Ishida Mitsunari - chronology
A post detailing Ishida Mitsunari’s career year by year. Might be updated from time to time. (last update October 18)
(months follow old Japanese system)
1560
Mitsunari was born in Ōmi province, Sakata-gun, Ishida-mura (Shiga prefecture, Nagahama city, Ishida-chō) as a second son to Ishida Masatsugu. Childhood name Sakichi.
1574
While doing a training/studying at Kan’onji (Sakata-gun, Ōhara) [or Ika-gun, Furuhashi-mura’s Hokkenji ✶1], he met Hashiba Hideyoshi and became his attendant {at least that’s how the famous anecdote goes. There’s also a theory that Mitsunari became Hideyoshi’s retainer when he was 18 while Hideyoshi was at Himeji.}
1577
It is thought that from this year Mitsunari started to serve as Hideyoshi’s attendant. (Hideyoshi’s conquest of Chūgoku)
He probably got married around this period.
1581
accompanies Hideyoshi on an attack on Sengoku Hidehisa (this probably comes from some story from Edo, but anything prior to 1583 is probably just Mitsunari following Hideyoshi around)
1583
March~April - During battle of Shizugatake against Shibata Katsuie, Mitsunari was collecting intelligence. His name was written using different kanji - 三也.
July - A letter addressed to Naoe Kanetsugu signed by Mitsunari (together with Mashita Nagamori and Kimura Kiyohisa) exists.
1584
March - the battle of Komaki-Nagakute {it is said that he participated, but I’m not 100% sure}
continues writing to Kanetsugu (together with Mashita Nagamori and Kimura Kiyohisa)
November - he started to work as a land survey magistrate (検地奉行) for Ōmi province’s Gamō-gun (the possibility that he did is high)
1585
March - possibility he was with Hideyoshi in Kishū province
July - Hideyoshi became the Regent and Mitsunari was given the fifth rank title Jibu no shō {together with other eleven people, for example Ōtani Yoshitsugu - Gyōbu no shō - and Mashita Nagamori}
switched from using “Sakichi” to “Jibu no shō”, changed his name from 三也 to 三成.
August - Hideyoshi attacked Ecchū’s Sasa Narimasa. {It is said that Mitsunari went to Katsuyama castle to meet with Naoe Kanetsugu to organize meeting between Kagekatsu and Hideyoshi, but you know it might be just a story}
1586
May - Uesugi Kagekatsu proceeded to the capital (Kyoto). Mitsunari went to meet him and together, they entered Kyoto.
June - Mitsunari was appointed to a governmental office (as a magistrate 堺奉行) in Sakai - worked together with Konishi Ryūsa (Konishi Yukinaga’s father). Ōtani Yoshitsugu acted as Mitsunari’s assistant.
During his time as a magistrate of Sakai, he met Luis Frois: “[Konishi] Ryūsa was the best, ideal person, the first Christian in the capital and friend of all Christians and a father of the navy captain [Konishi] Yukinaga. His coworker was Sakichi-dono, Kampaku-dono’s [Hideyoshi’s] vassal, big enemy of Ryūsa, who didn’t take any pleasure from Kampaku’s tyranny, and enemy of Christians. He was jealous, ambitious, arrogant and overall just corrupt.” Most likely around this time, there was an incident involving Japanese Christians (it happened in 1586). A merchant family Hibiya had a tea ceremony and something went wrong and Hibiya Ryōkei’s younger brothers Gaspar and Tōan (not Christian) were killed by Hibiya Sōsatsu’s (Lucas’) younger brother Ryōkan. Ryōkan killed himself at the scene. Because the Hibiyas were a rich merchant family, Hideyoshi used this opportunity to confiscate their tea utensils and other riches and ordered Lucas’ execution. This order was carried out by “Sakichi-dono”. He also ordered a capture of wives and children (between 2 and 15) and put them in a dark dungeon. In the end, only Lucas was crucified, because of a combined help of the two Konishis, Nene and other Christian maids who managed to talk Hideyoshi out of it. (more here, Sōsatsu was a terrible person, who kidnapped - and probably worse - his wife-to-be, Hibiya Monica)
1587
March - Hideyoshi left Osaka to attack the Shimazu clan. Mitsunari most likely went with him.
