The Council of Five Elders (Japanese: 五大老, ''Go-Tairō'') was a group of five powerful feudal lords (Japanese: 大名, ''

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 n ...

'') formed in 1598 by the Regent (Japanese: 太閤 '' Taikō'')

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

, shortly before his death the same year. While Hideyoshi was on his deathbed, his son,

Toyotomi Hideyori was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga. Early life Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's second son. The birth of Hideyori cr ...

, was still only 5 years old and as such Hideyoshi needed to create the council in order to ensure his heir would be able to succeed him after coming of age. They also acted as advisers for the Five Commissioners (Japanese: 五奉行 ''Go-Bugyō)'', which had also been established by Hideyoshi to govern Kyoto and the surrounding areas. Toyotomi Hideyoshi c1598 Kodai-ji Temple

Toyotomi Hideyoshi c1598 Kodai-ji Temple

Creation of the Council

Leading up to the creation of the council

Hideyoshi had been slowly changing in demeanor as the invasions of Korea (in attempt to conquer both Korea and China) were failing. Hideyoshi himself had not joined the Korean Campaigns and assigned vassals in his command to head the campaign. He sent his final force of 140,000 to Korea in 1597, but the efforts were fruitless. Hideyoshi's execution of family members were also one of the reasons for questioning his sanity during this period. Before the birth of his son Hideyori, he had adopted his nephew,

Toyotomi Hidetsugu was a daimyō during the Sengoku period of Japan. He was the nephew and retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the unifier and ruler of Japan from 1590 to 1598. Despite being Hideyoshi's closest adult, male relative, Hidetsugu was accused of atrocities ...

, to be his heir in 1591 because Hidetsugu had helped Hideyoshi in his campaigns. Once Hideyori was born, he ordered Toyotomi Hidetsugu to commit

ritual suicide A suicide method is any means by which a person chooses to end their life. Suicide attempts do not always result in death, and a nonfatal suicide attempt can leave the person with serious physical injuries, long-term health problems, and bra ...

on Mount Kōya, this causing Hideyoshi's only possible heir to be his infant son Hideyori. The people closest to Hidetsugu, such as his family and retainers, were also put to death. In 1595 Toyotomi Hideyoshi officially announced five laws and ordinances (Japanese: 御定五ヶ条 ''Onkite'' ''Gokajō'') to maintain the stability of the regime and overcome the upheaval of politics after the removal of Hidetsugu. On the "fifteenth day of the seventh month", the senior ''daimyō'' under order gathered at Maeda Toshiie's residence in Fushimi to renew their pledge of loyalty to Hideyori. On the "fifth day of the eighth month", Hideyoshi issued an order to the Elders stating that children of various generals shall go to Osaka Castle, once Hideyori has moved there. Hideyoshi's health started to degenerate after falling ill in the later half of 1598. Realizing he would need to find a way to ensure the installation of his son as heir following his death, he called out to certain trusted ''daimyō'' to grant his final request: There are also accounts that when Hideyoshi called upon Ieyasu to become a regent, he asked him to decide if Hideyori is fit to rule when he reaches a ripe age and that Ieyasu rejected this request.

Choosing the council

The members of the council were all ''daimyō'' chosen due to their relation to the ''taikō'' and the amount of power they held in the country. Hideyoshi chose powerful ''daimyō'' to prevent authority being concentrated on a single ''daimyō''. Maeda Toshiie and Ukita Hideie were chosen due to their closeness with Hideyoshi as Maeda Toshiie was Hideyoshi's friend who had also served

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other ''daimyō'' to unify ...

. Maeda Toshiie was also chosen due to the respect he had from the Toyotomi family and Hideyoshi wanted to prevent Ieyasu from holding absolute power among the Five Elders. Ukita Hideie had been adopted under the name of ''Yuushi'' (Japanese:猶子) by Hideyoshi and his closeness with Hideyoshi also led him to be appointed as a member of the five elders. These ''daimyō'' had also all served under Hideyoshi for many years in his house administration. Even before the creation of the council, Hideyoshi treated the five differently from other ''daimyō''. One of the reason was the absence of a ''Toritsugi'' (Japanese: 取次). ''Toritsugi'' acted as mediators that went between the ''daimyō'' to help with the communication of orders. This allowed each ''daimyō'' to talk directly to Hideyoshi, and it also meant that Hideyoshi would not intervene in the business of the ''daimyō'' in ruling their own domain. For the

Shimazu clan The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan. The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in cont ...

