Kampaku: The Rise and Fall of Ishida Mitsunari

By David Klason

2023 HFC Five-star award for Historical Fiction.

In the heart of sixteenth-century Japan, where loyalties are tested and fragile alliances are pushed to the brink, Kampuku unfolds the riveting tale of Ishida Mitsunari, a young samurai rising through the ranks in service to the renowned warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. A shrewd tactician and accomplished tea master, Mitsunari becomes the target of a shadowy network of spies, determined to end his life since childhood.

Upon Hideyoshi's shocking and sudden demise, Mitsunari finds himself entangled in a web of intrigue to determine the future heir.

Mitsunari faces the ambitions of Tokugawa Ieyasu, a formidable rival warlord who is scheming to seize control. Determined to safeguard Hideyori, whom Mitsunari believes to be the legitimate heir, he orchestrates a desperate bid to thwart Ieyasu’s ascent to power. The ensuing epic battle shapes the destiny of Japan.

Kampuku is a tale of honour, deception, and the relentless pursuit of destiny in a nation ravaged by war and secrets.

Acclaim for Kampaku

Another stunning immersive story of 16th century Japan, full of power struggles, life-changing secrets, and high-stakes gambles. HFC Awards/reviews

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Mar 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9781035838714

David Klason

David Klason is an award-winning Australian author and historian specialising in premodern Japanese history. With a masters in both Research and International Relations. An Age of War and Tea is his debut novel, which combines his love of research and detail to provide his readership, with an exciting insight into the cultural richness and real characters who played an important part in shaping Japanese history.

Book preview

Chapter One

Osaka: Spring/Summer

The Fifteenth Day of the Fifth Month: Tensho Thirteen (1585)

The breaking dawn over Mount Kongo, just south of Osaka, revealed a landscape shrouded in mist. And as the first rays of the sun appeared over the terraced rice fields, the men of the nearby village of Chihaya gathered and waited patiently for the mist to lift. Soon they would scale the mountain slopes and open the sluice gates holding back the mountain runoff to flood the terraces below. The women of the village also stood ready with straw baskets of seed rice on their backs. Once the flooding of the terraces was complete, they would begin the planting of the season’s rice crop.

As the swirling waters of the flooded terraces settled, the rice planters wearing straw hats for sun protection hitched up their simple cotton kimonos away from the ankle-deep water and broke out into song. Several of the village men playing their small hand drums appeared and struck up a rhythmic beat in tune with the women’s song. The tempo of the drummers was suddenly broken by a sharp crack-like sound that echoed throughout the terraces. One of the rice planters had collapsed into the mud, prompting the others who had seen the woman fall to rush to her aid.

A drummer, who had been the first to reach her, knelt to lift the woman’s face out of the mud when another sharp crack sounded. The drummer fell backwards into the mud, with half his face missing. At a distance of ten shaku or one hundred metres away in the nearby hills, the Toyotomi lord, Hashiba Hidetsugu, grinned as he waited for his retainer to reload his newly acquired musket. The shooting had not gone unnoticed as Mitsunari, riding his Kiso mare with the Lady Ocha following behind him, trotted up to Hidetsugu as he prepared to sight another target.

Is this killing really necessary? Mitsunari shouted as he neared Hidetsugu.

And who might you be? said Hidetsugu, his rifle still firmly aimed in the direction of the rice fields.

"My name is Mitsunari, I am Kanrisha-administrator to Lord Hideyoshi. And I know who you are, said Mitsunari. You are the Kampaku’s nephew. We met in Kiyosu last year. I assume you do not remember." The Hidetsugu Mitsunari saw in front of him, had changed little in a year. A young man, barely nineteen years of age, dressed in an absurd black silk kimono, with embroidered dragons in expensive gold thread.

Hardly a suitable riding outfit, thought Mitsunari.

Which one, Kunosuki, which one, said an agitated Hidetsugu, shouting at his retainer and ignoring Mitsunari.

Over there, Lord. Just to your right. It is a long shot, but it can be done, said the retainer. Hidetsugu quickly re-sighted and aimed. In fear for their lives, the rice planters had already run away when another sharp crack echoed across the hills. The musket ball hit one of the fleeing women squarely in the back, and she fell face down into the mud.

