Toyotomi Hideyoshi – Study of Japanese Sword

August 12, 2019December 11, 2025 Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 62| Part 2 of - - -26|Edo Period History(江戸時代）1603 - 1867, Uncategorized

59| Part 2 of — 25 Edo Period History (江戸時代歴史)

Chapter 59 is a detailed section of Chapter 25 Edo Period History (江戸時代歴史). Please read Chapter 25 before reading this part.

0-timeline - size 24 edo Period The red circle above indicates the time we discuss in this section

Battle of Sekigahara (関ヶ原合戦)

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉), the most powerful figure during the Sengoku and Momoyama periods, died in 1598. His heir, Hideyori (秀頼), was only five years old. Before his death, Hideyoshi established a council system composed of the top five daimyo to oversee Hideyori’s affairs as regents until he reached adulthood.

At Hideyoshi’s deathbed, all five Daimyo agreed to serve as guardians of Hideyori. However, over time, Ishida Mitsunari (石田三成) and Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康) began to disagree. In 1600, finally, the two main Daimyo clashed, leading to the Battle of Sekigahara. One side is called Seigun (the Western army), led by Ishida Mitsunari and the other is Togun (the Eastern army), led by Tokugawa Ieyasu. All the daimyo across the country sided either with Tokugawa or with Ishida Mitsunari. It is said that Mitsunari’s forces had 100,000 men, while Tokugawa’s forces had 70,000. Ieyasu had fewer soldiers, but he ultimately won. Ieyasu became the chief retainer of the Toyotomi clan, meaning he was virtually the top figure since Hideyori was still a child.

In 1603, Ieyasu became a Shogun. Now, Ieyasu took control of Japan, establishing the Tokugawa Bakufu (government) in Edo and eliminating the council system.

Toyotomi Hideyori lived with his mother, Yodo-gimi (or Yodo-dono), at Osaka Castle, which Hideyoshi had built before his death. Over time, tensions arose between Hideyori and Yodo-gimi in Osaka and Ieyasu in Edo. Yodo-gimi was a proud and headstrong person, and she had good reasons for it. She was the niece of Oda Nobunaga, the wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the mother of Hideyori, the head of the Toyotomi clan. Later, her pride led her into trouble and contributed to the Toyotomi clan’s downfall.

Siege of Osaka: Winter (1614) and Summer ( 1615) Campaigns

During the 15 years between the Battle of Sekigahara and the Siege of Osaka Castle, tensions between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Toyotomi clan steadily increased. Before the Battle of Sekigahara, the Toyotomi clan ruled Japan. After Sekigahara, the Tokugawa bakufu took control of Japan. The Toyotomi clan lost many key advisors and vassals in the battle. As a result, Toyotomi’s power remained centered on Yodo-gimi. By the time of the siege, Hideyori had grown into a fine young man, but Yodo-gimi had overly protected and controlled her son. She wouldn’t even let Hideyori practice kendo (the traditional Japanese swordsmanship), claiming it was too dangerous.

She persistently acted as if the Toyotomi clan still held the highest power. Tokugawa Ieyasu tried to ease tensions by arranging for his granddaughter, Sen-hime, to marry Hideyori. A few advisors suggested that Yodo-gimi should yield to Tokugawa, but she insisted that Tokugawa must subordinate himself to Toyotomi. Rumors began circulating that the Toyotomi side was recruiting and gathering many ronin (unemployed samurai) within Osaka Castle. Several key figures tried to mediate between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa clans but were unsuccessful.

Finally, Ieyasu led his army to Osaka, and in November 1614, he launched a campaign to siege Osaka Castle (the Winter Campaign). It is said that the Toyotomi side had 100,000 soldiers, though some were merely mercenaries. However, Osaka Castle was built almost like a fortress, making it very difficult to attack. The Tokugawa army attacked fiercely and fired cannons daily, but they realized the castle was so well built that it was a waste of time to keep trying.

Eventually, both sides entered peace negotiations. They agreed on several items in the treaty. One of them was to fill the outer moat of Osaka Castle. However, the Tokugawa side filled both the outer and inner moats. That angered the Toyotomi side, and they became suspicious that the Tokugawa might not keep the agreement.