, Ishida Mitsunari was appointed as the ''toritsugi,'' which also meant that Mitsunari and/or Toyotomi had power to intervene in Shimazu's domain. Hideyoshi expected the ''daimyō'' under his control to govern their lands and serve

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

services. The larger the domains of the ''daimyō'' were, the more experienced those ''daimyō'' were at governing their lands and as such, Hideyoshi treated them differently compared to smaller ''daimyō'' which needed Hideyoshi to intervene in local governance. In the 1588 Sword Hunt Policy (Japanese:刀狩 ''katanagari''), it is assumed that Hideyoshi only ordered to smaller class ''daimyō'' to enforce the policy. The larger ''daimyō'' followed even without orders, however Hideyoshi did not strictly expect them to enforce the policy. Initially the sword hunt was intended to confiscate weapons to restrict forces, ensuring that no one could take the country by force. Hideyoshi was able to rely on the large ''daimyō'' that were experienced and equipped with large military forces to be able to suppress the local powers even if they were to rebel. In this way, Hideyoshi's treatment of the larger ''daimyō'', Tokugawa, Maeda, Mori, and Uesugi, was exceptional.

Subgroups related to the council

Hideyoshi also appointed the Five Commissioners (Japanese: ''Go-Bugyō'') who were tasked to oversee the "basic business of the realm"; while the Elders were tasked to make sure that Hideyori would succeed Hideyoshi. During this time the Five Commissioners were

Asano Nagamasa was the brother-in-law of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and one of his chief advisors. Asano also fought for Oda Nobunaga and Hideyoshi in a number of campaigns during the Sengoku period of the 16th century of Japan. He was sent to Korea as one of the Thre ...

, Mashita Nagamori, Ishida Mitsunari, Natsuka Masaie and Maeda Gen'i. The Elders had assistants known as ''chūro'' (Japanese: 中老) who acted as mediators, the Five Elders and the Five Commissioners. The ''chūro'' at this time were Nakamura Kazu-uji of Suruga,

Ikoma Chikamasa Ikoma Chikamasa (生駒親正, 1526 – March 25, 1603) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods around the turn of the 17th century. His father was Ikoma Chikashige. Chikamasa was appointed one of the san-''chūrō ...

Takamatsu 270px, Takamatsu City Hall 270px, Aerial view of Takamatsu city center 270px, View from Yashima to Takashima port is a city located in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 414,134 in 190120 households and a popul ...

, and

Horio Yoshiharu was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. He was appointed to the position of one of san-''chūrō'' (three arbiters) by Toyotomi Hideyoshi along with Ikoma Chikamasa and Nakamura Kazuuji. He was the first l ...

of Tottori.

Oath of Allegiance

On the "fifth day of the eighth month", 1598, the Commissioners and the Regents signed the following articles: Article 1. That they should serve Hideyori with the same single-minded loyalty they had shown to Hideyoshi Article 2. The rules of Hideyoshi's house shall not be altered. When in the administration of public affairs the Five Commissioners were unable to determine on a course of action they were to consult their master (Hideyori) through Ieyasu and Toshiie, or necessary if taking action, the Emperor has to be consulted. Article 3. There were to be no factions among them. Personal considerations and partiality of every kind were to be excluded from their counsel. Article 4. The Five Commissioners, or overseers, must strive to work together in the administration of public affairs, suppressing all petty jealousies and differences. Article 5. In settling matters the opinion of the majority was usually to be followed. But at the same time if the opinion of the minority showed no signs of being dictated by any personal interests, it should be duly considered. If it should happen that only a few of the overseers were present when some question was settled, the absentees had no right to object unless it was quite evident that the private interests of the Commissioners present at the meeting prejudiced their minds in a wrong direction. In that case another meeting might be called. Article 6. It goes without saying that all accounts had to be kept in a manner that was above suspicion. There were to be no irregularities and no pressing of personal interests in this line. Article 7. Whatever Hideyoshi desired to be kept secret, whether it were connected with his private life or with the Government, must on no account be allowed to leak out Article 8. If any of the Commissioners or their followers found that unconsciously they had acted contrary to the orders given to them, they were at once to report the same to their superior officers, who would then deal leniently with them. Hideyoshi used a talisman (Japanese: 護符 ''Gofu'') called ''Kumano-goufu'' (Japanese: 熊野牛王府) from

