Akechi Mitsuhide
Encyclopedia
, nicknamed Jūbei or called from his clan name and title, was a samurai
who lived during the Sengoku period
of Feudal Japan
.
Mitsuhide was a general under daimyo
Oda Nobunaga
, although he became infamous for his betrayal in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's death at Honno-ji
.
—now Gifu Prefecture
. Toki-Akechi is a descendant of the shugo
Toki clan
. Mitsuhide began serving Nobunaga after the latter's conquest of Mino province in 1566 and received Sakamoto
(in Omi
, 100,000 koku
) in 1571. Before serving Nobunaga, Mitsuhide had served Ashikaga Yoshiaki
after Asakura Yoshikage
. Although Nobunaga rarely put too much trust in his retainers, he particularly trusted Shibata Katsuie
, Hashiba Hideyoshi
, and Akechi Mitsuhide. Akechi Mitushide was the first subordinate who received a castle from Nobunaga. After Mitsuhide received Sakamoto he moved to pacify the Tamba region by defeating several clans such as Hatanao and the Isshiki of Tango. Mitsuhide also received Kamiyama castle and the Tanba region.
by promising Hideharu peace terms. This accomplished Mitsuhide's goal, although Nobunaga betrayed the peace agreement and had Hideharu executed. According to several stories, this displeased the Hatano family, and a short while later several of Hideharu's retainers murdered Akechi Mitsuhide's mother (or aunt). The situation was fueled through several public insults Nobunaga had directed at Mitsuhide that even drew the attention of some Western observers. However, the reason Mitsuhide killed Nobunaga at the Incident at Honnōji
on June 21, 1582 (Japanese: 6th month 2nd day) is not known.
He has been credited with killing Oda Nobunaga; while Mitsuhide did not execute Nobunaga personally, he did force him to commit seppuku. When they found out about the assassination, both Hideyoshi
and Tokugawa Ieyasu
rushed to be the first to avenge Nobunaga and take his place. Hideyoshi got to Mitsuhide first, and Mitsuhide's allies such as Hosokawa Fujitaka
, who was related to Mitsuhide through a marriage, betrayed him.
After Nobunaga was defeated, Mitsuhide hurried to Kyoto, where he was officially titled Shogun
by the Emperor, who considered his claims legitimate as Akechi clan was seen as descendent of Minamoto clan
. Mitsuhide survived for 13 days until he was defeated by Hideyoshi at the Battle of Yamazaki
. Mitsuhide is rumored to have been killed by a peasant warrior by the name of Nakamura
with a bamboo spear; however, there were also rumors that he was not killed, but rather started a new life as a priest called Tenkai
. The short reign of Mitsuhide is depicted in proverb Akechi no tenka-mikka (Reign of Akechi lasts 3 days) and nickname Jusan kubo or shogun for 13 days.
and from there to the Minamoto clan
. It is noted that Minamoto Yoritomo brought the destruction of the Taira clan
the same way Mitsuhide brought an end to Nobunaga, who traces his ancestry to the Taira clan
.
The sword of Mitsuhide is of the Tensho style; in fact, the Tensho Koshirae was first designed to be a replica of Akechi Mitsuhide's own sword.
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
who lived during the Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
of Feudal Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Mitsuhide was a general under daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga
was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
, although he became infamous for his betrayal in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's death at Honno-ji
Honno-ji
is a temple of the Nichiren branch of Buddhism located in Kyoto, Japan. Its honzon is mandara-honzon from Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.-History:...
.
Early life and rise
His birthplace is not specified but is inferred to be in Kyoto or in Kani of Mino ProvinceMino Province
, one of the old provinces of Japan, encompassed part of modern-day Gifu Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mino Province bordered Echizen, Hida, Ise, Mikawa, Ōmi, Owari, and Shinano Provinces....
—now Gifu Prefecture
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...
. Toki-Akechi is a descendant of the shugo
Shugo
was a title, commonly translated as "Governor," given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the shogun to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan...
Toki clan
Toki clan
The was a powerful clan that ruled in Japan from the Kamakura period to the Edo period. It descended from Emperor Seiwa by Minamoto no Yorimitsu from the Minamoto clan and used Toki in Mino Province as their hometown...