Another agreement was the disarmament of the Toyotomi clan. However, the Toyotomi side kept their soldiers inside the castle. Tokugawa issued a final ultimatum to the Toyotomi side: remove all soldiers from the castle or vacate it. Yodo-gimi refused both demands.

After that, another siege started in the summer of 1615 (the Summer Campaign). It is said that the Toyotomi had 70,000 men, whereas the Tokugawa had 150,000. Both sides fought in several battles here and there, but the early battles did not go well for either side due to thick fog, delayed troop arrivals, and miscommunication. The final battle took place at Osaka Castle. The Toyotomi decided to stay inside the castle, but soon, a fire broke out from within and burned the castle down. Yodo-gimi and Hideyori hid inside a storage building, waiting for Ieyasu’s response to their pleas for mercy. They hoped their daughter-in-law could negotiate the terms of the deal. However, it was not accepted, and both died inside the storage building.

Nene and Yodo-gimi

Nene was the lawful wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. She was a bright and wise person, despite not being of noble birth. Everyone respected her, including Tokugawa Ieyasu. Even Hideyoshi often valued her opinions on political matters. She helped Hideyoshi rise through the ranks. However, Nene was unable to have children. Toyotomi Hideyoshi sought out other women everywhere, hoping to produce an heir, but none could have his child except Yodo-gimi. Naturally, rumors circulated about who the real biological father was. Speculation pointed to several men, one of whom was Ishida Mitsunari.

62 Yodo Gimi

伝　淀殿画像（possibly of Yodo-dono, but not confirmed）Owned by the Nara Museum of Art, Public Domain: Yodo-dono cropped.jpg from Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository.

*Nene* (*Kodai-in*), the legitimate wife of *Toyotomi Hideyoshi*. Image in the public domain from Wikimedia, owned by *Kodai-Ji*

July 7, 2019December 10, 2025 Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 59| Second Part of ---23|Sengoku Period History (戦国時代) 1467 --- 1596, Uncategorized

56| Part 2 of — 22 Sengoku Period History (戦国時代歴史)　

Chapter 56 is a detailed section of Chapter 22, Sengoku Period History. Please read Chapter 22, Sengoku Period History, before reading this part.

The circle above indicate the time we discuss in this section

Chapter 22, Sengoku Period History, explains why we divide the Muromachi period into the Muromachi and Sengoku periods based on sword styles. The center timeline above indicates that the Sengoku period (戦国時代) ended in 1596, according to sword history.

1596 is the start of the Keicho (慶長) era. Swords made during and after the Keicho era are called shin-to (new swords), and swords before the Keicho era are called ko-to (old swords). Therefore, the start of the Keicho era is the dividing line. The swords made during the Keicho time are technically shin-to, but they are specially called Keicho shin-to.

Chapter 22, Sengoku Period History, describes an overview of the Sengoku period. At the beginning of the Sengoku period, about thirty small Sengoku daimyo (warlords) fought fiercely against each other. They formed alliances with neighboring territories on and off, and occasionally betrayed one another. The more powerful daimyo took over the territories of the weaker ones. Gradually, the number of daimyo decreased. Well-known powerful daimyo include Imagawa Yoshimoto (今川義元), Takeda Shingen (武田信玄), Uesugi Kenshin (上杉謙信), Hojo Soun (北条早雲), Oda Nobunaga (織田信長), Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康), and Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉). Their ultimate goal was to defeat their rivals and advance to Kyoto (京都) to establish themselves as the supreme political power.

Oda Nobunaga (織田信長) defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto in Okehazama (桶狭間)

Around 1560, Imagawa Yoshimoto (今川義元) controlled a significant part of Suruga (now Shizuoka Prefecture). See the map below for the location. He was a powerful Sengoku daimyo, strong enough to be the country’s top ruler.

The Imagawa clan decided to move their army to Kyoto to take control of the government. He took 25,000 men with him. On his way to Kyoto, they needed to pass through Owari (尾張: Aichi Prefecture today; see the location below), Oda Nobunaga’s territory.

Oda Nobunaga (織田信長) was a young man with far fewer resources than Imagawa Yoshimoto. It was clear that Oda Nobunaga had little chance of defeating Imagawa. He had just become the head of Owari after his father’s death. At that time, Nobunaga was called “the idiot of Owari” because of his eccentric behavior (although he was a genius).