Kumano Shrine A is a type of Shinto shrine which enshrines the three Kumano mountains: Hongū, Shingū, and Nachi [].Encyclopedia of ShintoKumano Shinkō accessed on October 6, 2008 There are more than 3,000 Kumano shrines in Japan, and each has received its ...

when making an oath with ''daimyō'', and it is said that when Hideyoshi's death was near, he made the five elders to write vows to remain faithful to him after his death. This vow is known in Japanese as ''Kishomon'' (Japanese: 起證文)''.''

Origin of the name "''Go-Tairō"''

After the death of Hideyoshi, the five commissioners, including Ishida Mitsunari referred to Ieyasu and the other elders as ''Go-bugyoshu'' (Japanese:御奉行衆) and referred to the five commissioners as ''Toshiyoridomo'' (Japanese:年寄共) on ''Kishomon.'' He purposely used the term ''Go-bugyoshu'' to remind the elders that their job is to support Hideyori with their lives. On the other hand,

Shimazu Yoshihisa was a powerful ''daimyō'' and the 16th Chief of Shimazu clan of Satsuma Province, the eldest son of Shimazu Takahisa. He is a renowned as a great general, who managed to subjugate Kyushu through the deft maneuvering of his three brothers. Eventu ...

referred to the five elders as ''Go-rojushu'' (Japanese: 御老中衆) and

Kato Kiyomasa Kato or Katō may refer to: Places *Kato, Guyana, a village in Guyana *Katō, Hyōgo, a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan *Katō District, Hokkaido, a district located in Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan *Katowice, a city in Southern Poland, ...

called them the ''Nihon-Gotoshiyorishu'' (Japanese: 日本御年寄衆). They both called the five commissioners ''Go-bugyoshu'' (Japanese: 御奉行衆). People were calling them differently depending on their relationship with the five elders and the five commissioners, but there is no document that gives evidence that the Five Elders were actually called as ''Go-Tairo''. The word ''Tairo'' (Japanese: 大老) was the name of the highest position that was temporarily a higher position than ''Roju'' (Japanese: 老中), under the Tokugawa Shogunate. It is believed that the Five Elders were referred to as the ''Go-Tairo'' after the title of ''Tairo'' was created in the

Edo Period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

The Five Elders

(''In''

Japanese name in modern times consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name, in that order. Nevertheless, when a Japanese name is written in the Roman alphabet, ever since the Meiji era, the official policy has been to cater to Western expecta ...

s'', the family name is written first'')

Tokugawa Ieyasu

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...

(Japanese: 徳川家康) was the founder and first ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

'' of the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, which effectively ruled Japan from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

in 1868. Among the Five Elders, Ieyasu held the most power measured in ''

koku The is a Chinese-based Japanese unit of volume. 1 koku is equivalent to 10 or approximately , or about . It converts, in turn, to 100 shō and 1000 gō. One ''gō'' is the volume of the "rice cup", the plastic measuring cup that is supplied ...

.'' He was also entrusted by Hideyoshi with the order of ''Soufujirei'' (Japanese: 惣無事令) to take control of Kanto and Okuryogoku (

Mutsu Province was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori Prefectures and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture. Mutsu Province is also known as or . The term is often used to refer to the comb ...

and

Dewa Province was a province of Japan comprising modern-day Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture, except for the city of Kazuno and the town of Kosaka. Dewa bordered on Mutsu and Echigō Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . History Early per ...

