Kuroda Kanbei, also recognized as Kuroda Yoshitaka and later in life as Kuroda Josui, emerged as a military strategist and daimyo during the late Sengoku period. Regarded for his keen strategic mind, courage, and unwavering loyalty, he left an indelible mark as a respected warrior.
Born in Himeji in 1546, Kuroda Kanbei assumed leadership of the Kuroda family at the age of 21 following the passing of his father, Mototaka, who served as a senior retainer to the Kodera clan of Himeji. Recognizing the ascendancy of Oda Nobunaga, Kanbei proposed to his lord, Kodera Masamoto, the idea of aligning with the Oda forces. Despite Kodera's inclination to support the Mori clan, which opposed the Oda, Kanbei, reaching out to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, secured a direct audience with Nobunaga. His strategic counsel contributed to the successful capture of Himeji, leading to the Kodera's surrender. Pledging allegiance to the Oda clan, Kanbei and strategist Takenaka Hanbei served as advisors to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
In 1577, Kanbei faced accusations of espionage from Nobunaga, resulting in the abduction of his nine-year-old son, Nagamasa, as a hostage. Fortunately, Takenaka Hanbei intervened, rescuing the boy. A year later, during a diplomatic mission to Itami Castle, Kanbei was captured but managed to escape, sustaining an injury that left him with a lasting limp.
Throughout the Sengoku period's later stages, Kuroda Kanbei, along with his son, continued to serve Toyotomi Hideyoshi. They played crucial roles in campaigns, including the invasion of the Chugoku region and the Shikoku Campaign of 1585. During the Kyushu mission, Kanbei, influenced by Christian daimyo Takayama Ukon, briefly embraced Christianity, adopting the name Don Simeon. However, due to rising concerns about foreign influence, he renounced Christianity and assumed the Buddhist name Josui.
As Chief Advisor to Hideyoshi's nephew, Kobayakawa Hideaki, during the Second Korean Campaign, Kanbei developed a close relationship with Hideyoshi. Following Hideyoshi's demise, the Kuroda shifted their allegiance to the Tokugawa camp, aligning against Western loyalist leader Ishida Mitsunari. In 1600, they fought alongside Kato Kiyomasa at the Battle of Sekigahara. Post-Sekigahara, Kanbei declined a position within the Tokugawa government but used his influence to spare the Shimazu clan's lands and Otomo Yoshimune's life.
Kuroda Kanbei's involvement in pivotal Sengoku period events and his strategic acumen significantly influenced Japanese history. His sage advice contributed to Hideyoshi's successes, showcasing not only military prowess but also a potential sense of humor, exemplified by his distinctive choice of wearing an owan bowl as a helmet.
See also
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Sakakibara Yasumasa
Yasumasa was the second son of Sakakibara Nagamasa and was born in Ueno in Mikawa Province. From a young age, he began serving Tokugawa Ieyasu and eventually rose to the position of one of his most trusted generals. His wife was the daughter of Osuga Yasutaka. Ieyasu first noticed the young Yasumasa during the suppression of the Ikkō-ikki uprising in Mikawa in 1564. Thanks to his demonstrated abilities, Yasumasa was granted the privilege of using the character “yasu”—the second character of Ieyasu’s own name—in his own. Although he was the second child in his family, he became his father’s heir, though the exact reasons for this remain unknown.
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Sakai Tadatsugu
Tadatsugu was one of the most renowned generals serving Tokugawa Ieyasu. After Ieyasu broke ties with the Imagawa clan, Tadatsugu—an ardent supporter of this decision—was granted command of Yoshida Castle in 1565, which controlled the coastal road from Tōtomi to Mikawa. During the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1573, he held the right flank of the Tokugawa forces even when the troops sent by Oda fled under the assault of the Takeda army. In the Battle of Nagashino in 1575, he personally requested permission to carry out a night attack on the Takeda camp, which he executed brilliantly together with Kanamori Nagachika.
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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.
