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The Toyotomi crest, now the symbol of Osaka Prefecture.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉; 1536 - September 18, 1598), was a Japanese general who united Japan. He succeeded his former liege, Oda Nobunaga. Later he invaded Korea. He is known for a number of cultural legacies, including the restriction that only members of the samurai class could bear arms.

The period of his rule is called the Momoyama period, after his castle. It lasted from 1582 to his death in 1598, or (according to some scholars) until Tokugawa Ieyasu seized power after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was born at the place now called Nagoya, Owari province, the home of the Oda clan. His given name was plainly "Hiyoshimaru". He was born with no traceable samurai lineage and hence without a surname. As a youth, he joined the Oda clan as a lowly servant. He quickly was noticed for his resourcefulness and rose high enough to be given a full name: Kinoshita Tokichiro. Despite his peasant lineage, he quickly became one of Oda Nobunaga's most distinguished generals, eventually taking the name Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After Oda Nobunaga's death in 1582, Hideyoshi took control of all Oda territory within a year and was pronounced to succeeded him as military ruler and, aided by Tokugawa Ieyasu , had by 1590 ended the Sengoku period by reunifying Japan.

Hideyoshi wanted the title of shogun because it was then considered the title of the practical ruler of Japan. However, the emperor was unable to grant such a title to someone of Hideyoshi's lowly lineage. Then he wanted the Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki to accept him as an adopted son, and was refused. Unable to become shogun, in 1585 Hideyoshi took the position of regent or kampaku just as the Fujiwara had. In 1591, he resigned as kampaku and took the title of taiko (retired regent). His adopted son Hidetsugu (actually his nephew) succeeded him as kampaku.

Before gripping control of Japan, he employed a friendly diplomatic stance with the Ming Dynasty and helped the Chinese government combatting the Japanese piracy along the coasts of Yellow Sea, South China Sea and Taiwan. Now with his country secured, he began the Battle of Bunroku to annex Korea. On April 1592, his generals invaded Korea. Within a month, the Japanese controlled almost the entire country. However, the Koreans soon rebelled, aided by the Chinese Ming dynasty. Resistance led by Yi Sun-shin forced the Japanese army to retreat from Korea in December, 1592.

Unsatisfied, in 1596 Hideyoshi unwisely attempted to invade Korea again in the Battle of Keicho. This time the Japanese encountered a well-prepared joint defence of Korea and China. The result was a stalemate.

In 1598 Hideyoshi died. The Japanese army withdrew and the battle ended.

This futile war only served to weaken the clans that were loyal to the Toyotomi name and clan. Following his death, the other members of the council of regents could not keep the ambitions of Tokugawa Ieyasu in check. Hideyoshi's underaged son and designated successor Hideyori lost the claim to his father's position and Tokugawa Ieyasu was declared Shogun following the Battle of Sekigahara.

Cultural legacy

It is important to note the many ways in which Toyotomi Hideyoshi's changed Japanese society. During the Sengoku period, it became common for peasants to become warriors, or even for samurai to farm due to the constant uncertainty of no centralized government. Upon taking control, Hideyoshi decreed that all peasants be disarmed completely. This solidified the social class system for the next 300 years. Furthermore, Hideyoshi ordered all of Japan to be surveyed, including a census. Once this was done and all citizens were registered, Hideyoshi required all Japanese to stay in their respective provinces (or 'han') without official permission to go elsewhere. These steps were taken to ensure a modicum of peace in a period of time where bandits still roamed the countryside and peace was still new. But also by surveying the countryside, Japanese land and resources could be utilized properly.

In 1590 Hideyoshi completed construction of the huge Osaka castle, the largest and most formidable in all Japan, to guard the western approaches to Kyoto. His contributions were not all military, however. Inspired by the dazzling Kinkaku ("golden pavilion") temple in northwestern Kyoto, Hideyoshi constructed a fabulous portable tea room, known as kigame no zashiki ("golden chamber"), covered with gold leaf and lined inside with red gossamer. Using this mobile innovation, Hideyoshi was able to practice the Japanese tea ceremony wherever he went, powerfully projecting his unrivaled power and status upon his arrival.

Politically, he set up a governmental system that balanced out all of the most power Japanese warlords (or daimyo). A council was created to include the most influential and powerful lords. At the same time, a regent was designated to be in command. The combined polity functioned in some ways like a president with a parliament.

At the time of his death, Hideyoshi had hoped to set up a system stable enough to survive until his adopted son became old enough to be the next leader. A council of five regents was formed, consisting of the five richest daimyos. Following the death of one of the regents, Tokugawa Ieyasu, began to secure for allies, including political marriages which were forbidden by Hideyoshi. Things eventually came to a head and the pro-Toyotomi forces fought against Tokugawa and his allies in the battle of Sekigahara. Tokugawa won and received the title of Sei-tai Shogun two years later.

Togukawa Ieyasu left in place the majority of Hideyoshi's decrees, using them as a base upon which his fledgling shogunate was built upon. This ensured that Toyotomi cultural legacy remained.

External links

• Timeline of the invasion of Korea (in Japanese)
• Hideyoshi Toyotomi (in Japanese)