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.
Early Life and Family
Born as Houjumaru, Toyohisa was later named Shimazu Tadatoyo before adopting the name Toyohisa. His mother was the daughter of Shimazu Tadanaga, making him part of an extensive and influential samurai lineage. Despite his youth, he was regarded as a capable military commander even before his coming-of-age ceremony (genpuku). By age 14, he was already actively involved in military affairs, including hosting Uwai Satokane, a key vassal of the Shimazu clan, in his father's absence.
Military Career
Battle of Okitanawate (1584)
Toyohisa distinguished himself during the Battle of Okitanawate, where the Shimazu forces, led by his father Iehisa, triumphed over the Ryūzōji clan despite being heavily outnumbered. Shimazu Iehisa entrusted Toyohisa with significant responsibilities, even expressing pride in his son’s emerging warrior spirit.
Battle of Hetsugigawa (1587)
At 17, Toyohisa participated in the Battle of Hetsugigawa against Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s advancing forces. Despite being outnumbered, the Shimazu army achieved a decisive victory, killing prominent enemy commanders such as Chōsokabe Nobuchika and Sogō Masayasu. This marked Toyohisa as a rising star within the Shimazu clan.
Service Under Hideyoshi
Following the Shimazu clan's submission to Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1587, Toyohisa succeeded his father as lord of Sadowara Castle. He continued to serve in Hideyoshi's campaigns, including the 1590 Odawara Campaign and the Korean invasions (1592–1598), where his leadership and bravery in battle further enhanced his reputation. He was noted for his fearless combat, including a celebrated engagement during the Battle of Chilcheollyang, where he boarded and captured an enemy ship.
The Battle of Sekigahara (1600)
Toyohisa fought alongside his uncle Yoshihiro in the pivotal Battle of Sekigahara, aligning with the Western Army. During the battle’s chaos, the Shimazu forces found themselves isolated. As the situation deteriorated, Toyohisa urged Yoshihiro to retreat, declaring his intent to stay behind and cover their withdrawal. Toyohisa’s sacrificial stand ensured Yoshihiro's safe return to Satsuma but cost Toyohisa his life.
Accounts describe his final moments as heroic: leading a desperate charge against the pursuing Eastern Army, he inflicted significant losses before succumbing to injuries. Some records suggest that his remains were later buried at Ruriko-ji Temple, where his grave still stands.
Posthumous Legacy
After his death, Toyohisa's bravery and loyalty were celebrated in Shimazu clan lore. His absence left a leadership void, and his family line eventually became extinct in 1624. Artifacts, including his armor, are preserved in museums and temples as a testament to his legacy.
Historical accounts describe Toyohisa as a "beautiful and brave" warrior, embodying both physical grace and martial prowess. His decisiveness, courage, and loyalty made him a revered figure in Satsuma. His actions, particularly during Sekigahara, cemented his place as one of the most iconic samurai of his era.
Shimazu Toyohisa remains a symbol of unwavering loyalty and self-sacrifice, his life an enduring chapter in the storied history of the Shimazu clan.
See also
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Tachibana Dosetsu
Tachibana Dōsetsu is the name by which Hetsugi Akitsura is more widely known; the name of this lineage is also found read as Hekki or Bekki. For a long period, Akitsura served the Ōtomo clan, the daimyō of Bungo Province, and took part in wars against the Ōuchi family, the principal enemies of the Ōtomo in northwestern Kyushu. In the 1560s, Akitsura seized the castle of the Tachibana clan, which had rebelled against the Ōtomo, and thereafter adopted the surname Tachibana. Around the same time, he took Buddhist vows and assumed the name Dōsetsu, which means “Snowy Road.”
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Taira no Masakado
Taira no Masakado embodied the quintessential samurai of his era—self-assured, harsh, and unyielding. In his youth, he served in the palace guard and repeatedly proved his bravery while suppressing unrest. Thanks to these achievements, Masakado sought the post of chief of the capital’s military-police office (the kebiishi-chō), but he was rejected: by that time, nearly all court positions—now little more than privileged sinecures—were controlled by members of the powerful Fujiwara clan.
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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.
