was a

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

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 ...

(feudal lord) during 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 ...

and

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 ...

. He was the third son of Mōri Motonari who was adopted by the

Kobayakawa clan The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Taira clan. Their holdings were in the Chūgoku region. They were a powerful clan during the Sengoku period but were disbanded during the Edo period after the Battle of Sekigahara. H ...

and became its 14th clan head. He merged the two branches of the Kobayakawa, the Takehara-Kobayakawa clan (竹原小早川氏) and Numata-

(沼田小早川氏). He became an active commander of the Mōri army and he with his brother

Kikkawa Motoharu was the second son of Mōri Motonari, and featured prominently in all the wars of the Mōri clan. He became an active commander of the Mōri army and he with his brother Kobayakawa Takakage became known as the “Mōri Ryōkawa", or “Mōri's ...

became known as the “''Mōri Ryōkawa''", or “''Mōri's Two Rivers''" (毛利両川). As head of the Kobayakawa clan, he expanded the clan's territory in the

Chūgoku region The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In 2010, it had a population of 7,563,428. History '' ...

(western Honshū), and fought for the

Mōri clan The Mōri clan (毛利氏 ''Mōri-shi'') was a Japanese samurai clan descended from Ōe no Hiromoto. Ōe no Hiromoto was descended from the Fujiwara clan. The family's most illustrious member, Mōri Motonari, greatly expanded the clan's power ...

in all their campaigns At first he opposed

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 ...

and

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 ...

but later swore loyalty and became a

retainer Retainer may refer to: * Retainer (orthodontics), devices for teeth * RFA ''Retainer'' (A329), a ship * Retainers in early China, a social group in early China Employment * Retainer agreement, a contract in which an employer pays in advance for w ...

of Hideyoshi who awarded him domains in

Iyo Province was a province of Japan in the area of northwestern Shikoku. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Tosa''" in . Iyo bordered on Sanuki Province to the northeast, Awa to the east, and Tosa to the south. Its abbreviated form name was . In term ...

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

and

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 ...

Kyūshū 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 surround ...

, totalling 350,000 ''

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 ...

''. Hideyoshi gave him the title ''Chûnagon'' also appointed him to the Council of Five Elders but died before Hideyoshi himself.

Early life

He was born in 1533 with the childhood name Tokujumaru (徳寿丸) as the third son of Mōri Motonari and his main wife Myōkyū. In 1541 the 13th head of the Takehara branch of the

, Kobayakawa Okikage (小早川興景), got ill and died while attacking Sato-Kanayama Castle (佐東銀山城). In November, 1543 since he had no heir Tokujumaru was declared successor because he was a cousin of Okikage's wife. So at twelve years of age he had become the 14th head of the Takehara-Kobayakawa clan (竹原小早川氏) and received the name Kobayakawa Takakage (小早川隆景). In 1547, when

Ōuchi Yoshitaka was the ''daimyō'' of Suō Province and the head of the Ōuchi clan, succeeding Ōuchi Yoshioki. In 1522, he fought the Amago clan along with his father, Yoshioki, to win the control of Aki Province. Upon Yoshioki's death in 1528, Yoshita ...

attacked Kannabe castle (神辺城) in Bingo Province, Takakage served as one of his commanders and was highly commended for capturing Kannabe castle's support castle (支城), the Ryuoyama Fort (龍王山砦) with the Kobayakawa army alone. The other branch of the Kobayakawa clan was the Numata-Kobayakawa clan (沼田小早川氏). The head of the family, Kobayakawa Shigehira (小早川繁平) was young and blind due to an eye disease so in 1550 it was decided that Takakage would become heir of the Numata branch and finally merge the two rival branches of the clan. The Takehara-Kobayakawa branch ceased to exist and Takakage moved into Takayama Castle (高山城), the main base of the Numata branch. In 1552 Takakage decided to build a new main castle across the Numata River (沼田川) and called it is

Niitakayama Castle is the name for the earthly remains of a castle structure in Mihara, Hiroshima, Japan.　Located on a 197.6 meter mountain. The site was designated a National Historic Site. History Niitakayama Castle was built in 1552 by Kobayakawa Takakage. T ...

