, third son of

Chōsokabe Kunichika was a powerful warlord in Tosa Province, Japan. He was the son of Chōsokabe Kanetsugu. His childhood name was Senyumaru (千熊丸).　 After his father Chōsokabe Kanetsugu was attacked by local lords and he killed himself in the Okō Castle ...

who was adopted by the Kōsokabe Clan in 1558 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 ...

of 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 ...

, who served the

Chōsokabe clan , also known as , was a Japanese samurai kin group. Over time, they were known for serving the Hosokawa clan, then the Miyoshi clan and then the Ichijo clan. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographi ...

. He was the castle lord in command of

Aki Castle was a Japanese castle, castle of the Aki clan in what is now the city of Aki, Kōchi, Aki, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. Ruins still remain and the site was designated an Aki City Historic Site. It is believed the castle was built by Aki Chikauji in 1 ...

.川口素生編『戦国名物家臣列伝』学習研究社 P.133 Throughout Chikayasu's life, he led many an army throughout his older brother Motochika's campaigns in

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 contributing to the expansion of the domain of the

Biography

Chikayasu was the third son of Chosokabe Kunichika and a younger brother of Chosokabe Motochika. He was adopted by Kosokabe Chikahide in 1558 and following the defeat of the Aki family at Battle of Yanagare in 1569, he was given

Aki castle was a Japanese castle, castle of the Aki clan in what is now the city of Aki, Kōchi, Aki, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. Ruins still remain and the site was designated an Aki City Historic Site. It is believed the castle was built by Aki Chikauji in 1 ...

. He went on to serve Motochika loyally throughout his career. In 1575, he fought at the Battle of Shimantogawa (Battle of Watarigawa) against Ichijo family. He played a notable role in the Chosokabe victory at the Battle of Nakatomigawa in 1582 and captured

Tsu castle was a Japanese castle located in the city of Tsu, Mie Prefecture, Japan. During the Edo period, Tsu Castle was home to the Sudo clan, ''daimyō'' of Tsu Domain, who dominated the provinces of Ise and Iga under the Tokugawa shogunate. The cas ...

, afterwards being given

Tomioka castle Tomioka may refer to: *Tomioka, Fukushima, a town in Fukushima Prefecture ** Tomioka Station, a railway station *Tomioka, Gunma, a city in Gunma Prefecture **Tomioka silk mill * Tomioka Castle * (born 1964), professional shogi player * (1932–200 ...

in Awa province. He was known as a diplomat as well as warrior, and worked at arranging a Chosokabe-Oda alliance. He sent messages to

Oda Nobuo was a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi–Momoyama period. He was the second son of Oda Nobunaga. He survived the decline of the Oda clan from political prominence, becoming a ''daimyō'' in the early Edo period. Though often described as an inc ...

and

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 ...

when the latter two were facing

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 ...

in 1584. After these endeavors, his talents became widely known. In 1585, with his brother

Chōsokabe Motochika was a prominent ''daimyō'' in Japanese Sengoku-period. He was the 21st chief of the Chōsokabe clan of Tosa Province (present-day Kōchi Prefecture), the ruler of Shikoku region. Early life and rise He was the son and heir of Chōsokabe Kuni ...

, Chikayasu fought in the

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 ...

against

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 ...

's forces. In 1592, Chikayasu participated in the First Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea, along with his brother

Death

Chikayasu died of illness in

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 ...

en route to join the

Korean Campaign Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

in 1593. His eldest son Chikauji had also died of illness the previous year. The death of Chikayasu was a significant blow to the Chōsokabe clan. He was an alter ego of Motochika, engaged in battles across Shikoku. A younger son, Sadachika, left

Tosa province was a province of Japan in the area of southern Shikoku. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Tosa''" in . Tosa bordered on Awa to the northeast, and Iyo to the northwest. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of the Gokishichidō syste ...

following the

Sekigahara Campaign The Sekigahara Campaign was a series of battles in Japan fought between the Eastern Army aligned with Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Western Army loyal to Ishida Mitsunari, culminating in the decisive Battle of Sekigahara. The conflict was sparke ...

and settled in Shimôsa province.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kōsokabe, Chikayasu Samurai 1543 births 1593 deaths Chōsokabe clan People from Kōchi Prefecture