Hosokawa Fujitaka

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Hosokawa Fujitaka
細川 藤孝
Head of Kumamoto-Hosokawa clan
In office 1563–1582
Succeeded by	Hosokawa Tadaoki
Lord of Tanabe
In office 1579–1582
Succeeded by	Hosokawa Tadaoki
Personal details
Born	June 3, 1534 Kyoto
Died	October 6, 1610(1610-10-06) (aged 76) Kyoto
Spouse	Numata Jakō
Children	Hosokawa Tadaoki
Nickname	Hosokawa Yūsai
Military service
Allegiance	Ashikaga shogunate Oda clan Toyotomi clan Eastern Army
Unit	Hosokawa clan
Commands	Tanabe castle
Battles/wars	Siege of Shōryūji Castle Battle of Honkokuji Battle of Tennoji Siege of Shigisan Siege of Yada Castle Tango Campaign Siege of Negoroji Kyushu Campaign Siege of Tanabe

Hosokawa Fujitaka (細川 藤孝, June 3, 1534 – October 6, 1610), also known as Hosokawa Yūsai (細川 幽斎), was a Japanese samurai daimyō of the Sengoku period.^[1][2] Fujitaka was a prominent retainer of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the last Ashikaga shōgun. After joining the Oda clan, Oda Nobunaga rewarded him with the fief of Tango, and he later become one of the senior generals of the Oda clan.

In 1568, Fujitaka joined the Oda clan after Oda Nobunaga captured Kyoto. Later that year, Fujitaka, along with Shibata Katsuie, Hachiya Yoritaka, Mori Yoshinari, and Sakai Masahisa, attacked Iwanari Tomomichi at Shōryūji Castle. Fujitaka subsequently killed Iwanari in battle.

In 1569, after Nobunaga and his followers returned from Kyoto, the Miyoshi clan attacked Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiaki at Honkokuji Castle. Fujitaka, along with Akechi Mitsuhide, defended the shōgun and successfully repulsed the Miyoshi clan.

In 1576, Fujitaka participated in the ten-year campaign against the Ikkō-ikki during the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War, alongside Harada Naomasa, Akechi Mitsuhide, and Araki Murashige.

In 1577, Fujitaka, along with Akechi Mitsuhide and Tsutsui Junkei, rendered distinguished service during the Siege of Shigisan against Matsunaga Hisahide, who had revolted against Nobunaga.

In 1579, Fujitaka built Tanabe Castle the under orders of Oda Nobunaga to conquer the Tango province. Later, the Oda clan's forces, led by Fujitaka, attacked Yada Castle, confronting Isshiki Yoshimichi. After the castle fell, Yoshimichi committed seppuku.^[3]

In 1580, he launched an attack on Tango alone but was initially unsuccessful due to a counterattack from the Isshiki clan. Ultimately, he succeeded with the assistance of Akechi Mitsuhide.

In 1582, following the death of Oda Nobunaga in the Incident at Honnō-ji, Fujitaka refused to join Akechi Mitsuhide in the Battle of Yamazaki, even though his son, Hosokawa Tadaoki, was married to Akechi's daughter, Hosokawa Gracia. Later, Fujitaka shaved his head in the Buddhist tonsure, changed his name to the priestly "Yūsai", and delegated his status as daimyō to Tadaoki. However, he continued to play an active role in politics as a cultural advisor under both Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

In 1585, Fujitaka participated in the Siege of Negoroji. In 1586, Hideyoshi granted him a retirement estate worth 3,000 koku in Yamashiro Province.

In 1587, Fujitaka served as Hideyoshi's diplomat during the Kyushu Campaign, negotiating with Shimazu Yoshihisa. In 1595, Hideyoshi granted him an additional 3,000 koku in Osumi Province.

In 1598, following the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Japanese government faced a crisis when seven military generals—Fukushima Masanori, Katō Yoshiaki, Ikeda Terumasa, Kuroda Nagamasa, Asano Yoshinaga, Katō Kiyomasa, and Fujitaka himself—conspired to kill Ishida Mitsunari. This conspiracy arose from the dissatisfaction of the generals with Mitsunari, whom they felt had underreported their achievements during the Imjin War against the Korean and Chinese empires.^[4] Initially, the generals convened at Kiyomasa's mansion in Osaka Castle before moving on to Mitsunari's residence. However, Mitsunari learned of their plans through a report from a servant of Toyotomi Hideyori named Jiemon Kuwajima and fled to Satake Yoshinobu's mansion, accompanied by Shima Sakon and others, to hide.^[4]

When the seven generals discovered that Mitsunari was not at the mansion, they searched various feudal lords' residences in Osaka Castle while Katō's army approached the Satake residence. Mitsunari and his companions escaped from the Satake residence and barricaded themselves in Fushimi Castle.^[5] The next day, the seven generals surrounded Fushimi Castle with their soldiers, knowing Mitsunari was hiding there. Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was in charge of political affairs in Fushimi Castle, attempted to mediate the situation. The seven generals demanded that Ieyasu hand over Mitsunari, but he refused. Ieyasu negotiated a promise to allow Mitsunari to retire and to review the assessment of the Battle of Ulsan Castle in Korea, which was a major source of contention. He then arranged for his second son, Yūki Hideyasu, to escort Mitsunari to Sawayama Castle.^[6]

Historians view this incident not merely as a personal conflict between the seven generals and Mitsunari but as part of the broader political rivalries between the Tokugawa faction and the anti-Tokugawa faction led by Mitsunari. After this event, the military figures who had been at odds with Mitsunari later supported Ieyasu during the Sekigahara conflict, which pitted the Eastern Army, led by Tokugawa Ieyasu, against the Western Army, led by Ishida Mitsunari.^[4][7]

In 1600, Ishida Mitsunari asked Fujitaka to join the Western Army, but Fujitaka refused due to one of Ishida's schemes that resulted in the deaths of Gracia and his granddaughter.

As a general in the Eastern Army, Fujitaka garrisoned Tanabe Castle with around 500 soldiers while it was besieged by the Western Army. The commanding general of the siege held great respect for Fujitaka. Because of this, the attack lacked the usual fervor associate with a samurai siege; the attackers amused themselves by shooting at the walls with cannons loaded only with gunpowder. Fujitaka laid down arms only after receiving an imperial decree from Emperor Go-Yōzei. However, this occurred 19 days before the Battle of Sekigahara, and neither he nor his attackers were able to join the battle.

Fujitaka died on October 6, 1610. He was buried in Kyoto but also has a second grave in Kumamoto, where his grandson, Hosokawa Tadatoshi, ruled.

• Grandfather: Hosokawa Motoari (1459 - 1500)
• Father: Mitsubuchi Harukazu (1500-1570)
• Mother: Chisein
• Foster Father: Hosokawa Mototsune
• Wife: Numata Jako (1544-1618)
• Children:
  • Hosokawa Tadaoki
  • Hosokawa Okimoto (1566-1619)
  • Hosokawa Yukitaka (1571-1607)
  • Hosokawa Takayuki
  • Itohime
  • Senhime
  • Kurihime
  • Kagahime

• Hosokawa clan