TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi

豊臣秀吉 (1537-1598)

Born in 1536 in Nakamura (present-day Nagoya), TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi was the son of a peasant family. Together with ODA Nobunaga and TOKUGAWA Ieyasu he played a decisive role in the unification of Japan in the 16th century. He began his military career as a common soldier and quickly rose through the ranks due to his abilities on the battlefield. In 1573, Nobunaga appointed him lord of Nagahama. After Nobunaga was killed in Kyôto in 1582, Hideyoshi avenged his death and succeeded him as the dominant political figure. In 1593, he had Ôsaka Castle built as his new seat of power. With his victory over the Hōjō clan at Odawara Castle in 1590, Hideyoshi secured his rule over Japan. His attempts to invade Korea, however, ended in failure. He died in 1598 at Fushimi Castle.