) in 1587. After the Hidetsugu Incident (Japanese:秀次事件 ''Hidetsugu Jiken'') in 1597, Ieyasu was appointed to act as Regent temporarily until Hideyori reached 15 years of age and requested him to reside in Fushimi. Before the establishment of the council, Hideyoshi awarded the province of the Hojo to Ieyasu after the successful Odawara campaigns in the Kanto region. This action demonstrated the power that Hideyoshi had over Ieyasu.

Ukita Hideie

Ukita Hideie was the ''daimyō'' of Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces (modern Okayama Prefecture), and one of the council of Five Elders appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Son of Ukita Naoie, he married Gōhime, a daughter of Maeda Toshiie. Having fought again ...

(Japanese: 宇喜多秀家) was the ''

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 n ...

'' of Bizen and

Mimasaka Province or was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is today northeastern Okayama Prefecture. Mimasaka bordered Bitchū, Bizen, Harima, Hōki, and Inaba Provinces. Mimasaka was landlocked, and was often ruled by the ''daimyō'' in Bize ...

s (modern

Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefectur ...

). He was a military commander and feudal lord during Azuchi-Momoyama period. Also referred to as ''Hachirō'' (八郎). He was banished to

Hachijō Island Hachijō can refer to: Hachijō in Tokyo, Japan * The island Hachijōjima (八丈島) * The town Hachijō, Tokyo, within Tokyo, Japan, which governs Hachijōjima and Hachijōkojima. * Hachijo dialects, the dialects of the Japanese language nat ...

after the

Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu prefecture, Japan, at the end of ...

. At the age of 26, Ukita was elected to be one of the five elders when he returned from the Imjin war, also known as the Japanese invasions of Korea. (Japanese: 慶弔の役 ''keicho no eki''). While he was an elder, he was also serving as a ''daimyō'' during the

Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...

(Japanese: 戦国時代 ''Sengoku Jidai'').

Maeda Toshiie

Maeda Toshiie was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as "Yari no Mataza" (槍の又左), Matazaemon (又� ...

(Japanese: 前田利家) was one of the leading generals of

following the

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

of the 16th century extending to the

Azuchi–Momoyama period The was the final phase of the in Japanese history from 1568 to 1600. After the outbreak of the Ōnin War in 1467, the power of the Ashikaga Shogunate effectively collapsed, marking the start of the chaotic Sengoku period. In 1568, Oda Nobuna ...

. Referred to as ''Chikuzen'' in the letters by Hideyoshi. He became one of the Five Elders at the age of 53. Hideyoshi entrusted the province of Kaga and Etchū to Toshiie after taking the province from the ''daimyō''

Sassa Narimasa , also known as Kura-no-suke (内蔵助), was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku through Azuchi–Momoyama period.">DF 7 of 80">"Asa ..., where he was in the rear guard. In 1575, Narimasa fought at the Battle of Nagashino">DF 7 of 80/nowiki>">D ...

. While he was an elder, he also had a position as senior second rank (Japanese: 権大納言 '' Gon-Dainagon)'' and had the authority to pass his opinions on to the national government. After the death of Maeda Toshiie, his son,

Maeda Toshinaga was a Sengoku period Japanese samurai and the second early-Edo period ''daimyō'' of Kaga Domain in the Hokuriku region of Japan, and the 3rd hereditary chieftain of the Maeda clan. He was the eldest son of Maeda Toshiie. His childhood name was ...

was to succeed him as a member of the Five Elders.

Uesugi Kagekatsu

Uesugi Kagekatsu was a Japanese samurai ''daimyō'' during the Sengoku and Edo periods. He was the adopted son of Uesugi Kenshin and Uesugi Kagetora’s brother in law. Early life and rise Kagekatsu was the son of Nagao Masakage, the head of the Ueda Nagao ...