(新高山城). He married Lady Toida, daughter of Kobayakawa Masahira and sister of the blind Kobayakawa Shigehira in order to cement his succession. They would never have children for unknown reasons but they would later adopt to keep the clan alive.

Mōri's Two Rivers

After this the

was incorporated into the clans following the powerful

of his father, Mōri Motonari. The Kobayakawa would become an important naval force under the direct control of his father. His older brother, the second son of Motonari was adopted into the

Kikkawa clan The was a prominent samurai clan of Japan's Sengoku period. The most famous member of the clan is likely Kikkawa Motoharu (1530-1586), one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's generals, who was adopted into the family. Along with the Kobayakawa clan, the ...

and became

. They were both together pillars of the Mōri forces and were known as "Mōri's Two Rivers" (''Mōri Ryōkawa'', 毛利両川). In 1555 at the

Battle of Miyajima The 1555 was the only battle to be fought on the sacred island of Miyajima; the entire island is considered to be a Shinto shrine, and no birth or death is allowed on the island. Extensive purification rituals took place after the battle, to clea ...

, Takakage led his naval forces under control of the

and broke the naval blockade of the

Ōuchi clan was one of the most powerful and important families in Western Japan during the reign of the Ashikaga shogunate in the 12th to 14th centuries. Their domains, ruled from the castle town of Yamaguchi, comprised six provinces at their height, and ...

forces under the command of Sue Harukata. He sailed straight toward Miyao Castle in a

feint Feint is a French term that entered English via the discipline of swordsmanship and fencing. Feints are maneuvers designed to distract or mislead, done by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or e ...

, then retreated so he could be in a position to return the following day, his attack synchronized with the overland assault. At dawn, Takakage and his 1,500 troops landed before the small fortress, and the sound of shell trumpets signalled that all units were in position and the attack commenced. As Takakage's force rushed the front gate of Miyao Castle, Mōri and his troops hit the Ōuchi position from behind. Caught completely by surprise, many of the Ōuchi troops scattered in disarray. Hundreds tried to swim to the mainland and drowned in the attempt. Many more saw that defeat was inevitable and committed '' seppuku''. By 18 October 1555, resistance had ended at a cost of about 4,700 dead among the Ōuchi army. Sue Harukata escaped from the confines of Miyao Castle, but when he saw that escape from the island was not possible, he also committed suicide by seppuku. In 1557 Takakage took part of the Conquest of Bōcho (防長経略) and the Mōri forces took both Suō Province and

Nagato Province , often called , was a province of Japan. It was at the extreme western end of Honshū, in the area that is today Yamaguchi Prefecture. Nagato bordered on Iwami and Suō Provinces. History Although the ancient capital of the province was Shimono ...

of the

and Ōuchi Yoshinaga committed suicide. They took Yoshinaga's Moji Castle in 1558 but in September, 1559 it was retaken by Ōtomo Yoshishige. Then in 1561 Kobayakawa again led the Mōri navy in the recapture of the castle in the Siege of Moji. During the same year his father, Mōri Motonari retired in favor of his first son (Takakage's eldest brother), Mōri Takamoto. Under Takamoto, Takakage continued to be a main force of the Mōri along with his second older brother

. In 1561 In 1563 Mōri Takamoto suddenly died of illness and his son (Takakage's nephew)

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 ...

became head of the

. While the 2nd brother

was in charge of military affairs, Takakage took responsibility of political affairs. He worked on diplomacy, taking advantage of the information gathering capabilities of the military. In the Siege of Toda Castle (1562–1566) they destroyed their enemy, the Amako clan (尼子氏). During the following year of 1567 he was dispatched to help the Kôno clan (河野氏) of

and at the

Battle of Torisaka The Battle of Torisaka (鳥坂峠の戦い) took place during the Sengoku period (16th century) of Japan. Kōno Michinao asked for the assistance of the Mōri clan The Mōri clan (毛利氏 ''Mōri-shi'') was a Japanese samurai clan descen ...

captured Ozu Castle (大洲城) forcing Utsunomiya Toyotsuna (宇都宮豊綱) to surrender. Takakage was then also dispatched to fight the

Ōtomo clan was a Japanese samurai family whose power stretched from the Kamakura period through the Sengoku period, spanning over 400 years. The clan's hereditary lands lay in Kyūshū. Origins The first family head, Ōtomo Yoshinao (1172–1223), took ...

