Arima Toyouji was a prominent figure in the late Sengoku and early Edo periods, holding the titles of Daimyo and Lord of Tamba Fukuchiyama. He also had the distinction of being the inaugural Lord of Kurume Domain. Born in Mitsuda Castle at Miki, Arima-gun, Harima Province (present-day Hyogo Prefecture), Toyouji's early years were marked by service to the daimyo Watarase Shigeaki, where he held the position of chief councilor. This allegiance remained until the Watarase clan's involvement in the Toyotomi Hidetsugu incident of 1595, which culminated in their collective seppuku. Subsequently, Toyouji realigned himself with Hideyoshi, earning him a stipend of 30,000 koku and lands in Totomi (now Shizuoka Prefecture).
During Hideyoshi’s Korean Campaign, Toyouji dispatched a contingent of 200 men to safeguard Nagoya Castle in Kyushu. Following Hideyoshi's passing, he allied with Tokugawa Ieyasu and led 900 troops in the Battle of Sekigahara. This included a pre-battle assault on Gifu Castle and active involvement in the main confrontation itself.
For his exceptional contributions, Toyouji received the newly established Tamba Fukuchiyama domain, along with an allocation of 60,000 koku. He further distinguished himself in the 1614 winter Siege of Osaka.
Earlier, in 1606, he had been called upon to contribute manpower, resources, and funds for the reconstruction of Edo Castle’s central Honmaru precincts. The following year, similar requests were made for Sunpu Castle, and in 1618, Osaka Castle also received his support. These ventures, while commendable, placed considerable strain on the domain's finances.
Due to their commendable service, the Arima clan was relocated to Kurume Domain in late 1620, receiving an endowment of 210,000 koku. Adhering to the newly enforced Tokugawa law, which permitted only one castle per domain, Arima initiated the reconstruction of Kurume Castle. Salvaging components from the now-defunct Enokizu and Fukushima Castles, he simultaneously improved economic conditions for all within his domain.
Despite his advancing age, between December 1637 and April 1638, Arima Toyouji led 6,300 men in the Shimabara Rebellion under the Tokugawa banner.
Arima Toyouji was not solely a warrior, but a man of culture, distinguished as one of the Seven Great Followers of Sen No Rikyu. He was also an adherent of Zen Buddhism and a scholar of Confucianism.
Upon his demise at the age of 74, two of his most trusted advisors followed suit, committing Junshi—a form of ritual suicide—to serve their lord in the afterlife. His son, Tadayori, assumed leadership of the clan.
See also
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Ryuzoji Takanobu
Takanobu was the eldest son of Ryūzōji Takaie and the great-grandson of Ryūzōji Iekane. His father was killed by a man named Baba Yoritiku in 1544. At a young age, Takanobu took Buddhist vows and received the monastic name Engetsu. However, around the age of eighteen, he returned to secular life, and in 1548, after the death of Ryūzōji Tanehide, he became the head of both branches of the Ryūzōji family.
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Ouchi Yoshihiro
Ōuchi Yoshihiro was the second son of Ōuchi Hiroyo, who headed the Ōuchi clan in the western part of Honshu. In 1363, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu confirmed the Ōuchi family in the position of shugo of Suō and Nagato Provinces. In his youth, Yoshihiro assisted his father in strengthening the influence of the Northern Court on the island of Kyushu — they served under Imagawa Ryōsun, who had been tasked with subjugating the nine provinces of Kyushu.
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Ouchi Yoshioki
Ouchi Yoshioki, the ruler of the provinces of Suo, Nagato, and Iwami, was one of the most capable military commanders and politicians of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The son of Ouchi Masahiro, he governed from his residence in Yamaguchi in the province of Suo. In 1499, Yoshioki gave refuge to Shogun Ashikaga Yoshitane, who had been driven out of Kyoto by Hosokawa Masamoto. Shogun Yoshizumi, Masamoto’s protégé, ordered the lords of Kyushu to unite their forces against Yoshioki; however, they did not dare to do so, fearing the power of a man who by that time controlled six provinces. Having gathered a substantial army, Yoshioki marched from his native Suo toward Kyoto in order to restore Shogun Yoshitane to power.
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Otomo Sorin
Ōtomo Yoshishige came from a noble lineage, being the eldest son of Ōtomo Yoshiaki, the ruler of Funai Province. The roots of the Ōtomo family traced back to Fujiwara Hidesato, the adopted son of Nakahara Chikayoshi. Fujiwara served Minamoto Yoritomo during the Genpei War and took part in battles in Mutsu Province in 1189. In 1193, he was appointed shugo of Buzen and Bungo Provinces, after which he adopted a new surname—Ōtomo.
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Okudaira Sadamasa
Sadamasa was the son of Okudaira Sadayoshi and took part in several battles under Tokugawa Ieyasu, distinguishing himself in the Battle of Anegawa in 1570, where he took two heads. Around 1572 he was forced to enter the service of the Takeda clan, but after the death of Takeda Shingen in 1573 he returned to Tokugawa, leaving Tsukude Castle together with his men. As a result of this defection, Takeda Katsuyori ordered the execution of Sadamasa’s wife and brother, who were being held as hostages.
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Okubo Tadatika
Tadatika, the son of Okubo Tadayō, entered the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu at the age of eleven, and took his first head in battle when he was sixteen. After the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, he was appointed as a rōjū — a senior bakufu official — and was regarded as one of Ieyasu’s most trusted advisors, alongside Honda Masanobu. He is also known for his military chronicle Mikawa Monogatari, which describes Ieyasu’s rise to power and the early years of the Tokugawa shogunate.
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Okubo Nagayasu
Nagayasu was the second son of Okura Nobuyasu, a sarugaku theater actor from the Takeda clan. Takeda Shingen recognized the young man’s potential and took him into service, appointing him as a vassal to his general, Tsuchiya Masatsugu. During this period, Nagayasu changed his family name to Tsuchiya. He was entrusted with developing the Takeda clan’s gold mines as well as handling matters related to taxation.
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Nitta Yoshisada
Nitta Yoshisada was a loyal soldier of Emperor Go-Daigo, who in the 1330s attempted to restore direct imperial rule in Japan. The Nitta family was related to the Ashikaga house and was older in lineage. However, they did not join Minamoto Yoritomo at the start of his war with the Taira, as the Ashikaga did, and therefore did not receive high positions in the Kamakura shogunate. This may have been one of the reasons why Yoshisada rose against the Hōjō clan in 1333.