April - together with Otani Yoshitsugu and Ankokuji Ekei wrote a letter [hopefully more info will come later]
May - Hideyoshi attacked the Shimazu clan. Mitsunari served in logistics. He also worked together with Ankokuji Ekei. After Shimazu Yoshihisa shaved his head to request peace, Niiro Tadamoto was still resisting, but Mitsunari went together with Ijūin Tadamune to persuade Tadamoto and made him capitulate.
Participated in a poem meeting at Itsukushima shrine - 春ごとの頃しもたえぬ山桜よも霧島の心ちこそすれ
July 10 - back in Sakai.
Mitsunari was appointed as magistrate of Hakata (博多奉行). After that he commenced a reconstruction of the city. (on Kyūshū) ???
1588
Shimazu Yoshihiro met with Hideyoshi in Osaka castle.
He was in contact with Shimazu clan quite a lot in the second half of this year.
Mitsunari’s post as magistrate of Sakai was given to his older brother Masazumi.
1589
February - Hideyoshi ordered Honganji Kōsa (Kennyo) to hand over the rōnins he had with him and Mitsunari together with Mashita Nagamori took care of it.
June - Mutō Yoshikatsu from Dewa province came to the capital and Mitsunari and Nagamori welcomed him.
Together with Asano Nagayoshi (Nagamasa) he sent his retainers to do land survey in Minō province.
1590
February 28 - left Kyoto for Kantō.
April 3 - arrived close to Odawara, was stationed within Hideyoshi’s camp.
May 26 - attacking Tatebayashi castle,
June - Mitsunari, Ōtani Yoshitsugu, and Natsuka Masaie attacked Oshi castle. Later others joined as well (e.g. Satake Yoshinobu, Sanada Masayuki...)
July - Ōshū punishment. Gamō Ujisato, Asano Nagayoshi, Ishida Mitsunari etc.
September - he was in Ōshu until now, after that he returned back to Kyoto/Osaka.
December - went to Ōshu again.
1591
January - arrived to Sōma.
February middle - returned to Kyoto.
April - Mitsunari became a governor of some parts of Ōmi (Sakata-gun where he was born) and Minō that were under the direct control of Toyotomi.
July~October - Because of Kunohe Masazane’s uprising in Ōshū, he was sent there with Asano Nagayoshi. In October he went back to Kyoto.
December 28 - Toyotomi Hidetsugu became kampaku.
1592
February - with Ōtani Yoshitsugu left Kyoto for Hizen-Nagoya.
March - became a boat-bugyō (船奉行) with Yoshitsugu and some other people.
June - Together with Mashita Nagamori and Ōtani Yoshitsugu crossed the sea to Korea to act as general magistrates.
July - they entered Hanseong (today’s Seoul) and opened war council with other generals.
Mitsunari, Yoshitsugu, Nagamori sent a letter back to Japan commenting on the situation (which wasn’t positive. “if it continues like this, Japanese will be eliminated” “you can’t enter China within a year”).
1593
January - Battle of Byeokjegwan with Mashita Nagamori and Ōtani Yoshitsugu
February - Siege of Haengju
March - started peace negotiations together with Konishi Yukinaga
May 13 - arrived back to Hizen-Nagoya (with Yoshitsugu, Nagamori, Yukinaga)
May 24 - left Nagoya to return back to Korea (with Yoshitsugu and Nagamori)
June - a peace treaty was offered by Hideyoshi with ridiculous conditions
July - with Yoshitsugu and Nagamori was ordered to do land survey of Echigo. He dispatched his vassals or subordinates.