Good shot, my lord, Kunosuki, the retainer, called out.

Must I ask again? said Mitsunari. Why is this necessary? Surely you know the Kampaku has forbidden punishment without trial, even for peasants. Hidetsugu looked at Mitsunari’s shocked expression and laughed.

Is that what you think this is? Asked a smirking Hidetsugu.

What else would you call it? replied Mitsunari.

I would call it target practice.

By what right do you murder innocent peasants for target practice? said Mitsunari.

"Why, Burei-uchi, of course. The law of offend and strike," Mitsunari knew that even for Burei-uchi, tight rules applied. Hidetsugu would have to prove that his action was just and report the incident to a nearby government official. Then he would need to give his version of the facts and provide at least one witness to corroborate it.

Tell me, how do unarmed rice planters offend? Asked Mitsunari.

I do not have to explain myself to you. Kunosuki here is my witness and this will be reported to the local officials as required by law. Now, as I have to mention your presence here as you are a witness, kindly tell me why you are here, said Hidetsugu.

I am escorting the Lady Ocha to the Temporin-Ji temple here on Mount Kongo for her purification ritual to honour her departed mother, the Lady Oichi no Kata. Hidetsugu looked around and finally noticed a young woman in riding clothes, her hair tied back, astride a horse taking shade under a nearby tree.

So, this is the lady, Ocha. My uncle has spoken highly of her. Hidetsugu eyed Ocha closely and smiled. Such a beauty, do you not think Mitsunari? Recognising the pointlessness of continuing the argument, Mitsunari bowed to Hidetsugu, and the pair continued up the mountain trail towards the temple.

#

Osaka Castle

The Twentieth Day of the Fifth Month: Tensho Thirteen (1585)

The oppressive humidity from the overnight rains continued to linger over Osaka Castle. It was not until the mid-morning hour of the snake that the rolling mists from the wet grounds and surrounding moats finally cleared. As the sun rose, hundreds of labourers and artisans in their loincloths toiled away, each lending their efforts to complete the castle’s fifth storey of the inner Tenshu.

Within the recently completed audience chamber of the castle, a shaft of bright light penetrated the chamber’s latticed window and fell onto a small area of the room’s raised dais. It was on this very spot that the lord of Osaka castle, Hashiba Hideyoshi, would soon enter and take his seat. Construction of the castle had begun two years earlier and Hideyoshi would make sure that when complete, it would surpass in grandeur even Azuchi Castle that Lord Nobunaga had built to showcase his power.

The audience room’s sole occupant, Hideyoshi’s administrator and advisor, Ishida Mitsunari, sat motionless in front of the dais. It was a ritual he would perform each day at the same hour while he waited for his lord’s arrival. Today was exceptionally uncomfortable, and beads of sweat fell from Mitsunari’s forehead onto the polished floor, glistening like pearls in the rays of the sun. It was a wait that felt like an eternity, and Mitsunari breathed a sigh of relief when the lavishly decorated Fusuma screen doors of woodland scenes by the famed artist Kano finally slid open. The doors connected the audience room with Hideyoshi’s private living quarters, and through its portal, Hideyoshi entered with his principal wife, Lady Nene.

Nene, or Nei as she was sometimes called, was Hideyoshi’s only wife. Although he surrounded himself with scores of concubines for his amusement and pleasure, it was Nene who held his trust and his love. She was only fourteen years of age when she wed Hideyoshi, who was quite a few years older at twenty-four. He was just a lowly Ashigaru in Lord Nobunaga’s service and went by the name of Tokichiro. It was a name he had chosen for himself for being the son of a farmer. He had no family name.

From such low beginnings, Hashiba Hideyoshi, lord of Osaka castle, had now become one of the most powerful men in Japan. He took his seat on the dais with a smile as he basked in the beam of sunlight that enveloped him and recalled the dream his mother often spoke of. His mother had told him of her dream where she felt the penetrating rays of sunshine enter her womb and it was at that moment, she believed her son Hideyoshi was conceived. She gave him the name Hiyoshimaru, Bounty of the sun, and like the sun; she watched his light grow to reach the furthest corners of the land, bringing unity to the country and an end to a turbulent era of war.