Few people had trusted in Nobunaga. Among Od’s vassals, some insisted on staying inside the castle instead of going out to fight, since Nobunaga could only gather 3,000 men. But in the end, to everyone’s surprise, the Oda side won. Here is how it happened.

While Imagawa Yoshimoto was advancing, Nobunaga scouted which route Imagawa would take. Imagawa’s side was confident they would win this easy battle because the Oda clan was small, and the head of the clan was an idiot. The Imagawa troops decided to stop and rest at a place called Okehazama. The road passing through Okehazama was long and narrow. Knowing that Imagawa’s troops would come this way, Nobunaga sent out his men disguised as farmers and offered food and sake to the Imagawa soldiers. While they were having a good time, Oda Nobunaga launched a surprise attack on the Imagawa troops. On top of that, it suddenly began raining heavily. The rain was so intense that the Imagawa troops could not see the Oda troops approaching. Ultimately, Imagawa Yoshimoto was killed in battle by Oda forces. Afterward, the Imagawa clan declined.

59 Okehazama drawing

Bishu Okehazama Gassen (備州桶狭間合戦) by Utagawa Toyonobu (歌川豊信) Public Domain　(http://morimiya.net/online/ukiyoe-big-files/U896.html)

Oda Nobunaga(織田信長) and Akechi Mitsuhide(明智光秀)

After the Battle of Okehazama, the Oda clan rapidly expanded. Oda Nobunaga became the dominant power. During his rule, he carried out several brutal acts, such as burning the Enryaku-ji temple (延暦寺) and killing many people, including civilians, yet his economic policies encouraged commercial activities.

Things were going fairly smoothly for Nobunaga late in his life. However, in 1582, Nobunaga was killed by his top vassal, Akechi Mitsuhide (明智光秀), at the Hon’nou-ji (本能寺) temple in Kyoto. Nobunaga was 49 years old.

There are several theories about why Akechi attacked and killed Nobunaga, but we don’t know exactly what happened. One speculation is that Akechi held a grudge against Nobunaga. There were numerous incidents where Nobunaga mistreated him. Another theory suggests that Akechi saw an opportunity to attack Nobunaga (Nobunaga was with very few men that day), and he took the chance. Another one is that Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki (足利義昭) and his allies ordered Akechi to kill Nobunaga because Akechi had once worked for him. Shogun Yoshiaki was afraid Nobunaga would become too powerful. More theories exist. We don’t know the true reason; it is still debated today. It remains one of the big mysteries in Japanese history.

After this occurred, the news was sent to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was Akechi’s counterpart under Nobunaga. At that time, Hideyoshi was in Bicchu (備中, today’s Okayama Prefecture ), about 230 km (143 miles) from Kyoto (see the map below). Hideyoshi quickly returned to Kyoto with his troops to avenge his master against Akechi and killed him.

Here is another mystery. The time between Nobunaga’s death and Akechi’s death was only ten days. Hideyoshi was 230 km (143 miles) away, with mountains and rivers between them. This means that within 10 days, Hideyoshi received news of Nobunaga’s death, packed up, and hurried back 230 km (143 miles) to Kyoto with his large number of soldiers, and fought against Akechi and killed him. Their means of transportation at the time were limited. Although Hideyoshi maintained a constant communication channel with Nobunaga’s inner circle, his reaction was somewhat too rapid. There are also speculations that Akechi and Hideyoshi were both behind together(?) or that there was some other secret plot behind the incidents.

After Hideyoshi killed Akechi, he cleverly maneuvered his way to the top of power. While Hideyoshi was in charge, he mined enormous quantities of gold from the mines he owned. Records state that Hideyoshi buried a large amount of gold somewhere. However, it has not yet been found.

Hideyoshi was the son of a poor farmer who rose to become Japan’s most powerful man. His success story fascinates the Japanese people. Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu are the most frequently depicted subjects in television shows and films. After Hideyoshi died of natural causes, Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shogun, and the Edo period began.

The reference source *Rekijin.com/?p=31448-キャッシュ *Bushoojapan.com/scandal/2019/06/02/51145-キャッシュ

January 9, 2019December 4, 2025 Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 8| «Part 2» Overview of the Kamakura Period Sword 1192-1333, Uncategorized

40|Part 2 of — 7 Overview of Kamakura Period Sword (鎌倉太刀概要)

This chapter is a detailed part of Chapter 7, an overview of the Kamakura Period Swords. Please read Chapter 7, Overview of the Kamakura Period Swords, before reading this section.

