Asano Yoshinaga (July 1, 1681 – January 13, 1752) was a
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
''
daimyō
were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...
'' of the
Edo period
The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
, who ruled the Hiroshima Domain.
Conflict
According to popular theory In 1598 after the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the government of Japan had an accident when seven military generals consisting of
Fukushima Masanori
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Sengoku period to early Edo period and served as the lord of the Hiroshima Domain. A retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he fought in the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583 and soon became known as one of the ...
,
Katō Kiyomasa
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Azuchi–Momoyama period, Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. His court title was . His name as a child was ''Yashamaru'', and first name was ''Toranosuke''. He was one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Hideyoshi's Seven ...
,
Ikeda Terumasa
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. His court title was ''Kokushi (officials), Musashi no Kami''. Terumasa was also known by the nickname ''saigoku no shōgun'', or, "The ''Shōgun'' of Western Japan". Terumasa fought in many ...
Katō Yoshiaki
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Sengoku period to early Edo period; he served as lord of the Aizu Domain.
As a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Katō fought in the battle of Shizugatake in 1583 and soon became known as one of the ''shich ...
, and
Kuroda Nagamasa
was a ''daimyō'' during the late Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods. He was the son of Kuroda Kanbei, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's chief strategist and adviser.
Biography
Nagamasa's childhood name was Shojumaru (松寿丸). In 1577 his fathe ...
planned a conspiracy to kill Ishida Mitsunari. It was said that the reason of this conspiracy was a dissatisfaction of those generals towards Mitsunari, as he wrote bad assessments and underreported the achievements of those generals during the Imjin war against the Korea & Chinese empire. At first, these generals gathered at Kiyomasa's mansion in
Osaka Castle
is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi–Momoyama period.
Layout
Th ...
, and from there they moved into Mitsunari's mansion. However, Mitsunari learned of this through a report from a servant of
Toyotomi Hideyori
was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who united all of Japan toward the end of the Sengoku period. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga.
Early life
Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's sec ...
named Jiemon Kuwajima, and fled to Satake Yoshinobu's mansion together with
Shima Sakon
, also known as Shima Tomoyuki and Shima Katsutake, was a Japanese samurai of the late Sengoku period. His nickname was (Shima Nearby on the Left). Sakon eventually left the service of the Hatakeyama clan, Tsutsui Junkei, Toyotomi Hidenaga an ...
to hide. When the seven generals found out that Mitsunari was not in the mansion, they searched the mansions of various feudal lords in Osaka Castle, and Kato's army also approached the Satake residence. Therefore, Mitsunari and his party escaped from the Satake residence and barricaded themselves at the
Fushimi Castle
, also known as or Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, is a Japanese castle located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto.
Fushimi Castle was constructed from 1592 to 1594 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the end of the Sengoku period as his retirement residen ...
. The next day, the seven generals surrounded Fushimi Castle with their soldiers as they knew Mitsunari was hiding there.
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...
, who was in charge of political affairs in Fushimi Castle tried to arbitrate the situation. The seven generals requested Ieyasu to hand over Mitsunari, which was refused by Ieyasu. Ieyasu then negotiated to let Mitsunari retire and to review the assessment of the Battle of Ulsan Castle in Korea which became the major source of this incident. He later told his second son,
Yūki Hideyasu
was a Japanese samurai who lived during the Azuchi–Momoyama period, Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods. He was the ''daimyō'' of Fukui Domain in Echizen Province, Echizen.
Early life
Hideyasu was born as in 1574, the second son of To ...
, to escort Mitsunari to Sawayama Castle. However, historian Watanabe Daimon stated from the primary and secondary sources about the accident that this was more of legal conflict between those generals rather than conspiracy to murder him. The role of Ieyasu here was not to physically protect Mitsunari, but to mediate the complaints of those generals.
Nevertheless, historians viewed this incident not just simply personal problems between those seven generals and Mitsunari, but rather as an extension of the political rivalries between the Tokugawa faction and the anti-Tokugawa faction led by Mitsunari. Since this incident, military figures who didn't like Mitsunari would later support Ieyasu during the conflict of Sekigahara between the Eastern army led by Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Western army led by Ishida Mitsunari. Muramatsu Shunkichi, writer of "''The Surprising Colors and Desires of the Heroes of Japanese History and violent women''”, gave his assessment that the reason of Mitsunari failure in his war against Ieyasu was due to his unpopularity among the major political figures of that time.
Family
* Father:
Asano Tsunanaga
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Edo period, who ruled the Hiroshima Domain. He was the chamberlain of Aki and held the title of '' Aki no kami''. His childhood name was Iwamatsu (岩松).
During the 47 ''rōnin'' incident, Tsunanaga sent ...
* Mother: Tokugawa Atehime (1666–1683), daughter of
Tokugawa Mitsutomo
was daimyō of Owari Domain during early Edo period Japan.
Biography
Tokugawa Mitsutomo was the eldest son of the first daimyō of Owari Domain, Tokugawa Yoshinao by a concubine. He undertook his '' genpuku'' ceremony under Shōgun Tokugawa Iem ...
, 2nd Daimyo of
Owari Domain
The Owari-Han, also known as the Owari Domain, was a significant feudal domain in Tokugawa shogunate, Japan during the Edo period. Situated in the western region of what is now Aichi Prefecture, it covered portions of Owari Province, Owari, Mino ...
* Wife: Maeda Ushihime, daughter of
Maeda Tsunanori
was an Edo period Japanese people, Japanese samurai, and the 4th ''daimyō'' of Kaga Domain in the Hokuriku region of Japan. He was the 5th hereditary chieftain of the Kanazawa Maeda clan. His childhood name was "Inuchiyo" (犬千代).
Biogra ...
, 4th Daimyo of
Kaga Domain
The , also known as the , was a domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1583 to 1871.Asano Munetsune by Ushihime
** Chohime married Sakai Tadayori of Tsuruoka Domain by Ushihime
** daughter married Matsudaira Masamoto later married Soma Noritane of Sōma Domain
** daughter married Matsudaira Sadateru of Takada Domain later married Abe Masanao