At the age of 15, Hosokawa Tadaoki engaged in his first battle under the command of Oda Nobunaga. In 1580, he was granted the Tango domain in present-day northern Kyoto Prefecture and entered into an arranged marriage with the daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide, another trusted general of Oda Nobunaga.
This strategic union aimed to fortify the bonds among Oda's vassals. However, when Mitsuhide betrayed and killed Nobunaga in the Honnoji Incident, seeking aid from Tadaoki and his father Fujitaka, both refused to assist. Tadaoki later fought alongside Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the Battle of Komaki Nagakute in 1584 and participated in the Siege of Odawara against the Hojo Clan in 1590.
Renowned for his literary and poetic prowess, Tadaoki, like his father Yusai, was a skilled practitioner of the tea ceremony, having studied under the esteemed tea master Sen no Rikyu. Despite his proficiency in cultured pursuits, Tadaoki was known for his formidable temper.
In 1600, leading up to the Battle of Sekigahara, Tadaoki and his father aligned with the Tokugawa, driven in part by the Western forces' attempt to take Tadaoki's wife, Gracia, hostage, resulting in her tragic death during an attack on their mansion by Ishida Mitsunari's forces. Tadaoki's father defended Tanabe Castle against a substantial Western force, preventing them from joining the main conflict at Sekigahara.
Commanding a force of 5,000 samurai at Sekigahara, Tadaoki engaged in intense hand-to-hand combat, directly clashing with Shima Sakon's troops near the Toyotomi Loyalists' base on Mt Sasao. Post-Sekigahara, Tadaoki received land in Kokura and participated in the Sieges of Osaka in 1614 and 1615 before retiring in 1620. He passed away at the age of 82 and was laid to rest at Kyoto's Daitoku-ji Temple, beside his wife, Gracia. Following her death, he remained single for 46 years.
See also
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. 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. The late Muromachi period, also known as the Sengoku period, was an era of continuous conflict and upheaval, often likened to periods of chaos in Chinese history. This turbulent era was brought to an end by Tokugawa Ieyasu, who, with the support of loyal retainers, established the Edo Shogunate and became the ruler of Japan. Among Ieyasu’s descendants, Naomasa Matsudaira, his grandson, played a significant role during the Osaka Siege. He earned praise from his adversary, Nobushige Sanada (Yukimura Sanada), for his valor as a young warrior and maintained strong relations with successive Tokugawa shoguns. Ishikawa Kazumasa (1534–1609) was a prominent Japanese retainer who began serving Tokugawa Ieyasu during his youth. Their relationship began in 1551 when both were hostages under the Imagawa clan. Kazumasa remained a loyal companion to Ieyasu, participating in key events such as the Siege of Terabe in 1558 and the Siege of Marune in 1560. After Ieyasu broke away from the Imagawa following the latter event, Kazumasa became a trusted retainer and administrator in his service. Shimazu Toyohisa (July 1570 – October 21, 1600), also known as Shimazu Tadatoyo, was a samurai of the Shimazu clan and the son of Shimazu Iehisa. He was the nephew of Shimazu Yoshihiro and held command over Sadowara Castle. Known for his valor, Toyohisa participated in numerous key battles of the late Sengoku period, earning recognition for his bravery and tactical acumen. Ikeda Terumasa (January 31, 1565 – March 16, 1613) was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period, recognized by his court title, "Musashi no Kami," and known as the "Shogun of Western Japan." Terumasa, a distinguished military leader, participated in numerous significant battles during the late Azuchi-Momoyama period. His service at the Battle of Sekigahara earned him control over the Himeji domain. Originally named Araokojimaru, he was the son of Ikeda Tsuneoki and the brother of Ikeda Sen. He later became the heir to Ikeda Nobuteru and held Ikejiri Castle in Mino Province. Mori Tadamasa (1570 - July 31, 1634) was a notable military commander during Japan’s Warring States period and an early Edo-period daimyo. Initially, he governed Kawanakajima Domain in Shinano Province (modern-day Nagano Prefecture) and later became the first lord of Tsuyama Domain in Mimasaka Province (now northern Okayama Prefecture). He founded the Mori family line of the Ako Domain. Tadamasa’s family origins trace back to the Genji (Minamoto) clan, specifically the Kawachi-Genji branch from Kawachi Province (in present-day southeastern Osaka Prefecture), a lineage tied to Emperor Seiwa through his ancestor Yorisada Mori, a great-grandson of the famed Minamoto no Yoshiie. Sanada Masayuki (1547 – July 13, 1611) was a daimyo and prominent lord of Japan's Sengoku period. Head of the Sanada clan from Shinano Province, he served the powerful Takeda clan of Kai Province alongside his father and brothers during Takeda Shingen’s leadership. Following the Takeda clan's decline, Masayuki took charge of the Sanada, and despite limited resources, he established his clan as an independent power under the Toyotomi regime by navigating alliances with dominant clans such as the Tokugawa, Hojo, and Uesugi. Renowned as one of his era's greatest strategists, Masayuki achieved notable victories against the Tokugawa forces in the Battle of Kami River and the Siege of Ueda.
Saito Tatsuoki
Kyogoku Tadataka
Matsudaira Naomasa
Ishikawa Kazumasa
Shimazu Toyohisa
Ikeda Terumasa
Mori Tadamasa
Sanada Masayuki
