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
-
Ban Naoyuki
He was also known as Ban Danemon. In the early stages of his military career, he served under Kato Yoshiaki, one of the so-called “Seven Spears of Shizugatake,” who later became the ruler of the Aizu region in Mutsu Province. Naoyuki held the position of commander of the arquebusiers (teppo taishō).
-
Asakura Toshikage
The Asakura family, who claimed kinship with several emperors, lived in the province of Echizen. Its representatives were considered hereditary vassals of the Shiba clan. From the mid-15th century until their defeat by Oda Nobunaga's army in 1573, which resulted in the final destruction of the Asakura clan, they were a significant military and economic force.
-
Asakura Yoshikage
Yoshikage was the eldest son of Asakura Takakage. He began ruling in 1548 at the age of fifteen, and during his reign he twice defeated the Ikko-ikki forces, in 1555 and 1564. Yoshikage supported the Saito family in their struggle against Oda Nobunaga in 1561–1567. When Ashikaga Yoshiaki fled Kyoto in 1565 after the assassination of his older brother, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Yoshikage gave him refuge. However, he was unable to provide sufficient support for Yoshiaki's claim to the title of shogun, and Yoshiaki had to seek help from Oda Nobunaga.
-
Asakura Norikage
Norikage came from the ancient samurai clan of Asakura, whose members considered themselves descendants of Prince Kusakabe, son of Emperor Tenmu (631–686). He was the eighth son of daimyo Asakura Takakage and was named Kotaro in childhood. Over time, Asakura Norikage became the pillar of the Asakura clan and was undoubtedly its most talented commander during that difficult period when the clan was experiencing internal difficulties, uprisings by the Ikko-ikki sect, and instability in the lands surrounding the capital. Although Norikage himself was never a daimyo, he served as an advisor to three generations of Asakura clan leaders. He spent his entire life on military campaigns. After his father's death in 1481, Norikage entered the service of his brother, Asakura Ujikage.
-
Asai (Azai) Nagamasa
Asai Nagamasa inherited power from his father, Asai Hisamasa, when he was only fifteen years old. Both brave and impulsive, he proved himself a capable commander, managing to regain lands from the Rokkaku clan that had previously been lost by his father. After a territorial dispute with Oda Nobunaga over the province of Mino, Nagamasa formed an alliance with Nobunaga and married his sister Oichi, who was famous for her beauty. In 1570, when Oda Nobunaga declared war on the Asakura family, Nagamasa sided with the Asakura because he had long-standing ties with them. This unexpected move threatened Nobunaga's invasion of the Asakura lands by threatening him from the rear. Oda managed to save his army, not without the help of Tokugawa Ieyasu, but relations between Nobunaga and Asai were permanently damaged.
-
Amano Yasukage
Yasukage was born into the family of the samurai Amano Kagetaka and was given the name Matagoro at birth. He later changed his name to Kageyoshi, and then to Yasukage. From an early age, Yasukage served Tokugawa Ieyasu and accompanied him when he was held hostage by Imagawa Yoshimoto. His loyalty and devotion to Ieyasu from a young age laid the foundation for Yasukage's future military and administrative career.
-
Amago Tsunekisa
The Amago clan (also spelled Amako) was founded in 1392, when Sasaki Takahisa, who was orphaned at the age of three, took the new surname Amago, meaning “son of a nun,” in honor of the nun who raised him. Since the Sasaki family descended from Emperor Uda (866–931), the Amago clan traced its lineage back to this emperor. From around 1396, the Amago clan's headquarters was the mountain castle of Gassan-Toda in Izumo Province. Until the start of the Onin War, the Amago clan remained a minor clan in the service of the Kyogoku clan, which was also a descendant of the Sasaki clan. The Amago clan historically held the position of vice-governor of Izumo Province.
-
Abe Masakatsu
Masakatsu came from the ancient Abe clan, whose progenitor, according to the Nihon Shoki chronicle, is considered to be Prince Ohiko-no-mikoto (2nd century BC), son of Emperor Kogen. From the Nara period (710–784), members of the Abe clan held high positions in the government, including at the ministerial level, and from the Heian period (794–1185) onwards, the clan gained widespread fame, which continued until the Edo period.
