Mori Terumoto, born in 1553 in Yoshida, Aki Province (now Hiroshima Prefecture), belonged to the influential Mori Clan during the late Sengoku and early Edo periods. His grandfather, Mori Motonari, and father, Mori Takamoto, were notable figures within the clan.
In 1582, Terumoto participated in the Siege of Takamatsu against Toyotomi Hideyoshi and later fought in the Battle of Shizugatake. Following these events, he pledged allegiance to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who granted him the land around Hiroshima as his fief. Terumoto played a significant role in the establishment of Hiroshima, overseeing the construction of his castle in the region.
Appointed by Hideyoshi, Terumoto became one of the five members of the Council of Regents tasked with governing in place of Hideyoshi's young son, Hideyori, after the Taiko's death. Despite his distinguished lineage, Terumoto was considered less skilled both as a warrior and a governor compared to his warlord grandfather and strategist father.
During the Battle of Sekigahara, although officially designated as the leader of the Western forces by Ishida Mitsunari, Terumoto found himself relegated to Osaka Castle with Toyotomi Hideyori. Following the battle, he surrendered to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Had Terumoto taken the field during the decisive battle and brought Hideyori with him, it is speculated that the course of events might have been different. Potential outcomes include the prevention of betrayals within the Western forces, the return of some Eastern supporters to their original loyalties, and the possibility of Ieyasu facing defeat. Terumoto passed away on April 27, 1625, at the age of 72.
See also
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Torii Mototada
Torii Mototada (1539 – September 8, 1600) was a Japanese samurai and daimyo who lived through the Sengoku and late Azuchi–Momoyama periods. A loyal retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu, he is best remembered for his heroic last stand at the Siege of Fushimi, an event that played a crucial role in shaping Japanese history.
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Toyotomi Hideyori
Toyotomi Hideyori (August 28, 1593 – June 4, 1615) was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first unified Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was Oda Nobunaga's niece.
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Okubo Tadanori
Okubo Tadanori (January 13, 1842 – August 10, 1897) was the 9th daimyo of Odawara Domain in Sagami Province (modern-day Kanagawa Prefecture) during the late Edo period. Before the Meiji Restoration, he held the courtesy title of Kaga no Kami.
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Okubo Tadayo
Okubo Tadayo (1532 – October 28, 1594) was a samurai general who served Tokugawa Ieyasu during the Azuchi–Momoyama period and later became the daimyo of Odawara Domain in the early Edo period.
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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.
