestly, Yoshimoto gave it to him. While sending the Matsudaira to Odaka Castle Yoshimoto rested at Okehazama. This was a place that Oda knew well and really, the hill top ambush did happen.

Yoshimoto, who was so clueless as to what was happening, came out from his tent thinking that only a drunken brawl had broken out. He believed this to such an extent that he ordered the angry samurai running at him with a big spear to go back to his post. Realising that he was actually an Oda man he drew his sword and managed to break the spear, only for a second Oda man to lop off his head. Only two senior retainers would escape Okehazama.

So, what’s happened over the last 100 years. The Hosokawa have been torn apart by infighting and are almost completely powerless while Yamana is nowhere to be seen, their greatest supporters betrayed and decimated by the Sue. The rising stars of the north have risen, the Uesugi are going to play a part to the very end while the Takeda are going to go out with a slightly unimpressive bang in 1575. Our future Western Army leader, Ishida Mitsunari, has just been born as Sakichi and his family currently serve the Azai. He will be fourteen years old when he first rises to any minor prominence and even then, only as an attendant to Hideyoushi. Tokugawa Ieyasu, currently named Matsudaira Motoyasu is finally free of his life as a hostage, joining up with Oda in secret and fearing for the lives of his wife and son who are still in the hands of the down but not out Imagawa.

Finally, Oda Nobunaga has fought his defining battle, the one that has cleared his way to Kyoto and cleared the way for 22 years of plunder before he is betrayed by his loyal retainer, Akechi Mitsuhide.

[toreii]

https://youtu.be/ILzL4oYPEUs

“Mitsuhide knew that the leader of the time, Hosokawa Harumoto, planned to assasinate Matsunaga Hisahide and Nagayoshi Miyoshi at a renka party which Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru is also in attendance. Fearing that the peace in Kyoto would collapse, Mitsuhide infiltrated the building, and worked with Mitsubuchi Fujihide and Hosokawa Fujitaka to save Matsunaga and the others. Mitsuhide, who suffered an injury, was brought to Tōan’s infirmary, and was reunited with Koma after a long time. However, war broke out again between Nobuhide and Dōsan in Mino. Injured, Mitsuhide brought Koma along, and headed back to Mino.”

Kirin ga Kuru episode 6 preview

[the-archlich]

Yoshimoto Imagawa was the greatest archer in Japan and his death was the cause of Nobunaga Oda's starting fame. Shiba were a minor clan. Ashikaga Shogunate was pretty important all the way until the last of them were wiped out. The Hosokawa were the cause of the Onin wars and Sengoku Jidai. And when Hosokawa Harumoto died they'd become the Miyoshi (1/2)

The Kitabatake were minor in the grand scheme but had absolutely brilliant and talented men and definitely had an effect on even Nobunaga himself. Unfortunately, it seems each daimyo kept dying within a couple years. The last Kitabatake daimyo was also pretty much a spit on their name as he was... incompetent.

During Nanboku-chō, there were a few important Imagawa. Most notably Imagawa Sadayo, an exceptionally talented man skilled in the literary and martial arts. His conquest of Kyushu for the Northern Court was one of the things that wrapped up the war. Sadayo was probably one of the most important and impressive figures of this particular era.

There were a lot of Hosokawa who were important under the Northern Court, but the most impressive is Hosokawa Yoriyuki. He was made regent for the 10-year-old shogun Ashikaga Yoshiakira. During his regency, Yoriyuki introduced a huge number of political reforms that completely changed the shogunate, making the rule of the Ashikaga much more stable and much more like an actual government, rather than a coalition of warlords. He was one of the finest political minds of his time. Perhaps the strangest thing of all - when Yoshiakira came of age and thought Yoriyuki wielded too much power, he asked Yoriyuki to resign. Yoriyuki did.

Kitabatake Chikafusa was arguably the most esteemed scholar of this particular era. He was Go-Daigo’s chief adviser and the man whose argument on imperial legitimacy was the driving force behind the Southern Court. He was a genius scholar as well as a skilled tactician. He and his sons (particularly Kitabatake Akiie) were one of the key pillars holding up the Southern Court.

Interesting to note that while the southern court had the brilliance of Kitabatake Chikafusa, the northern court had is counterpart in the monk Musō Soseki - himself regarded as a genius. He was a teacher to the Ashikaga brothers Takauji and Tadayoshi and remained one of their  most trusted advisers until his death.

Lots of really fascinating people.

[scoobydoojedi]

Urakami Clan

The Urakami clan grew to prominence in the Sengoku period they settled in Bizen Province after rebelling against the Akamatsu clan but then soon lost there lands to the Ukita Clan.

*Prominent people*

*Urakami Muramune*(????-1524) He was originally a vassal of the Akamatsu  but rebelled and claimed much of Bizen province for himself. He supportedHosokawa Takuni in his war with Hosokawa Harumoto. He took Takamatsu Castle  in 1523 and in 1524 destroyed Akamatsu Masamura. However, that same year he was killed in battle at Imamiya.

*Urakami Munekage*(????-1564?)

Munekage was the son of Urakami Muramune. He held much of Bizen province and ruled from Tenjinyama. A rival of the Akamatsu to the west and the Amako to the north, he was compelled to rely on Ukita Naoie to maintain order in Bizen. Naoie thus grew in strength and began to find pretexts to eliminate Munekage's other retainers. Munekage was ultimately forced to flee his lands toSanuki, at which time Ukita assumed control of Bizen.

