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.
Early Life and Political Struggles
Born in 1593, Hideyori was Hideyoshi's second son. His birth created a potential succession crisis, leading Hideyoshi to exile and later order the forced suicide of his nephew and heir, Toyotomi Hidetsugu, in 1595. Hidetsugu’s entire family, including women and children, were executed, solidifying Hideyori’s position as Hideyoshi’s successor.
Following Hideyoshi’s death in 1598, Japan was ruled by a council of five regents intended to govern until Hideyori came of age. However, Tokugawa Ieyasu quickly maneuvered to seize power, culminating in his victory at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. To neutralize Toyotomi influence, Ieyasu arranged Hideyori’s marriage to his granddaughter, Senhime, hoping to solidify political ties.
Conflict with Tokugawa
By 1614, Hideyori, now a young daimyō ruling from Osaka Castle, was seen as a growing threat by Ieyasu. Many samurai opposed to Tokugawa rule gathered around Hideyori, claiming he was Japan’s rightful leader. Tensions escalated when Hideyori held a dedication ceremony for the Great Buddha of Kyoto, which Tokugawa authorities interpreted as a prayer for their downfall. Ieyasu demanded Hideyori vacate Osaka Castle, but his supporters refused, prompting the Siege of Osaka (1614–1615).
The Siege of Osaka
The first phase, the Winter Campaign (1614), saw Tokugawa forces fail to breach the castle. A truce was reached, but the Tokugawa shogunate forced Hideyori to dismantle Osaka Castle’s defenses. In April 1615, Ieyasu learned Hideyori was amassing troops and preparing for war. The truce was broken, leading to the Summer Campaign (1615).
In the final battle on June 4–5, 1615, Hideyori’s forces initially performed well, using surprise tactics under Sanada Yukimura. The Tokugawa forces suffered heavy losses, and Ieyasu himself allegedly considered suicide when defeat seemed imminent. However, due to a miscommunication—caused by a letter from Ieyasu warning of a supposed conspiracy inside the castle—Hideyori delayed his attack, allowing the Tokugawa to regroup. Overwhelmed by superior numbers, Osaka Castle fell.
As Tokugawa troops stormed the castle, Hideyori and his mother, Yodo-dono, took refuge in a fireproof keep. Senhime attempted to negotiate for her husband's life, but Ieyasu refused, ordering his commanders to finish the attack. Under relentless artillery fire, Hideyori and his mother committed seppuku, marking the end of the Toyotomi lineage as a political force.
Aftermath and Legacy
Toyotomi Kunimatsu (Hideyori’s 8-year-old son) was captured and executed.
Naahime (Hideyori’s 7-year-old daughter) was sent to Tōkei-ji, a convent in Kamakura, where she later became its 20th abbess, Tenshūin (1608–1645).
Rumors persisted that Hideyori had escaped Osaka, causing concern for the Tokugawa shogunate. Reports from foreign sources, such as Richard Cocks and Jesuit missionaries, document that some believed Hideyori had fled to Satsuma or even overseas.
With Hideyori’s death, the last major resistance to Tokugawa rule ended, securing Tokugawa dominance for over 250 years.
See also
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Yamagata Masakage
Masakage was one of Takeda Shingen’s most loyal and capable commanders. He was included in the famous list of the “Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen” and also belonged to the inner circle of four especially trusted warlords known as the Shitennō.
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Yagyu Munenori
Yagyū Munenori began his service under Tokugawa Ieyasu while his father, Yagyū Muneyoshi, was still at his side. In 1600, Munenori took part in the decisive Battle of Sekigahara. As early as 1601, he was appointed a kenjutsu instructor to Tokugawa Hidetada, Ieyasu’s son, who later became the second shogun of the Tokugawa clan.
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Yagyu Muneyoshi
A samurai from Yamato Province, he was born into a family that had been defeated in its struggle against the Tsutsui clan. Muneyoshi first took part in battle at the age of sixteen. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he was forced to enter the service of the Tsutsui house and later served Miyoshi Tōkei. He subsequently came under the command of Matsunaga Hisahide and in time became a vassal first of Oda and later of Toyotomi.
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Endo Naozune
Naozune served under Azai Nagamasa and was one of the clan’s leading vassals, renowned for his bravery and determination. He accompanied Nagamasa during his first meeting with Oda Nobunaga and at that time asked for permission to kill Nobunaga, fearing him as an extremely dangerous man; however, Nagamasa did not grant this request.
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Hosokawa Sumimoto
Sumimoto came from the Hosokawa clan: he was the biological son of Hosokawa Yoshiharu and at the same time the adopted son of Hosokawa Masamoto, the heir of Hosokawa Katsumoto, one of the principal instigators of the Ōnin War. Masamoto was homosexual, never married, and had no children of his own. At first he adopted Sumiyuki, a scion of the aristocratic Kujō family, but this choice provoked dissatisfaction and sharp criticism from the senior vassals of the Hosokawa house. As a result, Masamoto changed his decision and proclaimed Sumimoto as his heir, a representative of a collateral branch of the Hosokawa clan that had long been based in Awa Province on the island of Shikoku. Almost immediately after this, the boy became entangled in a complex and bitter web of political intrigue.
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Honda Masanobu
Masanobu initially belonged to the retinue of Tokugawa Ieyasu, but later entered the service of Sakai Shōgen, a daimyo and priest from Ueno. This shift automatically made him an enemy of Ieyasu, who was engaged in conflict with the Ikkō-ikki movement in Mikawa Province. After the Ikkō-ikki were defeated in 1564, Masanobu was forced to flee, but in time he returned and once again entered Ieyasu’s service. He did not gain fame as a military commander due to a wound sustained in his youth; nevertheless, over the following fifty years he consistently remained loyal to Ieyasu.
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Honda Masazumi
Masazumi was the eldest son of Honda Masanobu. From a young age, he served Tokugawa Ieyasu alongside his father, taking part in the affairs of the Tokugawa house and gradually gaining experience in both military and administrative matters. At the decisive Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Masazumi was part of the core Tokugawa forces, a clear sign of the high level of trust Ieyasu placed in him. After the campaign ended, he was given a highly sensitive assignment—serving in the guard of the defeated Ishida Mitsunari, one of Tokugawa’s principal enemies—an obligation that required exceptional reliability and caution.
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Hojo Shigetoki
Hōjō Shigetoki, the third son of Hōjō Yoshitoki, was still very young—only five years old—when his grandfather Tokimasa became the first member of the Hōjō clan to assume the position of shogunal regent.
