Meeting: #12 Subject: Three Unifiers of Japan Date: 8-8-97
"If a bird will not sing, I will make it to sing."
--Toyotomi Hideyoshi
"If a bird will not sing, I will wait for it to sing."
--Tokugawa Ieyasu
Oda Nobunaga. Born in 1534, Nobunaga is arguably the most potent and fiercest daimyo of the era. He started as a daimyo of Owari county, and came to almost unify Japan. He was described as a demonic figure with no mercy -- sometimes called the "Lord of Darkness". He even destroyed Enryakuji temple in Mt. Hiei , one of the religious centers of Japanese Buddhists. He also suppressed Jodo-shin-shu Buddhism by force. On the other hand, Nobunaga was known as a very progressive leader. He found the potency of tanegashima (arquebus, or muskets) to consolidate his power early, and used them in battles effectively. He also encouraged trade with European nations, and Nobunaga himself was a Christian (his Christian name was "Geronimo"). He wore a European style plate armor in battles, rather than normal Japanese yoroi armor.
Nobunaga realized that if he befriended the Shogun he could do as he pleased. So, in 1568, he marched into the capital city Kyoto and decalred Ashikaga Yoshiaki the new Shogun. So great was Nobunaga's reputation that no one challenged him. However, their friendhsip was short-lived. Ashikaga was insulted that Nobunaga rarely listened to the Shogun's commands, and secretly formed an army to attack Nobunaga at the Anegawa River. Nobunaga survived and took revenge by crushing the two clans which had participated in the attack: the Asakura Clan and the Asai Clan.
By this time, Nobunaga's rival, Takeda Shingen (only warlord to ever defeat both Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu simultaneously in battle, is said to have caused Tokugawa Ieyasu to wet his own kimono the first time they saw each other), had died of illness, and Nobunaga allied himself with the monks of the powerful Ikko Sect. Nobunaga's dream of unifying Japan was taking form and growing more and more likely. Unfortunately, while preparing for battle in the Chugoku Region, Nobunaga was betrayed by his own general, Akechi Mitsuhide. Akechi allowed Nobunaga to use his mother as a hostage, but Nobunaga broke his word and Akechi's mother was killed. Akechi rebelled, and Nobunaga commited hara-kiri with the assistance of Ranmaru, his personal aide, at the age of 49, in the Summer of 1582.
Some argue that he didn't want to become a shogun. Because he was not of the Minamoto, however, he couldn't have anyway. Instead, he wanted to kill the emperor, destroy the dynasty that had lasted for more than 1000 years, and rise as new emperor himself. His strategy was very simple -- exterminate all of his enemies. He seldom accepted surrender.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Hashiba Hideyoshi). Hideyoshi was the successor of Nobunaga . He finally unified Japan and brought about the end of the Civil War Era in the late 1560s. He was born the son of a farmer in 1563, and became a follower of Nobunaga. After Nobunaga was slain by Mitsuhide, Hideyoshi killed Mitsuhide and become a major candidate for the succession of Nobunaga. He buried his rivals one by one, and eventually conquered all over Japan.
Though he couldn't become a Shogun (only descendents of the Genji could take the title), he managed to become the regent of the emperor. He built the massive Osaka Castle to show his power. When all Japan was unified and no enemies could be found, he wanted to conquer China, but this ambition failed. Hideyoshi was said to be smart and arrogant, but not as harsh as Nobunaga. It is said that his face was like an ape's, and he hated to be told so. Hideyoshi died in 1598 of old age.
Tokugawa Ieyasu (Matsudaira Motoyasu). He rewrote his family tree and assumed the title Shogun. Ieyasu was the successor of Hideyoshi, and the founder of Edo Shogunate. Born in 1542, he spent his childhood as a hostage of the Imagawa Clan. As he grew older and saw the Imagawa Clan starting to lose power, he allied himself with Oda Nobunaga. Presumably he was the most famous Shogun in history. He was the daimyo of Mikawa county. Mikawa was a rather weak county and he was no match for Nobunaga, so he became a follower of Nobunaga. When Nobunaga was slain by Mitsuhide at Honnouji temple, he decided not to struggle with Hideyoshi. He didn't argue Hideyoshi's claim for regency, and kept the position of No.2 in Japan.
When Hideyoshi died from old age in 1598, Ieyasu revealed his true agressive form. He broke Ishida Mitsunari, the successor of Hideyoshi, at the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, to prove himself the strongest in Japan. He took the title of Shogun in 1603, and established the Edo Shogunate in Edo (pre-modern Tokyo). He founded the 250 year period in Japanese history known as the Tokugawa Era. Ieyasu was known as a patient, persevering man with an excellent talent for management. He lived to be 75 years old and is still well remembered in Japan for his cleverness and ruthlessness in negotiations.