57 Facts About Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, otherwise known as Kinoshita Tokichiro and Hashiba Hideyoshi, was a Japanese samurai and daimyo of the late Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was the first person in history to become a Kampaku who was not born a noble.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi then passed the position and title of Kampaku to his nephew, Toyotomi Hidetsugu.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi remained in power as, the title of retired Kampaku, until his death.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi succeeded Nobunaga after the Honno-ji Incident in 1582 and continued Nobunaga's campaign to unite Japan that led to the closing of the Sengoku period.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi became the de facto leader of Japan and acquired the prestigious positions of daijo-daijin and kampaku by the mid-1580s.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592 to initial success, but eventual military stalemate damaged his prestige before his death in 1598.

Hideyoshi's young son and successor Toyotomi Hideyori was displaced by Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 which would lead to the founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi left an influential and lasting legacy in Japan, including Osaka Castle, the Tokugawa class system, the restriction on the possession of weapons to the samurai, and the construction and restoration of many temples, some of which are still visible in Kyoto.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi's autobiography starts in 1577, but in it, Hideyoshi spoke very little about his past.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi had no surname, and his childhood given name was Hiyoshi-maru although variations exist.

Yaemon died in 1543 when Toyotomi Hideyoshi was seven years old.

Many legends describe Toyotomi Hideyoshi being sent to study at a temple as a young man, but he rejected temple life and went in search of adventure.

In 1558, Toyotomi Hideyoshi became an ashigaru for the powerful Oda clan, the rulers of his home province of Owari, now headed by the ambitious Oda Nobunaga.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi soon became Nobunaga's sandal-bearer, a position of relatively high status.

In 1561, Toyotomi Hideyoshi married One, the adopted daughter of Asano Nagakatsu, a descendant of Minamoto no Yorimitsu.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi carried out repairs on Sunomata Castle with his younger half-brother, Hashiba Koichiro, along with Hachisuka Masakatsu, and Maeno Nagayasu.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi's efforts were well-received because Sunomata was in enemy territory, and according to legend Toyotomi Hideyoshi constructed a fort in Sunomata overnight and discovered a secret route into Mount Inaba, after which much of the local garrison surrendered.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi managed to convince a number of Mino warlords to desert the Saito clan, mostly with liberal bribes.

In 1570, Toyotomi Hideyoshi protected Nobunaga's retreat from Azai-Asakura forces at Kanegasaki.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi later moved to the port at Imahama on Lake Biwa, where he began work on Imahama Castle and took control of the nearby Kunitomo firearms factory that had been established some years previously by the Azai and Asakura.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi then fought in the Battle of Tedorigawa, the siege of Miki, the siege of Tottori and the siege of Takamatsu.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, seeking vengeance for the death of his lord, made peace with the Mori clan and thirteen days later met Akechi Mitsuhide and defeated him at the Battle of Yamazaki, avenging his Nobunaga and taking Nobunaga's authority and power for himself.

In late 1582, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was in a very strong position.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi summoned the powerful daimyo to Kiyosu Castle so that they could determine Nobunaga's heir.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi allied with Nobutaka and Takigawa Kazumasu against Hideyoshi.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi had thus consolidated his own power, dealt with most of the Oda clan, and now controlled some 30 provinces.

Ieyasu and Toyotomi Hideyoshi never fought against each other in person, but the former managed to check the advance of the latter's allies.

Later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi made peace with Nobukatsu and Ieyasu, ending the pretext for war between the Tokugawa and Hashiba clans.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi began to move towards attacking Ieyasu, but just then the Tensho earthquake occurred.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi sent his younger sister Asahi no kata and mother Omandokoro to Tokugawa Ieyasu as hostages.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a lavish palace in 1587, the Jurakudai, and entertained the reigning Emperor Go-Yozei the following year.

Also in 1585, Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched the siege of Negoro-ji and subjugated Kii Province.

The complex was set aflame, beginning with the residences of the priests, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi's samurai cut down monks as they escaped the blazing buildings.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was allowed to keep Tosa Province, while the rest of Shikoku was divided among Hideyoshi's generals.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi dispatched Kanamori Nagachika to destroy the Anegakoji clan of Hida while Hideyoshi carried out the siege of Toyama Castle.

In 1586 Toyotomi Hideyoshi conquered Kyushu, wresting control from the Shimazu clan.

Meanwhile, Toyotomi Hideyoshi took his own forces down a more western route, in Chikuzen province.

The Shimazu surrendered, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi was able to return his attention to the Hojo clan of Kanto, the last major clan to oppose him.

Later in 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi banished Christian missionaries from Kyushu, either to exert greater control over the Kirishitan daimyo or to prohibit human trafficking.

In 1588, Toyotomi Hideyoshi forbade ordinary peasants from owning weapons and started a sword hunt to confiscate all weapons owned by peasants.

In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi carried out the Odawara Campaign against the Hojo clan in the Kanto region.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi had Ishigakiyama Ichiya Castle secretly constructed in a nearby forest, and then had the forest chopped down, giving the impression it have been built overnight.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi resigned as kampaku to take the title of taiko, and Hidetsugu succeeded him as kampaku.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi adopted Oda Nobunaga's dream of a Japanese conquest of China, and launched the conquest of the Ming dynasty by way of Korea.

In 1592, Toyotomi Hideyoshi began an invasion of Korea with the intent of conquering Korea and eventually Ming China.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi held the generals in contempt, and they sided with Ieyasu.

In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi completed construction of the Osaka Castle, the largest and most formidable in all Japan, to guard the western approaches to Kyoto.

In that same year, Toyotomi Hideyoshi banned "unfree labour" or slavery in Japan, but forms of contract and indentured labour persisted alongside the period penal codes' forced labour.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi lavished time and money on the Japanese tea ceremony, collecting implements, sponsoring lavish social events, and patronizing acclaimed masters.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi had a long relationship with tea master Sen no Rikyu, which eventually soured leading to Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordering Sen no Rikyu to commit suicide.

Just before his death, Toyotomi Hideyoshi hoped to set up a system stable enough to survive until his son grew old enough to become the next leader.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi is commemorated at several Toyokuni Shrines scattered over Japan.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was born to a low status family and from there he rose through Japan's social ranks to receive the highest title of the imperial nobility, that of Imperial Regent.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi's surname remained Hashiba even as he was granted the new Uji or sei Toyotomi by the Emperor.

The Toyotomi Uji was simultaneously granted to a number of Hideyoshi's chosen allies, who adopted the new Uji "".

Toyotomi Hideyoshi had been given the nickname Kozaru, meaning "little monkey", from his lord Oda Nobunaga, because his facial features and skinny form resembled those of a monkey.