Hosokawa Fujitaka, also known as Yusai, stood as a revered daimyo, poet, and scholar, initially serving the 13th Ashikaga Shogun, Yoshiteru, and later the 15th Shogun, Yoshiaki, before aligning with Oda Nobunaga.
Born as the second son of Mitsubichi Harukazu in the tranquil village of Higashiyama, Kyoto, he was adopted by his uncle, Hosokawa Mototsune, at the age of seven. His remarkable intelligence became evident early in life.
Having been a close advisor to the Ashikaga Shogunate, Yusai crossed paths with Oda Nobunaga during the fall of the Ashikaga. He actively participated in Nobunaga's battles across central Japan and Kyoto, contributing significantly to the nation's unification. To strengthen bonds between trusted advisors, Nobunaga orchestrated marriages, such as that of Akechi Mitsuhide's daughter to Yusai's son, Tadaoki.
In 1582, following Akechi Mitsuhide's attack on Honno-ji resulting in Nobunaga's death, Yusai and Tadaoki, appalled by Mitsuhide's actions, refused assistance. With Nobunaga's demise, Yusai became a priest.
Approached by Ishida Mitsunari before the Battle of Sekigahara, Yusai and his son wisely withheld their intentions. Mitsunari's plan to capture daimyo families in Osaka, including Yusai's, led to tragedy. Yusai's daughter-in-law, Gracia, resisted, resulting in her death and influencing many daimyo to join the Eastern forces led by Tokugawa.
In anticipation of the Battle of Sekigahara, Yusai, informed of his daughter-in-law's death and Mitsunari's moves, fortified Tanabe Castle. Defying the odds, the 67-year-old scholar and poet defended the castle with 500 men against 15,000 troops. Former students among the attackers, respecting their teacher, half-heartedly engaged in the siege. Yusai's possession of rare poetry books prompted him to seek their safeguarding, emphasizing his commitment to art and knowledge even in the face of war.
Despite Imperial Court advice to surrender, Yusai, a dignified samurai, refused. The two-month siege diverted 15,000 Western troops from Sekigahara. Meanwhile, his son Tadaoki represented the Hosokawa clan on the battlefield.
Post-Sekigahara, Yusai retired, passing away at 78 and finding his resting place in Kyoto. A master of martial arts, literature, the tea ceremony, and poetry, Yusai left a legacy of profound knowledge in strategic games, cuisine, performing arts, and martial and cultural arts.
See also
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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.
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Saito Tatsuoki
Saito Tatsuoki (6 September 1548 - 1573) was a daimyo of Mino Province during Japan's Sengoku period and the third-generation lord of the Saito clan. He was the son of Saito Yoshitatsu and grandson of Saito Dosan. His mother was a daughter of Azai Hisamasa, making him a nephew of Azai Nagamasa and a relative of Oda Nobunaga's first wife, Nohime, who was also a daughter of Saito Dosan.
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Kyogoku Tadataka
Kyogoku Tadataka (1593–1637) was a Japanese nobleman and the head of the Kyogoku clan during the early 17th century, a pivotal time marked by the Tokugawa consolidation of power. His childhood name was Kumamaro, and he hailed from a lineage claiming descent from Emperor Uda (868–897). Tadataka was the son of Kyogoku Takatsugu and one of his concubines, with his paternal grandfather being Kyogoku Takayoshi.