His brother Masazumi was given a fifth rank title.
dealing with Shimazu
September - back in Nagoya
1594
March - Shimazu Iehisa that Mitsunari was looking after in Fushimi got an audience with Hideyoshi.
July - the land survey of Shimazu clan started
September 3 - Mitsunari’s mother’s funeral service was held at Daitokuji’s Sangen’in (Kyōto) ✶2
October - land survey of Satake clan
1595
June - Together with Mashita Nagamori and Maeda Gen’i went to Jurakudai to question the Regent Toyotomi Hidetsugu.
July 12 - with Mashita Nagamori they had to swear their loyalty to Hideyori
July 15 - Hidetsugu committed seppuku at Mt. Kōya. His old fiefs in Ōmi go to Mitsunari and Mitsunari becomes a daimyō of Sawayama (a castle owner) with 194 000 koku (before he had 100 000 koku. In reality, Mitsunari was supposed to move to Owari-Kiyosu with 210 000 koku, but he refused(? there were change of plans?) and the fief went to Fukushima Masanori
Mitsunari and Nagamori were appointed governors of Kyoto.
August - land survey of Yamato (most likely, because it came under the direct control of main Toyotomi branch, because Yamato-Toyotomi was no more).
1596
January - Together with Mashita Nagamori, Maeda Gen’i, and Natsuka Masaie pledged their loyalty to Hideyori. ✶3
June - The Ming envoy comes to Osaka, Mitsunari is tasked with entertainment.
July 7 - earthquake in Fushimi, magnitude 7-8. Fushimi castle’s main keep was destroyed.
September - Hideyoshi met with the Chinese envoy in Osaka, got angry and decided to sent a new wave to Korea.
November 15 - the oppression against Christians was getting severe, so Mitsunari advised Organtino ✶4 to escape to Nagasaki.
December - Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan - Hideyoshi ordered all Franciscans and Christians living in the Ōsaka-Kyōto area to be captured and executed. At that time, Mitsunari served as the magistrate of Kyōto and minimized the arrests and reduced the list of names heavily - to 15 names - (he tried to plead to Hideyoshi for not including Jesuits - and managed to exclude Takayama Ukon, one of the prominent Christian daimyō). In the end six foreign missionaries and friars and eighteen Japanese friars and believers were captured, transported to Nagasaki (on the way two others joined them) and crucified. Hideyoshi also ordered to cut off both ears and nose of those captured, but at the discretion of Mitsunari it stopped only at cutting of a left earlobe. (detailed post)
1597
February - among the seven overseers that went to Korea were Mitsunari’s brothers-in-law Fukuhara Nagataka and Kumagai Naomori.
Go-bugyō system was established. Asano Nagamasa was made the head of them.
It is believed that Mitsunari spent most of the year in Fushimi, acting as Hideyoshi’s agent. (Some of it is hinted in letters to Sanada Nobuyuki.)
1598
January - Uesugi Kagekatsu got relocated to Aizu. Mitsunari went to Aizu to inspect the fiefs.
May 3 - returned to Sawayama.
May 29 - he went to Chikuzen (Kobayakawa Hideaki’s old fief) as its governor {he refused to take the province as his own and move there from Sawayama, but he was still tasked with managing it together with Asano Nagamasa}
July latter half - returned to Kyoto/Osaka.
August 18 - Hideyoshi died at Fushimi
September 8 - Terumoto thanked him that he took some of old Takakage’s vassals as his own
October end - arrived to Hakata to withdrew forces from Korea with Asano Nagamasa and Mōri Hidemoto.
December 24 - returned to Ōsaka
Dispute between Mitsunari (Konishi Yukinaga, Shimazu Yoshihiro, Kobayakawa Hidekane, Arima Harunobu, Ōmura Yoshiaki, Tachibana Muneshige) and Asano Nagamasa (Katō Kiyomasa, Kuroda Nagamasa, Kuroda Josui...), because of different views concerning withdrawal from Korea. ✶5 {Konishi and Katō hated each other, Konishi and Asano were also on bad terms, Mitsunari was Konishi’s “special close friend”} ✶6
1599
January 19 - Mitsunari/Toshiie publicly condemned Ieyasu for making personal marriage arrangements. The rest of the Elders and magistrates took Mitsunari’s side.
