Ōtani Yoshitsugu

Fictional representation of Ōtani Yoshitsugu, color woodcut by Utagawa Yohiiku, around 1865

Ōtani Yoshitsugu ( Japanese 大谷 吉 継 ; * 1559 ; † October 21, 1600 ) was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period and the Azuchi-Momoyama period . He was a follower of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and distinguished himself during the fighting in Kyushu and Korea . There he made friends with Ishida Mitsunari .

Life path

Ōtani Yoshitsugu was probably born in 1559 as the son of a follower of Ōtomo Sōrin , but the exact circumstances are unclear. In the 1570s, he joined Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Ishida Mitsunari during the fighting in Kyushu. The two samurai formed a close friendship that would only end with the death of the two after the Battle of Sekigahara . In 1583 he took part in the Battle of Shizugatake and was rewarded with the province of Echizen , previously owned by Shibata Katsuie . He thus rose to the rank of daimyo . In 1590 he took part in the siege of Odawara Castle . Since then, tani Yoshitsugu suffered from leprosy , which ultimately led to his blindness. During the unrest in 1600 he initially supported Tokugawa Ieyasu , but then switched sides when his close friend Ishida Mitsunari was appointed commander of the Western Army. During the Battle of Sekigahara, Ōtani Yoshitsugu was one of the commanders of the Western Army. His troops initially advanced successfully, but were cut off after the betrayal of Kobayakawa Hideaki . Surrounded by the enemy, Ōtani committed ritual suicide .

Trivia

The friendship between Ōtani Yoshitsugu and Ishida Mitsunari is a popular motif in Japan. He is a playable character in several computer games , including Kessen , Sengoku Basara, and Samurai Warriors .

Web links

• Short biography

Japanese name: As is common in Japan, the family name comes before the first name in this article . Thus Ōtani is the family name, Yoshitsugu the first name.