(大友氏) in

. When Murakami Michiyasu (村上通康) died that year Takakage sent his widow who was a daughter of Kôno Michinao to marry Shishido Takaie. In 1568 Kobayakawa Takakage fought in the

and the 1568 Battle of Tatarahama. In 1570 he fought in the Battle of Nunobeyama. In 1571, Takakage was sent to help the Mimura clan (三村氏) of Kojima (児島), Bizen Province against Urakami Munekage (浦上宗景) but the Murakami and Awa Pirates helped and Takakage was forced to withdraw to

Aki Province or Geishū () was a province in the Chūgoku Region of western Honshū, comprising the western part of what is today Hiroshima Prefecture. History When Emperor Shōmu ordered two official temples for each province (one for male Buddhist p ...

. After the death of Mōri Motonari in 1571, "Mōri's Two Rivers" (Kobayakawa Takakage and

) became more important as assistants to

against the remnants of their enemies, the

(大友氏), Amako clan (尼子氏), and

(大内氏).

Conflict with Nobunaga

At the start of 1574 the power of

had grown to the borders of the Mōri clan. During this year Urakami Munekage (浦上宗景) received support from Oda Nobunaga against the Mōri. In 1575, Mimura Motochika (三村元親) betrays the Mōri and joins

. Kobayakawa Takakage and

Ukita Naoie was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period. He was born in Bizen Province, to Ukita Okiie, a local samurai leader and head of the Ukita clan. Biography Naoie's grandfather Yoshiie was killed by Shimamura clan in 1534, Naoie narrowly es ...

defeat Mimura Motochika of Bingo province and force him to commit suicide. Also this year the well known

Ōtomo Sōrin , also known as Fujiwara no Yoshishige (藤原義鎮) and Ōtomo Yoshishige (大友義鎮), was a Japanese feudal lord (''daimyō'') of the Ōtomo clan, one of the few to have converted to Roman Catholicism (Christianity). The eldest son of , he ...

Bungo Province was a province of Japan in eastern Kyūshū in the area of Ōita Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Buzen Province. Bungo bordered Buzen, Hyūga, Higo, Chikugo, and Chikuzen Provinces. History At the end of the 7th century, Toyo ...

joins Oda Nobunaga as well and Takakage led the naval forces against the Ōtomo navy. The 15th ''shōgun'' of the

Ashikaga shogunate The , also known as the , was the feudal military government of Japan during the Muromachi period from 1336 to 1573.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Muromachi-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 669. The Ashikaga shogunate was establi ...

Ashikaga Yoshiaki "Ashikaga Yoshiaki" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. was the 15th and final '' shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573.Ackroyd, ...

had a falling out with

in 1576 and invited Mōri Terumoto to join the 2nd Oda Encirclement Plan (第2次信長包囲網). The alliance consisted of

Uesugi Kenshin , later known as was a Japanese ''daimyō''. He was born in Nagao clan, and after adoption into the Uesugi clan, ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan. He was one of the most powerful ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period. Known a ...

Takeda Katsuyori was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period, who was famed as the head of the Takeda clan and the successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was son in law of Hojo Ujiyasu. Early life He was the son of Shingen by the daughter ...

and the

Ishiyama Hongan-ji The was the primary fortress of the Ikkō-ikki, leagues of warrior priests and commoners who opposed samurai rule during the Sengoku period. It was established in 1496, at the mouth of the Yodo River, on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. At the t ...

monks. The allies really didn't have too much success against the powerful Oda armies. The significant event here is the formation of all these powerful men, who were oftentimes not the best of friends. That same year (1576) at the First Battle of Kizugawaguchi, Kobayakawa Takakage led the Mōri naval forces with Murakami Takeyoshi. The Mōri navy successfully thwarted an Oda blockade of the Ishiyama Honganji led by Kuki Yoshitaka. Two years later in 1578 at the Second Battle of Kizugawaguchi, Takakage was leading the naval forces again. The

was still under

siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...