February 2 - bugyō shaved their heads in Fushimi
March 3 (leap year) - Maeda Toshiie died
March 4 (leap year) - Katō Kiyomasa, Fukushima Masanori, Kuroda Nagamasa, Asano Yukinaga, Hosokawa Tadaoki, Hachisuka Iemasa, Tōdō Takatora launched an attack on Mitsunari. Mitsunari fled from Ōsaka to his own part of Fushimi castle - Jibunoshōyumaru.
March 10/11 (leap year) ? - Ieyasu intervened, Mitsunari lost his post and was sent to Sawayama castle. The one accompanying him was Yūki Hideyasu, Tokugawa Ieyasu’s second son, who was given for adoption to Toyotomi Hideyoshi and skipped in favour of the third son Hidetada. ✶7
Summer - Maeda Toshinaga and Asano Nagamasa were suspected of rebellion/assassination of Ieyasu - the subjugation of Kaga. It is recorded that Mitsunari also departed to Echizen following Ieyasu’s orders. Maeda Toshinaga surrendered before any fight started and sent his mother as a hostage to Ieyasu. Asano Nagamasa was confined into his house in Musashi province and lost his magistrate post.
1600
((May - Kanetsugu Naoe sent “Naoe’s letter” and after that the subjugation of Aizu started)) {historians are divided if such a letter existed or not; there are several copies preserved, with different wordings.}
June 6 - Ieyasu leaves Osaka to subjugate Aizu.
Mitsunari promised Ieyasu to sent his eldest son Shigeie to participate in the subjugation of Aizu
beginning of July - Ōtani Yoshitsugu led his army to join the subjugation of Aizu through Ōmi and stopped at Sawayama
Ankokuji Ekei met with Mitsunari and Yoshitsugu
Mitsunari and Yoshitsugu rose their armies (and went to Ōsaka???)
July 15 - Shimazu Yoshihiro’s letter to Uesugi Kagekatsu makes clear that the main players are all in agreement: Mōri Terumoto, Ukita Hideie, magistrates, Konishi Yukinaga, Ōtani Yoshitsugu, Ishida Mitsunari
July 17 - Mashita Nagamori, Natsuka Masaie, and Maeda Gen’i made 内府ちかひの条々 (”things Ieyasu did wrong”) ✶8 public, i.e. sent to many feudal lords (noble families in Kyōto also got their hands on it). In the document, they condemned Ieyasu for all of his wrongdoings in 13 points. ✶9
July 18 - Mitsunari visited Hōkoku shrine in Kyōto (Hōkoku shrine - a shrine where Toyotomi Hideyoshi is enshrined) leading troops with him.
July 27 - Mitsunari was at Sawayama castle (received letter from Sanada Masayuki)
July 29 - Fushimi castle (but there were also rumors that he entered Osaka castle on this day)
July 30 - Mitsunari was at/entered Osaka castle
last day of July - Mitsunari sent a letter to Sanada Masayuki; three messengers arrived to Masayuki, two continued to Aizu
August 1 - Fushimi castle fell
from August, letters signed by all four bugyō appeared, so Mitsunari was not “unemployed” anymore
August 5 - sent a letter to Sanada Masayuki, Nobuyuki, Nobushige
August 6 - sent a letter to Sanada Masayuki. He was at Sawayama castle.