0-timeline - size 24 Kamakura Period

The red circle above indicates the time we discuss in this section.

The Kamakura period was a golden age of sword-making. About half of the well-known swords today were produced during this time. This is probably because the war between the Genji and the Heishi demanded many swords, and swordsmiths improved their skills through wartime experience. Also, Emperor Gotoba (後鳥羽) invited many talented swordsmiths to his palace, treated them favorably, and encouraged them to create excellent swords by granting them high ranks. During the Kamakura period, sword-making techniques greatly improved.

Middle Kamakura Period —- Yamashiro-den (山城伝)

The middle Kamakura period was the height of the Yamashiro-den. Within the Yamashiro-den, there were three main groups: the Ayanokoji group (綾小路), Awataguchi group (粟田口), and Rai group (来). Among the Awataguchi group, six swordsmiths received the honor of “Goban-kaji ” from Emperor Gotoba (後鳥羽上皇). Awataguchi is the name of an area in Kyoto.

The Ayanokoji ( 綾小路 ) group lived in the Ayanokoji area of Kyoto. My sword textbook had a note indicating that I had seen Ayanokoji Sadatoshi (綾小路定利) on March 22^, 1972. My note was brief, only a few words: o-suriage, funbari, narrow–body, and ji-nie.

The Rai group originated from Rai Kuniyuki (来国行 ). Rai Kuniyuki and Ayanokoji Sadatoshi were believed to have been close friends. Rai Kuniyuki created many well-known swords. His famous Fudo Kuniyuki (不動国行) was once owned by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru (足利義輝 ), then passed to Matsunaga Danjo (松永弾正), then to Oda Nobunaga ( 織田信長 ), then to Akechi Mitsuhide (明智光秀 ), and eventually to Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉). All of them were historically famous and influential daimyo. It is said that Toyotomi Hideyoshi held this sword during the memorial service for Oda Nobunaga. Rai Kuniyuki’s son was Niji Kunitoshi. He also forged well-known swords.

Middle Kamakura Period —– Bizen-den (備前伝)

The Bizen-den during the Heian period was called Ko-bizen. They are similar to those in the Yamashiro-den style. The true height of the Bizen-den was during the middle Kamakura period. The Bizen area (today’s Okayama Prefecture) had many ideal conditions for sword-making: a good climate, abundant iron resources, plenty of wood for fuel, and a convenient location. Naturally, many swordsmiths moved there, and it became a major center for sword production.

The Bizen region produced many swords of higher quality and superior to those of other sword groups and more famous swordsmiths. Fukuoka Ichimonji Norimune (則宗) and his son Sukemune (助宗 ) received the honor of the Goban-kaji from Emperor Gotoba. Among the Osafune group (長船), the famous Mitsutada (光忠) and Nagamitsu (長光) appeared. My father owned four Mitsutada blades. Three tachis and one tanto. He was so proud of owning four Mitsutada blades that he asked his tailor to monogram Mitsutada on the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

From the Hatakeda group (畠田), Hatakeda Moriie (畠田守家), and from the Ugai (鵜飼) group, Unsho (雲生 ) and Unji (雲次) appeared. The famous Kunimune (国宗) also emerged around this time. Since many swordsmiths worked in the Bizen-den, many Bizen swords exist today. Each swordsmith displayed his own characteristics in the swords. Therefore, doing the kantei of Bizen swords can be quite complex.

The classification of the sword ranking from the top

Kokuho (国宝: National Treasure)
Jyuyo Bunkazai (重要文化財: Important Cultural Property)
Jyuyo Bijutsu Hin (重要美術品: Important Artwork)
Juyo Token (重要刀剣: Important Sword) more to follow

Here are my father’s four Bizen Osafune Mitsutada swords. He took these pictures many years ago at home. It is clear that he was not much of a photographer. On a rectangular sheet of white paper, he wrote the name of the swordsmith, the period when the sword was made, the name(s) of the daimyo who owned it in the past, and its classification.