, and Oda's fleet, commanded once again by

Kuki Yoshitaka (1542 – November 17, 1600) was a naval commander during Japan's Sengoku Period, under Oda Nobunaga, and later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was also the ninth headmaster of the Kuki family's school of martial arts, Kukishin-ryū and thus a very sk ...

, made another attempt to break the Mōri supply lines. Going against convention, Yoshitaka fought with six very large ''ō-adakebune'' ships, rather than a combination of small (''kobaya''), medium (''sekibune''), and large (''adakebune'') craft. Normally, ''adakebune'' were essentially wooden floating fortresses, covered in gun and bow emplacements. According to some accounts, it may be believed that these six were the first ironclads, and were built such that guns could not penetrate them. However, rather than true ironclads, made primarily or entirely of metal, these craft probably simply had limited iron plating in key locations. Several Mōri vessels were burned and sunk, and Oda's fleet ultimately achieved victory. The supply lines were broken, and the Hongan-ji fell soon afterwards. However, during this battle an interesting flaw was discovered in the ''ō-adakebune'' design. As Mōri samurai rushed to board the large ship, all the defending warriors ran to that side of the deck, to defend themselves, and the ship capsized as its center of gravity shifted. Also in 1578 the "2nd Oda Encirclement Plan" falls apart when

suddenly dies and the

monks made peace with

. Hashiba Hideyoshi (羽柴秀吉) who is later is known as

was a general under

in charge of the push into the

. He had increasingly intense tactics and the Mōri forces continued to be pushed backwards. In 1579,

of Bizen Province believed the fight against Nobunaga was hopeless and claimed illness, only sending a small token force to aid the Mōri. In 1580, Miki Castle (三木城) of Harima Province which had held off the Oda forces for two years falls. In addition in 1581, Tottori Castle (鳥取城) of

Inaba Province was an old province of Japan in the area that is today the eastern part of Tottori Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Inaba bordered on Harima, Hōki, Mimasaka, and Tajima Provinces. The ancient capital, and the castle town, were at Tott ...

falls after falling prey to starvation and the castle master, Kikkawa Tsuneie (吉川経家) commits suicide. In 1582 the

Siege of Takamatsu In the 1582 , Toyotomi Hideyoshi laid siege to Takamatsu Castle, which was controlled by the Mōri clan. He diverted a nearby river with dikes to surround and flood the castle. He also constructed towers on barges from which his gunmen could ...

on Takamatsu Castle of

Bitchū Province was a province of Japan on the Inland Sea side of western Honshū, in what is today western Okayama Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Bizen and Bingo Provinces; those three provinces were settled in the late 7th Century, dividing fo ...

begins. Takakage led the main force of the Mōri along with

and

leading 30,000 men. However, Hashiba Hideyoshi, who also had 30,000 men was faring well and

's main army who had just finished defeating the

Takeda clan The was a Japanese samurai clan active from the late Heian period until the late 16th century. The clan was historically based in Kai Province in present-day Yamanashi Prefecture. The clan reached its greatest influence under the rule of Taked ...

were marching towards the

. Takekage began secret negotiations with Hideyoshi using his diplomats

Hayashi Narinaga was a samurai during the Sengoku period, retainer of the Mōri clan and was a ji-samurai (''koku-jin-ryōshū'') of southern Bingo Province. He held many positions including ''karō'' (clan elder) serving Mōri Motonari and his father Mōri H ...

and

Ankokuji Ekei , he was a military monk and descendant of the Takeda clan of Aki province. He served Mōri clan and later Toyotomi clan. Biography Although it is certain that he was from the Aki Takeda clan, there are various theories about his birth year and ...