(Japanese: 上杉景勝) was a Japanese

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

and ''

'' during the

Sengoku The was a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga shogunate. Various ...

and

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

s. He was the primary lord of the feudal domain of Yonesawa. He was elected to be a part of the Five Elders at the age of 43. Since the

Battle of Shizugatake The was a battle of the Sengoku period of Japan fought between Toyotomi Hideyoshi (then Hashiba Hideyoshi) and Shibata Katsuie in Shizugatake, Ōmi Province in May 1583. Katsuie supported Oda Nobutaka's claim as successor of Oda Nobunaga in ...

in 1583, he had cooperated with Hideyoshi by aiding him during battles, and he was one of the earliest ''daimyō'' to render homage to Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi had made alliances with Kagekatsu because he had the potential power to attack Ieyasu from the Echigo province in the north.

Mōri Terumoto

Mōri Terumoto Mōri Terumoto (毛利輝元, January 22, 1553 – June 2, 1625) was a Japanese ''daimyō''. The son of Mōri Takamoto, and grandson and successor of the great warlord Mōri Motonari, he fought against Oda Nobunaga but was eventually overco ...

(Japanese: 毛利輝元) was a Japanese ''

'' during the Azuchi-Momoyama period and the

. He was a descendant of the feudal lord of the Choshu domain. He became one of the Five Elders at the age of 46. Terumoto fought against Hideyoshi before the latter's rise to power, but lacked enough supporters. Realizing that Hideyoshi would be the next leader of the country, he began to build trust by sending gifts to celebrate Hideyoshi's victory at the

and helping him in the

Kyushu Campaign is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

in 1587. He was allied with Ishida Mitsunari at the Battle of Sekigahara and acted as the head general of the Western Army.

Kobayakawa Takakage

Kobayakawa Takakage was a samurai and daimyō (feudal lord) during the Sengoku period and Azuchi–Momoyama period. He was the third son of Mōri Motonari who was adopted by the Kobayakawa clan and became its 14th clan head. He merged the two branches of the Koba ...

(Japanese: 小早川隆景) was a

and ''

'' (feudal lord) during the

and

. At first he fought against Hideyoshi as he was the one holding the power in the Mōri family, but after the

, he decided to submit to Hideyoshi. Under Hideyoshi's rule, he was assigned to be in charge of

Chikuzen province was an old province of Japan in the area that is today part of Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū. It was sometimes called or , with Chikugo Province. Chikuzen bordered Buzen, Bungo, Chikugo, and Hizen Provinces. History The original provinci ...

, which is modern day

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...

. Takakage handed over rule of the family to Hidetoshi (Hideaki) and retired, moved to Mihara. Takakage refurbished

Najima Castle is a hilltop castle, located in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Today, only its ruins still stand. History Najima Castle was located on a peninsula projecting into Hakata Bay on the north of the estuary of the Tatara River. The castle f ...

(Japanese: 名島城 ''Najima Jō'') and made it his own residence. Kobayakawa died on June 12, 1597, at the age of 65. Due to the death of Kobayakawa in 1597, he is often excluded from the list of the Five Elders or referred as the 6th Elder. After his death his nephew, Mōri Terumoto, took his place on the council of Five Elders. File:Tokugawa Ieyasu2 full.JPG, Tokugawa Ieyasu File:Ukita Hideie.jpg, Ukita Hideie File:Maeda Toshiie.jpg, Maeda Toshiie File:Uesugi Kagekatsu.jpg, Uesugi Kagekatsu File:Mori Terumoto.jpg, Mōri Terumoto File:Kobayakawa Takakage (Beisanji Mihara).jpg, Kobayakawa Takakage

Roles of the Council Members

Raising Hideyoshi's heir

Hideyoshi had given ownership of Osaka castle to his son Hideyori in 1594, Hideyori was just one year old at the time.

was given the order to raise Hideyori in Osaka Castle until he came of age to take his place as Hideyoshi's successor. Tokugawa Ieyasu was also charged with the role of guardian of Hideyori, as well as to see to Hideyori being appointed to the role of Regent. Ukita Hideie was to be counted on as a loyal member of Hideyori's service.