August 8 - left Sawayama and proceeded on the way to Owari province (there were plans to capture Kiyosu castle)
August 10 - entered Ōgaki castle in Minō. Sent letter to Sanada Masayuki, Nobushige
August 26 - withdrew from Ōgaki castle back to Sawayama ??
beginning of September - back at Ōgaki castle
September 12 - sent letter to Mashita Nagamori talking about the situation. However, this letter is a copy; Shiramine Jun and Nakai Shun’ichirō believe that it might be fake
September 14 - Mitsunari, Konishi Yukinaga, Ukita Hideie, Shimazu Yoshihiro moved from Ōgaki castle (to Sekigahara/Yamanaka)
September 15 - the battle of Sekigahara. After he lost, Mitsunari ran away to the surroundings of Mt. Ibuki
September 17 - Sawayama castle burned down and Mitsunari’s father, brother and his family, and wife committed suicide (it’s possible that his wife escaped)
September 21 - Mitsunari was captured in Furuhashi and taken to Ōtsu castle
October 1 - Ishida Mitsunari, Konishi Yukinaga, and Ankokuji Ekei were executed at Rokujōgawara in Kyōto (before execution they were paraded around Ōsaka, Sakai, and Kyōto).
✶1 As a small child, Mitsunari studied at Hokkenji. Furuhashi is the place where Mitsunari escaped to after Sekigahara. It’s also a place where Mitsunari’s mother was born; her tomb used to be at Hokkenji.
✶2 This is the temple where Ishida Mitsunari’s tomb is.
✶3 Ishida Mitsunari, Mashita Nagamori, Maeda Gen’i, and Natsuka Masaie are future go-bugyō. The system of these four is already in business. Asano Nagamasa is added later.
✶4 Gnecchi-Soldo Organtino was an Italian missionary (a member of the Society of Jesus) who first came to Japan when Oda Nobunaga was alive and gained his trust and with his patronage spread Christianity.
✶5 There is no record of this in any of Japanese sources (apparently). This comes from the records of Jesuits, giving more of the background to the attack on Mitsunari in March 1599 (imo). Asano’s side tried to put pressure on Mitsunari’s side (and probably make him leave the office???), but with no success. However people on Asano’s side (Kiyomasa? Kuroda Nagamasa?) couldn’t stay quiet and started to appeal to important people, especially those who were on “the lord’s” (Hideyori’s) side. ETA: while the Jesuit record has it as Mitsunari vs Nagamasa, perhaps it’s actually better to be viewed as Mitsunari+Yukinaga vs Kiyomasa (I’ll think about it and change it accordingly, perhaps after reading more about Kiyomasa and Mitsunari after Korea)
✶6 as recorded by the Jesuits. As a side note, whenever Mitsunari and Yukinaga are mentioned in the same sentence, the friendship is always mentioned.
✶7 Mitsunari gave Hideyasu a sword that is now known as Ishida Masamune.
✶8 is there an official English title that’s used in historical books? I will go through Cambridge history later, though.
✶9 There’s no red seal for Maeda Gen’i’s signature, only black one, so only his name was used. He was sick during this whole period.
sources:
http://theology.catholic.ne.jp/?proc=japaneseslashshitsugi_oto
中井俊一郎「石田三成からの手紙」Sunrise publishing, 2015.
太田浩司「近江が住んだ知将 石田三成」Sunrise publishing, 2009.
三池純正「敗者から見た関ヶ原合戦」Yōsensha, 2007.
中野等「石田三成伝」2017.
http://ootanidatabase.web.fc2.com/nenpyou.html
白峰旬「豊臣公儀としての石田・毛利連合政権」史学論叢第 46 号(2016 年3月)
白峰旬「在京公家・僧侶などの日記における関ヶ原の戦い関係等の 記載について(その2)」史学論叢第 46 号(2016 年3月)
白峰旬「『十六・七世紀イエズス会日本報告集』における関ヶ 原の戦い関連の記載についての考察(その1)」
白峰旬「『十六・七世紀イエズス会日本報告集』における関ヶ原の戦い関連 の記載についての考察(その2)」
白峰旬「慶長5年6月~同年9月における徳川家康の軍事行 動について(その1)」
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