. In June of that year Hideyoshi hears about Oda Nobunaga's demise at the

Honnō-ji incident The was an attempt to assassinate Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga at the Honnō-ji temple in Kyoto on 21 June 1582, resulting in the suicide by '' seppuku'' of both Nobunaga and his son Oda Nobutada. The unprotected Nobunaga was ambushed by his ...

by the hands of

Akechi Mitsuhide , first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period best known as the assassin of Oda Nobunaga. Mitsuhide was a bodyguard of Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later a successful general under ...

and hurries back to

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

to get revenge for his master.

had sent a secret letter to

promising him great things but Hideyoshi's men intercepted the messenger. Hideyoshi then sent for Mōri diplomats

and

not telling them that Nobunaga had been assassinated. He proposed peace if the Mōri would cede to him the provinces of Hoki, Mimasaka and Bitchu. The diplomats thought that Mimasaka had already basically fallen, and Hoki was just a matter of time. Also Shimizu Muneharu, the defender of Takamatsu Castle must commit suicide.

had found out about the

and wanted to attack Hideyoshi but was stopped by the advice of Kobayakawa Takakage and the two diplomats who were well respected in the Mōri clan. Takakage is said to have said, "It is a shame for the samurai to make peace before the blood of our friends has dried on their swords." That year in 1582, Takakage had moved his main castle of

(新高山城) to

Mihara Castle , also known as Ukishiro Castle, is a ''hirashiro'' (castle on a plain) located in Mihara, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. History Mihara Castle was constructed in 1582 by Kobayakawa Takakage, who built this castle to protect the Mōri clan's coas ...

facing the Seto Inland Sea.

Service under Hideyoshi

In 1583 when Hideyoshi defeated

Shibata Katsuie or was a Japanese samurai and military commander during the Sengoku period. He served Oda Nobunaga as one of his trusted generals, was severely wounded in the 1571 first siege of Nagashima, but then fought in the 1575 Battle of Nagashino an ...

at 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 ...

the Mōri had retained neutrality but they abandoned the opportunistic line and reached out to become subordinates of Hideyoshi. At this time Kobayakawa Takakage offers up his adopted son, Kobayakawa Hidekane, who is really his younger brother as hostage to Hideyoshi. After this Takakage cooperates positively with Hideyoshi and in 1585 during Hideyoshi's

Invasion of Shikoku The was a conflict of the Sengoku period of Japan fought between Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Chōsokabe Motochika on the island of Shikoku in 1585. Hideyoshi invaded Shikoku with a force of over 100,000 men in June and led a campaign against the ...

he defeats Kaneko Motoie (金子元宅) of

. For his service he was given Iyo Province as his fief and that year he moved into

Yuzuki Castle was a former Japanese castle located in the city of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. During the Muromachi period, it was the stronghold of the Kōno clan, who ruled Iyo Province under the Muromachi shogunate. The ruins of the castle were are ...

(湯築城) and Ōzu Castle (大洲城) but keeps

as his main base. He also took the former secretary of the Kaneko clan, Saionji Kinmochi (西園寺公広) as a vassal. In addition, the control of Iyo by Takakage is excellent and the Portuguese missionary,

Luís Fróis Luís Fróis (1532 – 8 July 1597) was a Portuguese missionary who worked in Asia during the second half of the 16th century. While in Japan in 1582, he witnessed the attack on Honnō-ji, a Buddhist temple that ended in the death of Oda Nobuna ...

, praises that "''Takakage governs the country quietly with a deep thought and it is unusual in Japan that there is no terror or rebellion in the country of Iyo''". Starting in 1586 Takakage took part in Hideyoshi's

Kyūshū 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 ...

and after the campaign Hideyoshi awarded him with

Chikugo Province is the name of a former province of Japan in the area that is today the southern part of Fukuoka Prefecture on Kyūshū. It was sometimes called or , with Chikuzen Province. Chikugo was bordered by Hizen, Chikuzen, Bungo, and Higo Provin ...

and

Hizen Province was an old province of Japan in the area of the Saga and Nagasaki prefectures. It was sometimes called , with Higo Province. Hizen bordered on the provinces of Chikuzen and Chikugo. The province was included in Saikaidō. It did not incl ...

totalling 371,300 ''

''. However, Takakage tried to object saying that it was impossible for the three clans of Mōri, Kikkawa and Kobayakawa to administer these provinces adequately since they already had seven to eight provinces in the Chugoku region and now on top of that the three in

