Letter by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
- Person
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作者豊臣秀吉
- Date
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制作年 AD16
- Title
- トヨトミヒデヨシヒツショジョウ
- Collections
- Century Akao Collection
- Depository
- Institute of Oriental Classics (Shido Bunko) Campus Mita
- Ref. number
- AW-CEN-002532-0000
- License
- CC BY Images license
- Creditline
-
慶應義塾（センチュリー赤尾コレクション）
- URL
- Classification
- Art
- AI Tagging
- Handwriting Font Rectangle Paper Writing
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-98) was the Momoyama general who ascended from peasantry to generalissimo and eventually unified the nation. Originally from a village in Owari Province, his early name was Kinoshita Tokichiro. After he began to serve Lord Oda Nobunaga (1534-82), he led many battles to victory and was promoted accordingly until he was given the new clan name of Hashiba. In 1573, upon the fall of the Asano clan, he was bestowed with their estate, but, in the following year, he was appointed Lord of Nagahama Castle in Ohmi Province (Shiga Prefecture). While he was attacking Takamatsu Castle in Bicchu (Okayama Prefecture), the Honnoji coup d’etat erupted in Kyoto. Immediately, he signed a truce with the Mohri clan he was attacking and returned to Kyoto. In the Battle of Yamazaki, he defeated Akechi Mitsuhide, who had assassinated Nobunaga. Subsequently a bitter feud developed in the selection of Nobunaga’s heir. But Hideyoshi emerged successful, destroying Oda Nobutaka and Shibata Katsuiye. He then built Osaka Castle. Thereafter, Hideyoshi’s life was spent in military campaigns through most parts of Japan. He was victorious in the Komaki Nagakute Battle, his campaigns to Kyushu (southern Japan) and Shikoku (western Japan) and in Odawara (Kanagawa Prefecture), where he defeated the Hojo clan. He also crushed enemies in Ohu (northern Japan). Thus he brought generals and warlords of the entire nation under his control, finally unifying the nation.During all these warring years, Hideyoshi’s rank, bestowed by the Imperial court, advanced from Kampaku (Senior Regent) to Chancellor. He transferred the Kampaku title to his nephew Hidetsugu (1568-95), and called himself Taiko, or Retired Regent. During the Bunroku and Keicho eras, he waged two campaigns to conquer the Korean Peninsula and further attempted to conquer the Ming Dynasty of China, but he failed in these attempts and died at Fushimi Castle, only three years after the defeat in Keicho Battle in Korea. His was the most unprecedented ruler in the entire history of Japan.In 1583, Hideyoshi defeated Sakuma Morimasa, a general serving Shibata Katsuiye. Katsuiye was no match against Hideyoshi and fled to his own castle fortress in Kitano-Sho in present-day Fukui Prefecture. Hideyoshi pursued him; Katsuiye set fire to the castle, where he and his wife, Oichi (Nobunaga’s own younger sister), killed themselves.The letter shows that Hideyoshi was very busy conniving in the aftermath of the series of battles. Its date may be May 11. Hideyoshi writes that the battles have left him utterly exhausted, sun burnt and emaciated, while he has developed asthenopia (eyestrain). He thanks his legal wife, One, for sending him frequent letters, inquiring about his health during the campaigns. This letter should have been addressed to One, but the name of the addressee is Iwa, One’s lady-in-waiting. Hideyoshi signed the letter “Ruler of the Nation,” with a bit of self-conceit. But at the same time, he was justified to be proud of taking revenge against Akechi Mitsuhide, who murdered his master, and literally conquering all feuding warlords across Japan. Although his hand is not that of an achieved calligrapher, it shows the distinctive personality of this man of unquenchable fighting spirit.
返々ついてくに／＼のきかたく両度の文申つけ候てのみまいらせ候はやち／＼まてふしゑ中ひまあきおこりのせさるよう候間ひたのくに申つけ候ハんと存候ゑ人数つかわせほねをおり申ニせいはい申つけよていろくろく候又ゑちせんのやせめもすこしくにのおきめわるく候五もしへ申つけ候ハんた返事可申候へともめに昨日十日ニめあしく候間御心へ候へく候きたのせうまて【一部欠落】申つけやかて此廿七八日ころニわかいちんいたし可申存候間御心やすく候へく候かしく十一日 きたのせうよりいわ天下返事
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- Letter by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
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