Toyotomi Hidenaga was an outstanding military commander and strategist of his time, who was unjustly overshadowed by his half-brother, the great Toyotomi Hideyoshi. At different stages of his life, he was known by the names Kinoshita Koichiro, Hashiba Nagahide, and Hashiba. Despite his relative obscurity among the general public, Hidenaga was considered one of the best minds of his time, on par with the renowned Kuroda Kanbei.
He not only developed strategic plans, but also personally led the vanguard of Hideyoshi's army in key campaigns. Holding important military and administrative posts, Hidenaga played a key role in the formation and consolidation of Toyotomi's power.
He was born in the village of Nakamura in the province of Owari. He and Hideyoshi had the same mother but different fathers. Unlike his colorful, expansive, and ambitious brother, Hidenaga was level-headed, judicious, and respected by many daimyo. He often acted as a mediator in conflicts, and even Tokugawa Ieyasu, the future shogun, valued his opinion and treated him with the same respect as Hideyoshi.
His brother included Hidenaga in his inner circle of confidants, giving him the freedom to express dissent and influence key decisions. Hidenaga was always at the forefront of battles, both during his service to Oda Nobunaga and during Hideyoshi's heyday.
In 1577, he participated in the conquest of Harima Province. A year later, he suppressed the rebellion of Bessho Nagaharu, captured Takeda Castle in Tajima, participated in the siege of Kuroi Castle and the famous siege of Miki Castle (1578–1580), where he cut off supply routes and forced the enemy to retreat. He captured Ayabe Castle in the province of Tamba, and after the surrender of the Bessho clan, he ended the campaign with a victory.
In the same year, 1580, he established control over Tajima by capturing Arikoyama Castle and became its commander. Hidenaga then played a key role in the siege of Tottori Castle.
In 1582, he participated in the “water siege” of Bitchu Takamatsu Castle. When the Honnoji Incident occurred in Kyoto and Oda Nobunaga was killed, Hideyoshi and his brother marched on the capital and defeated the traitor Akechi Mitsuhide at the Battle of Yamazaki.
Later, Hidenaga participated in the Battle of Shizugatake (1583), the battles of Komaki and Nagakute (1584), and the campaigns in Shikoku (1585) and Kyushu (1586–1587). However, by the end of the 1580s, he had fallen seriously ill and handed over command to his comrade Todo Takatora.
After the victory over the Hojo clan in 1590, which marked the unification of Japan under Hideyoshi's rule, Hidenaga died six months after the siege of Odawara Castle at the age of 50.
He was buried at Daikokuji Temple in Kyoto. Although his name is rarely mentioned alongside the great figures of the era, Hidenaga left an important mark on the history of the Sengoku Jidai as a strategist, diplomat, and indispensable ally of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
See also
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Matsudaira Nagachika
Matsudaira Nagachika (1473–1544?) was a daimyō of Japan’s Sengoku period and the third son of Matsudaira Chikatada. He was also the great-grandfather of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
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Oishi Yoshio
Oishi Yoshio (April 24, 1659 – March 20, 1703) served as the chamberlain of the Ako Domain in Harima Province, now part of modern-day Hyogo Prefecture, from 1679 to 1701. He is best known as the leader of the Forty-seven Rōnin in their 1703 vendetta and is honored as the central figure in the legendary tale of Chūshingura.
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Asano Nagaakira
Asano Nagaakira (March 18, 1586 – October 16, 1632) was a Japanese samurai and daimyō of the early Edo period. He initially ruled Wakayama Domain before being transferred to the Hiroshima Domain, where his family would remain until the Meiji Restoration.
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Takigawa Kazumasu
Takigawa Kazumasu (1525 – October 21, 1586), also known as Takikawa Sakon or Sakonshogen, was a prominent samurai and daimyō of the Sengoku period. He served as a loyal retainer and military commander under Oda Nobunaga and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His biological son, Toshimasu, was adopted by Maeda Toshihisa, the elder brother of Maeda Toshiie, and Kazumasu served alongside Toshiie in Nobunaga’s campaigns.
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Sanada Yukitaka
Sanada Yukitaka (c. 1512 – June 8, 1574) was a renowned samurai warrior of the Sengoku period, best known as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen." He was the father of Sanada Nobutsuna and Sanada Masayuki, as well as the grandfather of the legendary Sanada Yukimura, who later served the Toyotomi clan.
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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.