. On the contrary, Hideyoshi tried to make him administer the provinces by making two of them public but Takakage repeatedly decline and said that his nephew

was still too young and his brother Kikkawa Motoharu had already died. He proposed to install substitute officers in Chikuzen and Chikugo and also would alternate with Sasa Narimasa (佐々成政) every half a year or year. Hideyoshi refused his resignation of the provinces and this was an opportunity for Takakage to become an independent lord under the Toyotomi administration. In 1587, his retainer Kōno Michinao (河野通直) who he had transferred to Takehara died. This left Takakage with the problem of taking care of the provinces in

without help and by the suspicious nature of his death he may have been assassinated by Hideyoshi himself. Since Saionji Kinmochi (西園寺公広) was also killed at the same time, during Takakage's transportation of men to

it seems Hideyoshi was trying to take power away from the Kobayakawa clan by eliminating his best supporters. Hideyoshi was known to do this on separate other occasions. The Toyotomi uji was simultaneously granted to a number of Hideyoshi's chosen allies, who adopted the new uji "豊臣朝臣" (Toyotomi no asomi, courtier of Toyotomi). In July, 1588, he gave this to Takakage. Two years later he participated in the

Siege of Odawara (1590) The third occurred in 1590, and was the primary action in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign to eliminate the Hōjō clan as a threat to his power. The months leading up to it saw hasty but major improvements in the defense of the castle, as Hi ...

when he took

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 ...

Okazaki Castle is a Japanese castle located in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Okazaki Castle was home to the Honda clan, ''daimyō'' of Okazaki Domain, but the castle is better known for its association with Tokugawa Ieyasu an ...

. In 1592 when Hideyoshi orders the

Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98) 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 diasp ...

, Takakage mobilizes 10,000 soldiers as captain of the 6th division and attacks

Jeolla Province Jeolla Province (, ) was one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Kingdom of Joseon in today Southwestern Korea. It consisted of the modern South Korean provinces of North Jeolla, South Jeolla and Gwangju Metropolitan City as w ...

but he is met with resistance and unable to capture the province completely. He was then relocated in 1593 to

Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...

where he fought in the

Battle of Byeokjegwan The Battle of Byeokjegwan was a military engagement fought on 27 February 1593 between the armies of the Ming dynasty led by Li Rusong and Japanese forces under Kobayakawa Takakage. It resulted in Japanese victory and Ming retreat. Background A ...

with

Tachibana Muneshige The term has at least two different meanings, and has been used in several contexts. People * – a clan of ''kuge'' (court nobles) prominent in the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185) * – a clan of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) prominent in the Mu ...

where they repelled the reinforcement forces of the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

. In 1594 there is a letter sent to the commanders of the Mōri forces in Korea. It was addressed to Kobayakawa Takakage from

Katō Kiyomasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. His court title was Higo-no-kami. His name as a child was ''Yashamaru'', and first name was ''Toranosuke''. He was one of Hideyoshi's Seven Spears of Shizugatake. Biography ...

saying that Hideyoshi wanted to give his nephew Hashiba Hideaki (羽柴秀俊) as an adopted son to the Mōri clan for adoption.

was already 40 years old and had no heir. Fearing that this would make the heir to the Mōri clan someone without Mōri blood he adopted Hideaki himself and he became known as Kobayakawa Hideaki. In 1595 Takakage was appointed to the Council of Five Elders by Hideyoshi along with

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 ag ...

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� ...

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 ...

, and the famous

. Then he handed over his estate to his adopted son Kobayakawa Hideaki and retired to

. Hideyoshi gave him a retirement fief of 50,150 ''

''. He also built

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 ...

(名島城) in

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 died two years later at

on July 26, 1597, and was buried at Beisan Temple (Beisan-ji, 米山寺) in Nuta, Numata. After the death of Takakage the role of the "Mōri's Two Rivers" went to his nephews

Kikkawa Hiroie (December 7, 1561 – October 22, 1626) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period. Hiroie's father was Kikkawa Motoharu and his mother was a daughter of Kumagai Nobunao. Biography He initially w ...

(吉川広家) and

Mōri Hidemoto was a senior retainer of the Toyotomi clan throughout the latter Sengoku period of feudal Japan. Hidemoto was the eldest son of Mōri Motokiyo and initially began service under the Toyotomi as a military commander under his cousin Terumoto, ...