. Mitsuhide began serving Nobunaga after the latter's conquest of Mino province in 1566 and received Sakamoto
Sakamoto
Sakamoto is the name of two villages in Japan:*Sakamoto, Kumamoto, a small village in Kumamoto Prefecture*Sakamoto, Shiga, a place in Shiga Prefecture, part of the city of Otsu, Shiga...
(in Omi
Omi Province
is an old province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. It is nicknamed as .Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located at the center of the province...
, 100,000 koku
Koku
The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...
) in 1571. Before serving Nobunaga, Mitsuhide had served Ashikaga Yoshiaki
Ashikaga Yoshiaki
was the 15th shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573. His father, Ashikaga Yoshiharu was the twelfth shogun, and his brother, Ashikaga Yoshiteru was the thirteenth shogun....
after Asakura Yoshikage
Asakura Yoshikage
) was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period, who ruled a part of Echizen Province.Born in Ichijodani Echizen, Yoshikage ascended to the head of the Asakura clan in 1548. He proved to be adept at political and diplomatic management, markedly demonstrated by the Asakura negotiations with the...
. Although Nobunaga rarely put too much trust in his retainers, he particularly trusted Shibata Katsuie
Shibata Katsuie
or was a Japanese military commander during the Sengoku Period who served Oda Nobunaga.-Biography:Katsuie was born in the Shibata family, a branch of the Shiba clan . Note the differences between , , and the .Katsuie was the retainer of Oda Nobukatsu...
, Hashiba Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
, and Akechi Mitsuhide. Akechi Mitushide was the first subordinate who received a castle from Nobunaga. After Mitsuhide received Sakamoto he moved to pacify the Tamba region by defeating several clans such as Hatanao and the Isshiki of Tango. Mitsuhide also received Kamiyama castle and the Tanba region.
Betrayal of Oda Nobunaga
In 1579 he captured Yakami Castle from Hatano HideharuHatano Hideharu
Hatano Hideharu is the eldest son of Hatano Harumichi and the head of Hatano clan.He was a son of Harumichi but for some unknown reason, he was adopted as a son by Hatano Motohide...
by promising Hideharu peace terms. This accomplished Mitsuhide's goal, although Nobunaga betrayed the peace agreement and had Hideharu executed. According to several stories, this displeased the Hatano family, and a short while later several of Hideharu's retainers murdered Akechi Mitsuhide's mother (or aunt). The situation was fueled through several public insults Nobunaga had directed at Mitsuhide that even drew the attention of some Western observers. However, the reason Mitsuhide killed Nobunaga at the Incident at Honnōji
Incident at Honnoji
The ' refers to the forced suicide on June 21, 1582 of Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga at the hands of his samurai general Akechi Mitsuhide. This occurred in Honnō-ji, a temple in Kyoto, ending Nobunaga's quest to consolidate centralized power in Japan under his authority.-Context:Oda Nobunaga was at...
on June 21, 1582 (Japanese: 6th month 2nd day) is not known.
He has been credited with killing Oda Nobunaga; while Mitsuhide did not execute Nobunaga personally, he did force him to commit seppuku. When they found out about the assassination, both Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
and Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
rushed to be the first to avenge Nobunaga and take his place. Hideyoshi got to Mitsuhide first, and Mitsuhide's allies such as Hosokawa Fujitaka
Hosokawa Fujitaka
was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period. Also known as '. Fujitaka was a prominent retainer of the last Ashikaga shoguns. When he joined the Oda, Oda Nobunaga rewarded him with the fief of Tango. His son, Hosokawa Tadaoki, went on to become one of the Oda clan's senior generals.After the...
, who was related to Mitsuhide through a marriage, betrayed him.
After Nobunaga was defeated, Mitsuhide hurried to Kyoto, where he was officially titled Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
by the Emperor, who considered his claims legitimate as Akechi clan was seen as descendent of Minamoto clan
Minamoto clan
was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were demoted into the ranks of the nobility. The practice was most prevalent during the Heian Period , although its last occurrence was during the Sengoku Era. The Taira were another such offshoot of...
