Alexandru’s Reviews > Sengoku Jidai. Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu: Three Unifiers of Japan > Status Update

Tokugawa Ieyasu crushingly defeats the Toyotomi clan at battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Ieyasu becomes the first Tokugawa shogun and begins the reorganisation and unification of Japan. He builds the new capital at Edo.

Meanwhile, Toyotomi Hideyori, Hideyoshi's son and designated heir grows up and becomes a threat to Ieyasu. Hideyori starts a rebellion culminating in the two sieges of Osaka in 1615.

Hideyoshi Toyotomi is mater of Japan but becomes a brutal tyrant. He organises two invasion of Korea in order to keep his restless daimyo's busy. After his death of old age in 1598 a power struggle starts between his senior retainers. Two factions are formed: the Western army of the Toyotomi clan led by Ishida Mitsunary and the Eastern army led by Tokugawa Ieyasu which clash at the famous battle of Sekigahara in 1600

Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu fight out for supremacy, eventually Ieyasu bows to Hideyoshi who becomes an almost undisputed ruler of Japan. The Emperor names Hideyoshi as kampaku, which is the highest court position a non-noble like him could achieve.

Hideyoshi starts his sword hunt, reorganises Japanese society and social classes, bans movement between classes and and banishes the Jesuits priests and Christianity.

In 1582 Oda Nobunaga is betrayed and assassinated by his vassal Akechi Mitsuhide. Hideyoshi Toyotomi rallies his armies and defeats Akechi at the battle of Yamazaki.

Hideyoshi calls the conference of Kiyosu in 1583 and elects Oda's grandson Samboshi as his successor. Hideyoshi becomes the most powerful daimyo as the protector of Samboshi. He further consolidates his power after the battle of Shizugatake.

Oda Nobunaga invades Echizen, defeats the Asakura clan and becomes shogun in all but name. In 1572 Tokugawa Ieyasu is defeated at the battle of Mikatagahara by Takeda Shingen.

In 1573 the legendary samurai Takeda Shingen 'Tiger of Kai' dies. Hi son Takeda Katsuyori takes over as daimyo of the Takeda clan but is deated in 1575 at the Battle of Nagashino by the combined forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu.