Horio Yoshiharu, also known as Horio Mosuke, was born in Niwa-gun, Owari (Aichi Prefecture) in 1542. Due to his serene composure and the ability to maintain tranquility even in the most intense situations, he earned the nickname "Hotoke no Mosuke," or "The Buddha Mosuke," after the enlightened deity, Hotoke.
Yoshiharu's father once served as a vassal in the Iwakura Oda clan, rivals of Oda Nobunaga. However, after Nobunaga defeated their clan, Yoshiharu's father became a Ronin, a samurai without a master. The Sengoku period was an era of constant life-or-death struggles for samurai. Remaining composed under pressure and concealing one's thoughts and emotions were crucial skills to avoid betrayal. It was during these early days that Yoshiharu likely honed his Buddha-like calmness and mental fortitude for survival. Fortunately, he would later find employment under Nobunaga, albeit in a modest role as a foot soldier.
The pivotal moment that brought Yoshiharu to Nobunaga's attention happened during a hunting excursion in Owari. A massive wild boar charged the hunting party, causing everyone to scatter—everyone except Yoshiharu. Unarmed, he stood his ground and wrestled with the beast. Nobunaga was greatly impressed by Yoshiharu's calmness, strength, and courage, which led to his promotion. Yoshiharu's blend of bravery and serenity served him well in subsequent battles, earning him widespread admiration.
As the nation was on the brink of the Battle of Sekigahara in the late summer of 1600, and alliances were fracturing into Eastern and Western factions, Yoshiharu attended a drinking gathering in Chiryu, Mikawa Province, with Lord Mizuno Tadashige of Kariya Castle and Kaganoi Shigemochi. The discussion about war and allegiance escalated, culminating in a drunken and enraged Kaganoi killing Lord Mizuno and injuring Yoshiharu. Despite his wounds, Yoshiharu calmly and effectively took control of the situation, demonstrating a Buddha-like composure. He administered justice by confronting Kaganoi and restoring peace. It is said that Yoshiharu sustained seventeen wounds from Kaganoi's spear during the skirmish, rendering him unable to participate in the Battle of Sekigahara. Instead, his son took his place on the battlefield.
Following Sekigahara, the Horio clan was granted land in Izumo Province (Shimane Prefecture) and assumed control of Matsue Castle as Daimyo. Yoshiharu entered retirement at this post. Although his son Tadauji succeeded him, he succumbed to illness in 1604. Tadauji's heir, a nine-year-old named Tadaharu, was considered too young to assume the role, prompting Yoshiharu to once again take on the responsibilities until his grandson was ready to lead.
Horio Yoshiharu embodied both courage and skill in combat, all while exuding the calm and enlightened spirit of a Buddha—an invaluable trait for samurai navigating the razor's edge of the Sengoku period.
See also
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Araki Murashige
Araki Murashige (1535 – June 20, 1586) was a samurai and retainer of Ikeda Katsumasa, the head of the powerful Settsu-Ikeda clan in Settsu Province. Initially serving under Katsumasa, he aligned himself with Oda Nobunaga after Nobunaga’s successful campaign to establish control over Kyoto.
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Yuki Hideyasu
Yuki Hideyasu (March 1, 1574 – June 2, 1607) was a Japanese samurai who lived during the Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods, serving as the daimyō of Fukui Domain in Echizen Province. Born Tokugawa Ogimaru, he was the second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Lady Oman (also known as Lady Kogō), a handmaiden to Ieyasu’s wife, Lady Tsukiyama. Due to Ieyasu’s fears of his wife’s reaction to Oman’s pregnancy, Ogimaru and his twin brother were born in secrecy at the home of Honda Shigetsugu, one of Ieyasu’s retainers. Oman’s other son eventually became a priest, while Ogimaru was raised apart from Ieyasu, whom he only met at the age of three, in a meeting arranged by his older half-brother, Matsudaira Nobuyasu.
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Tsutsui Sadatsugu
Tsutsui Sadatsugu (June 6, 1562 – April 2, 1615) was a prominent figure in the Sengoku and early Edo periods, known as the cousin and adopted heir of Tsutsui Junkei, the feudal lord of Yamato Province. Following Junkei's death in 1584, Toyotomi Hideyoshi relocated Sadatsugu to Iga Province, where he oversaw the construction of Iga Ueno Castle, marking the height of his prominence.
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Matsudaira Kiyoyasu
Matsudaira Kiyoyasu (September 28, 1511 – November 29, 1535) served as the 7th lord of the Matsudaira clan during Japan's tumultuous Sengoku period. Renowned as the paternal grandfather of Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of Japan's "great unifiers," Kiyoyasu expanded his clan’s influence, bringing all of northern Mikawa Province under his control after subduing the Saigo clan. His power was further symbolized by the construction of Okazaki Castle, a testament to the Matsudaira’s growing dominance.
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Matsudaira Hirotada
Matsudaira Hirotada (June 9, 1526 – April 3, 1549) was a daimyo and lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa Province during Japan’s turbulent Sengoku Period. He is best known as the father of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate.
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Ikeda Tsuneoki
Ikeda Tsuneoki (1536 – May 18, 1584), also known as Ikeda Nobuteru, was a prominent daimyo of the Ikeda clan and a distinguished military commander during Japan's Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He served under the influential warlords Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Tsuneoki’s connection to Nobunaga began early, as his mother, Yotokuin, was Nobunaga’s wet nurse and later became a concubine to Oda Nobuhide, Nobunaga's father.
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Oda Nobutaka
Oda Nobutaka (1558–1583) was a samurai of the Oda clan, also known as Kanbe Nobutaka after being adopted as the head of the Kanbe clan, which governed the central region of Ise Province. He was the third son of Oda Nobunaga, born to a concubine named Sakashi. Nobutaka was referred to as "San Shichi," possibly because he was born on the seventh day of the third month in the Japanese lunar calendar. However, there is a theory suggesting he was born twenty days earlier than his elder brother, Oda Nobukatsu, but due to delays in reporting and the low status of his mother’s family, he was acknowledged as Nobunaga’s third son.
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Yamauchi Kazutoyo
Yamauchi Kazutoyo (also spelled Yamanouchi; 1545/1546? – November 1, 1605) was a prominent samurai and retainer who served Oda Nobunaga and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi during Japan's Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. His father, Yamauchi Moritoyo, was a descendant of Fujiwara no Hidesato and a senior retainer of the Iwakura Oda clan, which opposed Oda Nobunaga. Moritoyo was also the lord of Kuroda Castle in Owari Province. Kazutoyo is especially renowned for his marriage to Yamauchi Chiyo, whose wisdom and resourcefulness played a key role in his rise to prominence.
