Toyotomi clan

"Toyotomi" redirects here. For other uses, see Toyotomi (disambiguation).

Originating in Owari Province, the Toyotomi clan (豊臣氏, Toyotomi-shi) served as retainers to the Oda clan throughout 16th-century Japan's Sengoku period.

Unity and Conflict

The most influential figure within the Toyotomi was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three "unifiers of Japan." Oda Nobunaga was another primary unifier and the ruler of the Oda clan at the time. Hideyoshi had joined Nobunaga at a young age, but was not highly regarded because of his peasant background. Nevertheless, Hideyoshi's increasing influence allowed him to seize a significant degree of power from the Oda clan following Oda Nobunaga's death in 1582.

Hideyoshi never realized his ambition to become Japan's shogun until Oda was killed . When Hideyoshi died in 1598, his son Toyotomi Hideyori was still an infant. Regents were appointed to rule until his maturity, and conflicts among them began quickly. In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu deposed Hideyori and took power after winning the Battle of Sekigahara. In 1614, Hideyori came into conflict with the Tokugawa clan, leading to Tokugawa Ieyasu's Siege of Osaka from 1614 to 1615. As a result of the siege, Hideyori was forced to commit seppuku. After his death, the Toyotomi Clan dissolved, leaving the Tokugawa clan to solidify their rule of Japan.

Other Figures of Toyotomi

• Toyotomi Hideyoshi
• Toyotomi Hideyori
• Toyotomi Hidetsugu
• Toyotomi Hidenaga