[scoobydoojedi]

Akamatsu clan

The Akamatsu claimed descent from Minamoto Morifusa (d.1077) of the Murakami-Genji (Minamoto). The Akamatsu became a powerful family in the Muromachi Period and owed their success to the actions of Akamatsu Norimura. At first a supporter of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Kemmu Restoration, Norimura had later switched to the Ashikaga side. In 1336 he was awarded the governorship of Harima. By the time of the 3rd Ashikaga shôgun, Yoshimitsu, the Akamatsu were shugo for Harima, Bizen, and Mimasaka as well as one of the four families that provided members of the Bakufu’s samurai-dokoro (Board of retainers). The assassination of Ashikaga Yoshinori in 1441 by Akamatsu Mitsusuke resulted in a damaging response by the Yamana and others, and by the Sengoku Period, their power had waned. They were weakened by rebellions and at length became vassals of the Toyotomi.

*Prominent People*

*Akamatsu Norimura* (1277 - 1350) Norimura supported Emperor Go-Daigo and Ashikaga Takauji in the struggle to overcome the Kamakura shogunate(Minamoto clan Rule).He became a part of the Ashikaga shogunate. Norimura constructed a fort on a hill which later became the site for Himeji Castle.Norimura was a patron of Sesson Yūbai who established Hōun-ji and Hōrin-ji in Harima.In records about the establishment of land rights for Daitoku-ji in Kyoto, Norimura's help is recognized.

*Akamatsu Mitsusuke*(1381-1441) In 1408 Shogun Yoshimitsu died and was succeded by Ashikaga Yoshimochi (1385-1428). Some years after he came to power, Yoshimochi decided to replace the head of the Yamana (currently the wily and possibly unbalanced Mitsusuke) with one of his favorites, a certain Akamatsu Mochisada, rumored to be the shogun’s lover. Learning of the plan, Mitsusuke departed Kyôto in 1427 and entrenched himself in Mimasaka. Yoshimochi declared the act treasonous and called for his lieutenants to prepare for battle, to no avail. Yoshimochi’s retainers managed to talk the shôgun out of the business, creating an embarrassing situation Mochisada took responsibility for and committed suicide.

Things quieted after a time, and to help smooth matters over, Mitsusuke became a monk. He spent only a year in a monk’s habit, however; in 1428Yoshimochi died and Mitsusuke returned to secular life. Yoshimochi was succeded by his brother, Yoshinori (1394-1441).

In a bizarre twist in 1440, the events of 1427 were repeated. Mistusuke again learned that the shogun planned to have him ousted. Yoshinori had a favorite named Akamatsu Sadamura (again, a suspected lover) that he planned to have succeeded Mitsusuke (perhaps after the later was forced into retirement).

Mitsusuke responded to this second threat from the Bakufu to his position in a drastic fashion, perhaps emboldened by the Bakufu’s lack of resolve in 1428. In 1441 the shogun went on a campaign against the wayward Yûki family of northern Hitachi province. When Yoshinori returned, Mitsusuke invited him to his residence in Kyoto for a celebration that would include a victory feast. Yoshinori agreed, and during a presentation of dancing in the garden a number of horses suddenly burst from their stables and caused great confusion among the party. Mitsusuke had arranged this noisy diversion, and in the course of the pandemonium he had Yoshinori struck down. Without much further ado, the Akamatsu mounted their horses and departed for their home provinces.

The assassination of Yoshinori caused considerable shock and uncertainty in Kyoto. After three days a coalition of warriors drawn from the other important shugo families - Yamana, Hosokawa, and Hatakeyama - set out, only to hesitate at the borders of the Akamatsu’s lands. The one leader who did charge on ahead was Yamana Sozen (1404-1474), and this fiery character defeated the Akamatsu and forced Mitsusuke to commit suicide. For his efforts he was awarded most of the Akamatsu’s lands (including, no doubt as he had intended, Mimasaka), thereby greatly enhancing the power of the Yamana and helping set the stage for the later Onin War. Yoshinori’s assassination, though rarely mentioned in the west outside of strictly academic circles, was a notable contributor to the weakening of Ashikaga authority, although it could just as easily be argued that the event was a sign of just how weak the foundations of Ashikaga rule already were.

*Akamatsu Yoshisuke* (????-1576) He saw much of the former Akamatsu domain slip out of his hands between 1550 and 1570, though he did capture Akashi castle in 1554 from Hosokawa Harumoto. He was defeated in 1569 by Kuroda Kanbei and within a few years had been so weakened that he lived in Himeji at the sufferance of his nominal vassals, the Kodera (Kuroda's lord).

*Akamatsu Masanori*(????-1577) Cousin of Akamatsu Yoshisuke. He had a reputation as a discerning and proud general. He held Kôzuki castle in Harima province and came under attack by the Oda (as led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi) in late 1577. Masanori resisted stoutly but when a relief force sent by the Ukita was defeated and Kôzuki isolated, the Oda army launched an all-out attack. Masanori killed his family before committing suicide and thus died along with some 1,100 of his men.

*Akamatsu Norifusa* (????-1598) Norifusa was a son of Akamatsu Yoshisuke. He served Toyotomi Hideyoshi and assisted in the Battle of Shizugatake, the Komaki campaign, the 1585Invasion of Shikoku, and the Korean invasion of1592. Norifusa was given a 10,000 koku fief in the Itano district of Awa province.