Osafune Mitsutada (Juyo Bukazai) Osafune Mitsutada (Juyo Bunakzai)

Osafune Mitsutada (Juyo Token) Osafune Mitsutada(Juyo Bunkazai)

Late Kamakura Period —– Soshu Den (相州伝 )

Yamashiro-den began to decline in the latter part of the Kamakura period. At this time, many swordsmiths moved to the Kamakura area under the new power of the Kamakura bakufu (鎌倉幕府), led by the Hojo clan. The new group, Soshu-den (相州伝 ), began to emerge. Fukuoka Ichimonji Sukezane (福岡一文字助真) and Kunimune (国宗) from Bizen moved to Kamakura. Toroku Sakon Kunitsuna (藤六左近国綱) from the Awataguchi group of Yamashiro-den also moved to Kamakura. These three are considered the founders of the Soshu-den in Kamakura. Kunitsuna‘s son was Tosaburo Yukimitsu, and his grandson was the famous Masamune (正宗). Outside Kamakura, Yamashiro Rai Kunitsugu (来国次), Go-no-Yoshihiro (郷義弘) from the Ettchu (越中) province, and Samoji (左文字) from Chikuzen Province (筑前) were active swordsmiths.

June 16, 2018November 26, 2025 Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 27| Shinto, Uncategorized

26 |Over view of Shinto (新刀概要）

The circle indicates the subject discuss in this section

The previous chapter 25 stated that the Edo period lasted from 1603 to 1868. This is for political history. The third timeline above shows that the Momoyama period overlaps with the Edo period. Some people believe the Momoyama period was from 1573 to 1600. In general history, there are several opinions on how to divide these transitional periods. For sword history, it is straightforward. Swords made between approximately 1596 (慶長: Keicho era) and 1781 (天明: Tenmei era) are called shin-to. Swords made between the Tenmei and Meiji eras are referred to as shin-to.

After Toyotomi Hideyoshi nearly unified the country, the people could enjoy a period of peace. This period of peace shifted the geographic distribution of swordsmiths. There were three main regions where sword forging took place. These areas include Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo (Tokyo now). The remaining swordsmiths gathered near the castles of major daimyo (大名: feudal lords).

Kyoto—- The Umetada Myoju (梅忠明寿) group thrived, followed by swordsmiths such as Horikawa Kunihiro (堀川国広), Kunimichi (国路), Kunisada (国貞), and Kunisuke (国助).

Osaka——–– Osaka was established as a commercial city and became the center of commerce. It produced swords and distributed them to other regions across the country. The well-known swordsmiths in Osaka: Tsuda Sukehiro (津田助広) and Inoue Shinkai (井上真改).

Edo————-Many swordsmiths gathered in Edo (江, now Tokyo), where Shogun Tokugawa Iyeyasu lived. The well-known swordsmiths in Edo: Nagasone Kotetsu (長曽祢虎徹), Yasutsugu (康継), Noda Hannkei (野田繁慶).

By the time Tokugawa Iyeyasu’s grandson, Tokugawa Iyemitsu, became shogun (寛永：Kan’ei era 1624 – 1643), swordsmiths had spread beyond the three areas mentioned above. In each daimyo territory, swordsmiths operated shops near the castles to meet the needs of the daimyo and their subjects. By the Genroku era (元禄: 1695), sword-making had declined, and people preferred more picturesque hamon designs, such as kikusui (菊水: flower design) and fujimi (富士見: Mount Fuji).

Difference between Koto and Shinto

The following section describes the differences between Ko-to and Shin-to. However, remember that there are always exceptions to these rules.

The length of the shin-to katana is typically about two feet three inches ± a little. The wakizashi is about one foot six inches. Shallow curvature. Wide width. Thick body. Gyo-no-mune. Chu-gissaki with a slightly stretched appearance.

13 Mune drawing

The ko-to sword feels light, while the shin-to feels heavy.
The bottom of the hi is rounded above the machi. Shin-to’s bo-hi ends slightly below the yokote line.

Generally, carvings are less common on shin-to. However, some swordsmiths are famous for their carvings. The designs are refined and detailed. Umetada Myoju (埋忠明寿) is well-known for his carvings.
For shin-to, if it is mainly nie, it is usually a coarse nie.
In the machi area, the hamon begins with a straight tempered line (the bottom part of the blade shown in the illustration below), followed by midare, or various types of hamon in the middle, and ends with suguha (straight hamon) in the boshi area (the top part). Generally, this is the standard Hamon style of shin-to, but there are always exceptions.

