the eldest son of Rokkaku Yoshikata

Rokkaku Yoshikata

was a samurai head of the Rokkaku clan during Japan's Sengoku period. He was shugo and later daimyō of an area of southern Ōmi province, he served as castellan of Kannonji Castle...

. During the year 1559, Yoshiharu became the official head of the Rokkaku clan

Rokkaku clan

The was a Japanese samurai clan which wielded considerable power in the Muromachi period under the Ashikaga shogunate.-Rise and Fall:Founded by Sasaki Yasutsuna of Ōmi province in the 13th century, the name Rokkaku was taken from their residence within Kyoto; however, many members of this family...

, though he and his father ruled jointly. Both were at the Battle of Norada

Battle of Norada

The Battle of Norada was a battle of Japan's Sengoku period, fought between forces under Azai Nagamasa and Rokkaku Yoshikata in the year 1560....

 in 1560, where they were defeated by Azai Nagamasa

Azai Nagamasa

was a Daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japan. His clan, the Azai, were located in northern Ōmi Province, east of Lake Biwa. He was both the brother-in-law of Oda Nobunaga, starting in 1564, and one of Nobunaga's enemies from 1570-1573. Nagamasa and his clan were utterly destroyed by Oda...

. Yoshiharu along with his father abandoned Kannōnji Castle

Kannonji Castle

The ruins of ' are located on the ridgeline of Mount Kinugasa in the town of Azuchi, Shiga Prefecture, not far from the ruins of Azuchi Castle. At the castle site, the ruins of stone walls, a stone-lined well, and an historical signboard can be found...

 as 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...

 marched through the Rokkaku domain in 1568. They moved their headquarters to Namazue Castle from whence they continued to fight. In the end, Yoshiharu had no choice but to ally with the Azai clan, but left it after it was destroyed in 1573.

During the year before the fall of the Azai, Yoshiharu had corresponded with members of the Takeda clan, and joined them after the Azai were destroyed. When the Takeda clan was annihilated, Yoshiharu took refuge at a Buddhist temple called Erin-ji in Kai Province

Kai Province

, also known as , is an old province in Japan in the area of Yamanashi Prefecture. It lies in central Honshū, west of Tokyo, in a landlocked mountainous region that includes Mount Fuji along its border with Shizuoka Prefecture....

. Afterwards, Yoshiharu joined Toyotomi 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 became a retainer of Toyotomi Hidetsugu

Toyotomi Hidetsugu

was a nephew and retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who lived during the Sengoku period of the 16th century of Japan.A practitioner of the shudō tradition, Hidetsugu had a number of Wakashū...

. The last thing that Yoshiharu did in history was to become an instructor of archery for Toyotomi Hideyori

Toyotomi Hideyori

was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga....

 at Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle

is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan.Originally called Ozakajō, it is one of Japan's most famous castles, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.-Description:...

.