Yamauchi Kazutoyo
Encyclopedia
also spelled Yamanouchi (1545/1546? – November 1, 1605), was born the son of Yamanouchi Moritoyo in Owari Province
at the end of the Sengoku period
of Japan
. Kazutoyo held the title of Tosa no kami.
Kazutoyo served under Oda Nobunaga
between from 1565 to 1582, the year Nobunaga was killed. Kazutoyo fought in the Battle of Anegawa
, as well as the Battle of Nagashino
. After the death of Nobunaga, Kazutoyo stayed on as a vassal under Toyotomi Hideyoshi
. In doing so, he was rewarded with a 50,000-koku
fief at Kakegawa
. In the Battle of Sekigahara
in 1600, Kazutoyo supported Tokugawa Ieyasu
, leading more than 2,000 men in that battle, and captured Gifu Castle
as a result. As a reward for his achievements, Kazutoyo was given the Tosa Domain
. To bring certain unruly warriors of Tosa into line, Kazutoyo called on the assistance of Ii Naomasa
, who sent Suzuki Hyoe for this purpose.
Kazutoyo built Kōchi Castle
. His life spanned the closing years of the Sengoku period
, the Azuchi-Momoyama period
, and the beginning of the Edo period
.
Taiga drama
(2006) is a dramatization of the life of Kazutoyo, with his wife Chiyo as the central character. Kōmyō-ga-tsuji: Yamauchi Kazutoyo no Tsuma stars Nakama Yukie
as Chiyo. Takaya Kamikawa
plays Kazutoyo. The story tells Chiyo,as a wise and beautiful wife, helped her husband Yamauchi Kazutoyo up from an ordinary samurai
to the governor of an entire province, Tosa
.The story is by Shiba Ryōtarō
.
Owari Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of present day Aichi Prefecture, including much of modern Nagoya. Its abbreviation is Bishū .-History:The province was created in 646....
at the end of 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 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...
. Kazutoyo held the title of Tosa no kami.
Kazutoyo served under 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...
between from 1565 to 1582, the year Nobunaga was killed. Kazutoyo fought in the Battle of Anegawa
Battle of Anegawa
The 1570 came as a reaction to Oda Nobunaga's sieges of the castles of Odani and Yokoyama, which belonged to the Azai and Asakura clans. It was also referred to as the Battle of Nomura by the Oda and Azai clans and the Battle of Mitamura by the Asakura clan.As warriors sallied forth from the...
, as well as the Battle of Nagashino
Battle of Nagashino
The ' took place in 1575 near Nagashino Castle on the plain of Shitaragahara in the Mikawa province of Japan. Forces under Takeda Katsuyori had besieged the castle since the 17th of June; Okudaira Sadamasa , a Tokugawa vassal, commanded the defending force...
. After the death of Nobunaga, Kazutoyo stayed on as a vassal under 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...
. In doing so, he was rewarded with a 50,000-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...
fief at Kakegawa
Kakegawa Domain
' was a Japanese feudal domain of the Edo period, located in Tōtōmi Province. Kakegawa was primarily a Fudai domain. It was centered at Kakegawa Castle in what is now Kakegawa, Shizuoka.-History:...
. In the Battle of Sekigahara
Battle of Sekigahara
The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...
in 1600, Kazutoyo supported 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...
, leading more than 2,000 men in that battle, and captured Gifu Castle
Gifu Castle
is a castle located in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Along with Mount Kinka and the Nagara River, it is one of the main symbols of the city.-History:Gifu Castle was first built by the Nikaidō clan between 1201 and 1204 during the Kamakura Period....
as a result. As a reward for his achievements, Kazutoyo was given the Tosa Domain
Tosa Domain
The was a feudal domain in Tosa Province of Japan during the Edo period. Its official name is . Some from the domain played important roles in events in the late Tokugawa shogunate...
. To bring certain unruly warriors of Tosa into line, Kazutoyo called on the assistance of Ii Naomasa
Ii Naomasa
was a general under the Sengoku period Daimyo, and later Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. He is regarded as one of the Four Guardians of the Tokugawa along with Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa and Sakai Tadatsugu.-Early life:...
, who sent Suzuki Hyoe for this purpose.
Kazutoyo built Kōchi Castle
Kochi Castle
is a castle located in Kōchi, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan.-History:Following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Kōchi Castle was constructed in what was then the province of Tosa. It was built by Yamanouchi Kazutoyo, who took control of the province after the Tokugawa victory. The castle was constructed...
. His life spanned the closing years of 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...
, the Azuchi-Momoyama period
Azuchi-Momoyama period
The came at the end of the Warring States Period in Japan, when the political unification that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate took place. It spans the years from approximately 1573 to 1603, during which time Oda Nobunaga and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, imposed order...
, and the beginning of the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
.
In drama
The 45th NHKNHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
Taiga drama
Taiga drama
is the name NHK gives to the annual, year-long historical fiction television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white Hana no Shōgai, starring kabuki actor Onoe Shōroku and Takarazuka star Awashima Chikage, the network has hired a producer, director, writer, music...
(2006) is a dramatization of the life of Kazutoyo, with his wife Chiyo as the central character. Kōmyō-ga-tsuji: Yamauchi Kazutoyo no Tsuma stars Nakama Yukie
Yukie Nakama
is a Japanese actress, singer and former idol. She was born in Okinawa, Japan, in a fisherman's family, the youngest of five siblings.At the start of her career she was a gravure idol and singer , and appeared in bit roles until her career breakthrough playing Sadako in "Ring 0: Birthday ."In 2000,...
as Chiyo. Takaya Kamikawa
Takaya Kamikawa
is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. He played the Anti-Spiral in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.- External links :...
plays Kazutoyo. The story tells Chiyo,as a wise and beautiful wife, helped her husband Yamauchi Kazutoyo up from an ordinary samurai
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...
to the governor of an entire province, Tosa
Tosa
Tosa can refer to:*Japanese terms:**Geography:***In Kōchi Prefecture****Tosa, Kōchi ****Tosa, Kōchi , a town****Tosa District, Kōchi***Tosa province or Tosa Domain, now known as Kōchi Prefecture**Tosa dialect...
.The story is by Shiba Ryōtarō
Ryotaro Shiba
, born in Osaka, Japan, was a Japanese author best known for his novels about historical events in Japan and on the Northeast Asian sub-continent, as well as his historical and cultural essays pertaining to Japan and its relationship to the rest of the world....
.
Further reading
- Tabata Yasuko 田端泰子. Yamanouchi Kazutoyo to Chiyo: Sengoku bushi no kazokuzō 山內一豊と千代 : 戦国武士の家族像. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten 岩波書店, 2005.