Attending to political business

Ieyasu was appointed by Hideyoshi to act as

Regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

(Japanese: 摂政 ''Sesshō'') until Hideyori reached maturity and could take his place as leader. Uesugi Kagekatsu and Mōri Terumoto were to be informed and consulted on all political matters as advisers. The Elders were to deal with the administering of punishment to any person who broke the law. All monetary transactions were to be supervised by the Elders, and the elders were tasked with to setting up an account for Hideyori when he came of age.

Withdrawal from Korea

After Hideyoshi's death the Council of Five Elders issued an order for the Japanese army at the Korean Peninsula to return. The Council feared disorder among Hideyoshi's troops in Korea if they were to be told of his death and so, his death was not told to the armies in order to preserve their morale. After the withdrawal of Japanese armies which followed a military stalemate, the final peace negotiations to mark the end of war continued for several years.

Other roles

Ieyasu and Toshiie were to clear up any difficulties in administration encountered by the Five Commissioners, further acting as advisers or mediators in administration matters. The sons of both Tokugawa Ieyasu and Maeda Toshiie (

Tokugawa Hidetada was the second ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate. Early life (1579–1593) Tokugawa Hidetada was bo ...

and

respectively) were to assist their fathers with work related to the Five Elders, with plan of the latter being appointed as an Elder in the future. Changes to Oath of Allegiance document Tokugawa Ieyasu made some changes to Article 2 of the Oath of Allegiance document that no rules shall be amended, and that decisions were to be made by the majority in all cases. On the Article 6 of the Allegiance Document Ieyasu added the following statements: "No questions concerning landed estate will be dealt with during the minority of Hideyori. No petitions made to him will be sent in; neither will Ieyasu himself ask for any changes to be made in the matter of land-ownership nor will he accept any gifts of land from Hideyori during his minority." Maeda Toshiie added the following words "When Hideyori shall have reached his majority, certain representations shall be made to him by the Five Commissioners and by Ieyasu in reference to the bestowal of land on those whose services deserve reward and in reference to the confiscation of land in the case of those who have acted unworthily."

Power balance between the council

The power balance between the council depended on the position each members held and the amount of ''

'' they held. Ieyasu was entitled with the position of inner minister (Japanese: 内大臣 ''

Naidaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese imperial court, Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre-Meiji period, Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remain ...

'') in the fifth month of 1596. Maeda was acting as counselor of the first rank (Japanese: 大納言 ''

Dainagon was a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century.Nussbaum, "Dainag ...

'')and the other three were counselors of the second rank (Japanese: 中納言 ''Chunagon''). Ieyasu was in the highest position among the members and his ownership of a great amount of ''koku'' allowed him to secure his position among other Elders. In general, 10,000 ''koku'' was believed to be equivalent to having 250 soldiers in one's control, so the amount of ''Koku'' (Japanese: 石) didn't only represent the income each ''daimyō'' has, but show how much military power they held. Hideyoshi himself owned approximately 2,000,000 koku, not including the lands held by his most trusted vassals. Ieyasu was also known as a powerful military commander, and Hideyoshi's fear of Ieyasu and riots in favor of Ieyasu also led him to appoint Ieyasu as a member of the Council of Five Elders. The amount of potential income, measured in ''

'', that each council member held (one ''koku'' = 4.96 bushels or 278.3 liters of rice): * Tokugawa Ieyasu: 2,400,000 ''koku'' * Maeda Toshiie: 830,000 ''koku'' * Ukita Hideie: 570,000 ''koku'' * Uesugi Kagekatsu: 1,200,000 ''koku'' * Mori Terumoto: 1,120,000 ''koku''

Tokugawa hegemony

Ieyasu engaged his sons and daughters into political marriages which became a cause of disagreement between the Elders and Commissioners. Ieyasu married his son Tadateru to Date Masamune's daughter

Irohahime was a Japanese noble lady and aristocrat from the Sengoku period and Edo period. She was the first daughter of Date Masamune and Megohime, as well as the wife of Matsudaira Tadateru, the sixth son of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Her Buddhist name is Tenri ...

