16 Facts About Shimazu Yoshihisa

Shimazu Yoshihisa was a powerful daimyo and the 16th Chief of Shimazu clan of Satsuma Province, the eldest son of Shimazu Takahisa.

Shimazu Yoshihisa was renowned as a great general, who managed to subjugate Kyushu through the deft maneuvering of his three brothers.

Shimazu Yoshihisa's mother was a daughter of Iriki'in Shigesato, Sessho.

Shimazu Yoshihisa is said to have been born in Izaku Castle in 1535.

Shimazu Yoshihisa married his own aunt and after her death, married his relative, a daughter of Tanegashima Tokitaka.

In 1566, he succeeded his father as the head of Shimazu Yoshihisa clan, becoming the clan's sixteenth leader.

In 1578, Shimazu Yoshihisa defeated the Otomo clan at the battle of Mimigawa and pursuit the Otomo army to they homeland, though he did not take their territory;.

Later, in 1581, Shimazu Yoshihisa forces took Minamata castle in Higo Province with a force of 115,000 men;.

In 1585, during Shimazu's attempt to unify Kyushu, other Kyushu clans appealed to Toyotomi Hideyoshi for help; the Otomo clan and Ryuzoji clan asked Hideyoshi for aid, and though he had been unable to help at that time, Hideyoshi interceded, requesting that Yoshihisa make peace with Otomo.

Shimazu Yoshihisa, seeing that Hideyoshi was prepared to invade, sent a message to Hideyoshi, claiming that he had attacked the other clans in self-defence, but Hideyoshi refused and leads his forces to Kyushu.

The Shimazu Yoshihisa fought well, but had few firearms and lacked discipline and training; they were steadily overwhelmed through the superior quality and quantity.

Hideyoshi offered generous terms for a lasting peace to son of Yoshihiro's and Iehisa's; though Shimazu Yoshihisa initially refused the offer, Hideyoshi tried again and was this time successful.

Shimazu Yoshihisa shaved his head to surrender, showing that he would become a Buddhist monk if his life was spared.

Yoshihisa did not have a son to succeed him, so he had Yoshihiro's son, Shimazu Tadatsune marry the third daughter Shimazu Kameju and adopted him as the successor.

Shimazu Yoshihisa initially looked favourably on Christian missionaries such as Luis de Almeida.

Shimazu Yoshihisa was buried at what had once been the site of Fukushoji in Kagoshima - his tombstone remains, along with those of the other leaders of his clan.