. Mitsuhide survived for 13 days until he was defeated by Hideyoshi at the Battle of Yamazaki
Battle of Yamazaki
The was fought in 1582 in Yamazaki, Japan, located in current day Kyoto Prefecture. This battle is sometimes referred to as the Battle of Mt. Tennō ....
. Mitsuhide is rumored to have been killed by a peasant warrior by the name of Nakamura
Nakamura (Bandit)
Nakamura was a bandit peasant during the 16th century Azuchi-Momoyama period in Japan. He was the leader of a gang of bandits that were stationed at a minor village called Ogurusu, which was near the area of battle during the Battle of Yamazaki of 1582. He is rumored to have killed the general...
with a bamboo spear; however, there were also rumors that he was not killed, but rather started a new life as a priest called Tenkai
Tenkai
was a Japanese Tendai Buddhist monk of the Azuchi-Momoyama and early Edo periods. He achieved the rank of Daisōjō, the highest rank of the priesthood....
. The short reign of Mitsuhide is depicted in proverb Akechi no tenka-mikka (Reign of Akechi lasts 3 days) and nickname Jusan kubo or shogun for 13 days.
Family lines
The Akechi family was able to trace their heritage to the Toki clanToki clan
The was a powerful clan that ruled in Japan from the Kamakura period to the Edo period. It descended from Emperor Seiwa by Minamoto no Yorimitsu from the Minamoto clan and used Toki in Mino Province as their hometown...
and from there to the Minamoto clan
Minamoto clan
was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were demoted into the ranks of the nobility. The practice was most prevalent during the Heian Period , although its last occurrence was during the Sengoku Era. The Taira were another such offshoot of...
. It is noted that Minamoto Yoritomo brought the destruction of the Taira clan
Taira clan
The was a major Japanese clan of samurai in historical Japan.In reference to Japanese history, along with Minamoto, Taira was a hereditary clan name bestowed by the emperors of the Heian Period to certain ex-members of the imperial family when they became subjects...
the same way Mitsuhide brought an end to Nobunaga, who traces his ancestry to the Taira clan
Taira clan
The was a major Japanese clan of samurai in historical Japan.In reference to Japanese history, along with Minamoto, Taira was a hereditary clan name bestowed by the emperors of the Heian Period to certain ex-members of the imperial family when they became subjects...
.
The sword of Mitsuhide is of the Tensho style; in fact, the Tensho Koshirae was first designed to be a replica of Akechi Mitsuhide's own sword.
Family
- Tsumaki Hiroko (:Ja:妻木煕子): Wife
- Akechi MitsuyoshiAkechi MitsuyoshiJapanese samurai of the Sengoku period. He was an eldest son of Akechi Mitsuhide. He was defeated at Battle of Yamazaki by Nakagawa Kiyohide and Dom Justo Takayama, and committed suicide....
(明智光慶): Eldest son - Akechi HidemitsuAkechi Hidemitsuwas a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period. A senior retainer of Oda Nobunaga's vassal Akechi Mitsuhide, he served Mitsuhide until the latter's death in 1582 at the hands of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.-Early Life and Family:...
(明智秀満): Adopted son (and son-in-law); ancestor of Sakamoto RyomaSakamoto Ryomawas a leader of the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate during the Bakumatsu period in Japan. Ryōma used the alias .- Early life :Ryōma was born in Kōchi, of Tosa han . By the Japanese calendar, this was the sixth year of Tenpō... - Hosokawa GraciaHosokawa Gracia', usually referred to as ', was a Christian convert, a daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide and the wife of Hosokawa Tadaoki....
(明智玉子): Daughter, wife of Hosokawa TadaokiHosokawa Tadaokiwas the eldest son of Hosokawa Fujitaka. He fought in his first battle at the age of 15. In that battle, he was in the service of Oda Nobunaga. He was given the Province of Tango in 1580. Soon after that, he married Hosokawa Gracia, the daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide. In 1582, Akechi Mitsuhide...
; ancestor of Empress Shōken - Akechi MitsuharuAkechi Mitsuharua retainer beneath the clan of Akechi during the Azuchi-Momoyama period of Feudal Japan. Mitsuharu was also known and referred to as "Mitsutoshi," and was the cousin of the famed Akechi Mitsuhide...
(明智光春): : Cousin