(毛利秀元).

Family

*Father: Mōri Motonari (毛利元就, 1497–1571) *Mother: Myōkyū (妙玖, 1499–1546) – daughter of Kikkawa Kunitsune (吉川国経). ** Adoptive father: Kobayakawa Okikage (小早川興景, 1519–1541) *Siblings: ** Sister: name unknown - died young, taken hostage by the Takahashi clan (高橋氏) and later killed. ** Brother: Mōri Takamoto (毛利隆元, 1523–1563) ** Sister: Goryū no Tsubone (五龍局, d. 1574) – wife of Shishido Takaie (宍戸隆家). ** Brother:

(吉川元春, 1530–1586) ** Half-brother: Ninomiya Naritoki (二宮就辰, 1546–1607) ** Half-brother: Hoida Motokiyo (穂井田元清, 1551–1597) ** Half-brother: Suginomori Motoaki (椙杜元秋, 1552–1585) ** Half-brother: Izuha Mototomo (出羽元倶, 1555–1571) ** Half-brother: Amano Motomasa (天野元政, 1559–1609) ** Half-brother: Suetsugu Motoyasu (末次元康, 1560–1601) ** Half-brother:

Kobayakawa Hidekane was a Japanese samurai, the ninth son of Mōri Motonari. His mother was Motonari's concubine, Nomi no Ōkata (乃美の方). Originally he was named Mototsuna and given to Ōta Hidetsuna but later his childless half-brother Kobayakawa Takak ...

(小早川秀包, 1567–1601) *Wife: Lady Toida, daughter of Kobayakawa Masahira (d. 1619) *Adopted Children: **

(1567–1601) (also Takakage's half-brother) ** Kobayakawa Hideaki (小早川秀秋, 1567–1601)(The nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi)

Retainers

* Hayashi Nagayoshi (林長由, c.1560–?), son of

who served Mōri Motonari. He also served Takakage's adopted sons. Jirōuemon (郎右エ門), Tamba-no-kami (丹波守). * Saionji Kinmochi (西園寺公広, 1537–1588), possibly assassinated by

. * Kono Michinao (河野通直, 1564–1587), possibly assassinated by

. Iyo-no-kami (伊予守). * Murakami Kagechika (村上景親, 1558–1610) * Murakami Kagehiro (村上景広, 1554–1627) * Awaya Kagekatsu (粟屋景雄, ?–?) * Ikuchi Kagemori (生口景守, ?–?) * Isokane Kagemichi (磯兼景道, ?–?) * Oka Kagetada (岡景忠, ?–1630) * Katsura Kagenobu (桂景信, ?–?) * Kanehisa Kagekatsu (包久景勝, ?–?) * Kunishige Kageuji (國貞景氏, ?–?) * Shimizu Kageharu (清水景治, 1571–1649) * Mokake Kagetoshi (裳懸景利, ?–?) * Masuda Kageyoshi (益田景祥, 1577–1630) * Teshima Kageshige (手嶋景繁, ?–?) * Shirai Kagetane (白井景胤, ?–?) * Jinzai Kagemichi (神西景通, ?–?)

Popular Culture

* Portrayed by

Toshiaki Megumi is a Japanese comedian, actor, television presenter, and newscaster who is a member of the comedy duo Honjamaka. He is represented by Watanabe Entertainment is a major Japanese entertainment conglomerate and a member of the Watanabe Production ...

in the 1997

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 ...

Taiga drama TV series '' Mōri Motonari''. * He also appeared 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 ...

'' as virtually head of the Mōri clan. * He appears as a playable character in the video game series ''

Samurai Warriors is the first title in the series of hack and slash video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based closely around the Sengoku ("Warring States") period of Japanese history and it is a sister series of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, relea ...

'' and its crossover game ''

Warriors Orochi is a hack and slash video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, developed by Koei and Omega Force. It is a crossover of two of Koei's popular video game series, ''Dynasty Warriors'' and '' Samurai Warriors'' (specifically ''Dynasty Warriors 5'' a ...

''.

References

* Frédéric, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia". Cambridge, Massachusetts:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...