27 Keshou Yasuri & suguha

For shin-to, the type of iron used for the blade is consistent throughout Japan. A few variations of iron were used across Japan, with a very hard, dark color and a glossy look.
The nakago has a well-balanced shape. The bottom of the nakagotapers gradually. The type of yasuri-me (file mark) is often a kesho-yasuri. Engraved inscriptions display the swordsmith’s name, location, province, and year of creation.

27 Keshou Yasuri & suguha

April 28, 2018November 25, 2025 Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 23 | Sengoku Period, Uncategorized

22| Sengoku Period History (戦国時代歴史)

0-timeline - size 24 Sengoku Period 0

The red circle above indicates the time we discuss in this section

The timeline above shows two circles. In political history, the Sengoku period (戦国時代) is part of the Muromachi period (室町), which is the lower circle. However, in sword history, we separate the Muromachi and Sengoku periods (Warring States period), the top circle. In sword history, we divide the time this way because, during those two periods, sword styles changed, and the environment of sword-making also changed.

After the Onin-no-ran (応仁の乱) began (discussed in 20|Muromachi Period History), the beautiful capital city of Kyoto (京都) was in a devastated condition. The shogun’s (将軍) power reached only over a small area. The rest of the country was divided into about thirty small independent states. The leaders of these independent states were called shugo daimyo (守護大名). They were originally government officials who were appointed and sent there by the central government.

Powerful local samurai often became the leaders of these states. They fought against each other to take over each other’s land. During the Sengoku period, vassals would kill their lords and steal their domains, or farmers would revolt against their lords. A state like this is called “gekoku-jo” (lower-class samurai overthrow the superior).　

This was the time of the Warring States, known as the Sengoku period. The leader of each state was called a Sengoku daimyo (戦国大名: Warlord). The Sengoku period lasted about 100 years. Gradually, powerful states defeated weaker ones through long, fierce battles, expanding their territory. Around thirty small countries became twenty, then ten, and so on. Eventually, only a few dominant sengoku daimyo (warlords) remained. Each daimyo from those states fought their way to Kyoto and tried to become the top ruler of Japan. The first one who almost succeeded was Oda Nobunaga (織田信長). However, he was killed by his vassal, Akechi Mitsuhide (明智光秀), and soon Akechi was killed by his colleague, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉).　　

After Toyotomi Hideyoshi defeated Akechi Mitsuhide, his troops, and other major warlords, he nearly completed the unification of Japan. Yet, Hideyoshi still had one more rival to deal with to finish his goal. That was Tokugawa Iyeyasu (徳川家康). Now, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu are the last contenders for the top position. Both recognized that their opponents were smart and capable. Any wrong move could be disastrous. Therefore, they decided to maintain a friendly coexistence on the surface for the time being. Although Toyotomi Hideyoshi tried to make Tokugawa Ieyasu his vassal, Tokugawa Ieyasu somehow managed to avoid that. In Tokugawa Ieyasu’s mind, being younger than Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he knew he could simply wait until Hideyoshi‘s natural death, which eventually happened.

After Hideyoshi’s death, Tokugawa Ieyasu fought Hideyoshi’s vassals and won at the Battle of Sekigahara (関ヶ原の戦い) in 1600. Then, in 1615, at the Battle of the Osaka Natsu-no-jin (Osaka Summer Campaign: 大阪夏の陣), Tokugawa defeated Hideyoshi’s son’s army. Following this, the Toyotomi clan was dissolved entirely, and the Edo (江戸) period began. It is called the Edo period because Tokugawa Ieyasu lived in Edo, which is now Tokyo (東京).

*The Sengoku period is frequently depicted in TV dramas and movies. People who lived through that era had a tough time, but it was also the most exciting time for creating TV shows and films. The lives of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu are among the most popular stories in Japan. In particular, the story of Toyotomi Hideyoshi is among the most popular. His background was that of a poor farmer, but he rose to become the top ruler of Japan. That is a fascinating success story.

23 Toyotomi_hideyoshi

Portrait of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉) by Kano Mitsunobu, owned by Kodai-Ji Temple From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repositon.