. The cause for disagreement in these matters were due to statements in ”The wall writings of Osaka Castle" (Japanese: 大阪城中壁書 ''Osakajochu-kabegaki'') of 1595 that marriages would need the consultation of both Elders and Commissioners. The Commissioners called for Ieyasu's resignation on the grounds of these marriages. One of the retainers, Ishida Mitsunari, complained about this matter to Maeda Toshiie. Ieyasu insisted that it was not a big matter; and this issue was resolved by

, who happened to be a friend of Ieyasu.

Rise of conflict

After the death of Hideyoshi, friction generated between the council members. Two factions formed, the ''Bunchiha'' (Japanese: 文治派; those who wished for a state governed by a specialized civil service) and the ''Bundanha'' (Japanese: 武断派; those in favor of a strong military authority); Tokugawa Ieyasu was part of the ''bundanha''. One year after Maeda Toshiie died, Ieyasu saw his chance to take control. The death of Maeda Toshiie in 1599 made Ieyasu the most experienced of the Five Elders. Finally, due to the fact that Uesugi Kagekatsu had been illegally constructing and restoring forts, Ieyasu was able to justify going to battle which led to the

in 1600. Following the battle, in 1603, Ieyasu became

Shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

while Hideyori was declared ''

naidaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese imperial court, Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre-Meiji period, Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remain ...

''. Ieyasu sent his granddaughter,

Senhime (May 26, 1597 – March 11,February 6 in the old calendar 1666), or Lady Sen, was the eldest daughter of the '' shōgun'' Tokugawa Hidetada and later the wife of Toyotomi Hideyori. She was remarried to Honda Tadatoki after the death of her fir ...

to Osaka to marry Hideyori in order to stabilize the relationship between the two families. Tokugawa family crest

Tokugawa Ieyasu rose to power while originally working in the name of

. Ieyasu's power seemed to be threatened by Hideyori in a long series of plots both against Ieyasu and Hideyori occurred followed by the multiple battles of the

Siege of Osaka The was a series of battles undertaken by the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate against the Toyotomi clan, and ending in that clan's destruction. Divided into two stages (winter campaign and summer campaign), and lasting from 1614 to 1615, the siege ...

(1614–15). Tokugawa Ieyasu was victorious against the Toyotomi clan, eliminating them completely, thus cementing his place as ruler of Japan. Toyotomi mon

Following the Tokugawa victory at the

in 1615, Ieyasu was not satisfied with destruction of Hideyori alone, but in order to make sure the Toyotomi clan would not be able to return to power in the future, he had as many as possible of the Toyotomi family killed, or in the case of Hideyori's daughter, placed in a nunnery. Ieyasu had Hideyori's son Kunimatsu, then 8 years old, killed at the Rokujō riverbed (Rokujō-Gawara) in Kyoto.

In popular culture

The Council of Five Elders can also be seen in Japanese historical drama, ''Taiga Drama'', which is broadcast by

NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestr ...

. This topic is briefly mentioned in ''

Gunshi Kanbei is a 2014 Japanese historical drama television series and the 53rd NHK ''taiga'' drama. The series was broadcast from January 5 to December 21, 2014, and ran a total of 50 episodes. The drama depicts the life of Kuroda Kanbei (played by Junichi ...

'' and ''

Tenchijin is a 2009 Japanese super historical drama television series, and the 48th taiga drama of NHK. It aired every Sunday from January 4 to November 22, 2009, spanning 47 episodes.It is an unusual Taiga Drama as the final episode will be broadcast as ...

'', and more in detail in ''Sanadamaru''. In the 31st episode of ''Sanadamaru'', a brief explanation of why the Council of Five Elders didn't work out as Hideyoshi expected is explained and we can also see that Elders were referred as ''Otonashu''(Japanese: 老衆). The drama also shows that early death of Maeda Toshiie had led to Ieyasu gaining more power, and Ishida Mitsunari's lack of popularity among the Toyotomi family caused a lot people to support Ieyasu during the Battle of Sekigahara.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * {{Authority control Government of feudal Japan Tairō 1598 in Japan