After the turmoil of the Honno-Ji affair that saw Hideyoshi’s master, Lord Oda Nobunaga betrayed by his vassal, Akechi Mitsuhide, few would have predicted Hideyoshi’s swift rise to power. Having avenged Nobunaga’s death, Hideyoshi held a grand funeral for his master at Kyoto’s Daitoku-Ji Temple. The ashes of the razed main hall of the Honno-Ji, along with the ashes of Nobunaga’s son Nobutada who died on the same day at the Nijo palace, were interred inside a wooden coffin alongside two small wooden statues Hideyoshi had made of their likeness. It was said that after prayers, Hideyoshi stepped forward and placed Mitsuhide’s unwashed head on the grave as an offering.

Hideyoshi, the avenger, found his position quickly challenged by former Nobunaga vassals, Shibata Katsuie, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. He moved quickly to defeat Katsuie but quickly hit a stone wall with Ieyasu, leaving only the Tokugawa and Hojo clans of the Kwanto to remain as potential rivals to his supremacy. Hideyoshi was determined to bring them both under his wing before risking his next project, the invasion of Kyushu. The last of the outlier provinces on the periphery of his influence and control.

Dressed in an unseasonably heavy brocaded vermillion hitatare vividly decorated with golden gourds, Hideyoshi sat uncomfortably on the dais. Under the glare of the shafts of sunlight, he was continually wiping away the salty beads of sweat that stung his eyes. Nene, who took her seat on the dais behind her husband, in contrast wore a lightweight pale blue silk kimono and was more sensibly attired.

Jibu, before we admit the waiting daimyo. I must tell you something, said Hideyoshi. "The emperor has accorded me the rank of Naidaijin, or inner minister." Mitsunari bowed before Hideyoshi and offered his congratulations.

It will not be long before his highness makes you Shogun, said Mitsunari.

Oh, I am aiming for something much higher, Jibu, said Hideyoshi, who had recently earned a succession of rapid promotions from a grateful court. They were rewards given for his lavish donations and the rebuilding effort in restoring Emperor Ogimachi’s run-down palace. Mitsunari was also rewarded for his financial acumen in managing the rebuilding of the emperor’s palace. It was a minor appointment with no additional stipend, but court titles commanded prestige, and Mitsunari was made a Jugoi, a junior fifth-ranked minister of ceremonies with the title of Jibu-shosuke.

As you well know, Jibu, only those of direct Minamoto descent qualify for the title of Shogun. Lord Nobunaga also lacked those hereditary credentials and was therefore never made Shogun, but he rightly showed that actual power comes at the end of a sword, not from a title. His sword gave power to the last Shogun, Yoshiaki, and just as easily, it deposed him. Mitsunari, who could not dispute the logic of his lord’s words, bowed in agreement.

But I have the plan to achieve an honour that will surpass the ambitions of our great lord, Nobunaga, said Hideyoshi. Do you remember the young child Sakiko, the daughter of Nobunaga’s ally at court, the noble Konoe Sakihasa? Mitsunari shook his head. No matter. After Nobunaga’s death, Sakihasa took the tonsure and asked me to adopt his daughter, which I did, and now she is consort to the emperor. Sakihasa has agreed to adopt me into the Konoe clan, who are related to the noble Fujiwara clan. Feeling somewhat confused, Mitsunari asked, The Fujiwara clan is of royal lineage, are they not?

Yes, Hideyoshi replied nonchalantly. "Once the adoption is complete, Sakihasa informs me that his highness will offer me the title of Kampaku or regent." Mitsunari let out a soft whistle of surprise.

But first, to another matter, said Hideyoshi, his voice revealing an annoyance. What has happened to my request for Lord Ieyasu to come to Osaka?

Request indeed, Nene muttered aloud before Mitsunari could reply.

I take it the Tokugawa lord still hesitates to come to Osaka and submit? said Nene, as she edged closer to whisper into her husband’s ear. You have become powerful, but you have yet to win a battle against Ieyasu. If we tally the outcome of your recent battles with him, you have one loss and a stalemate. Hideyoshi frowned but remained silent. He knew what his wife had said was true. If he could not persuade Ieyasu to submit to him, he would have no choice but to go to war. A prospect he did not relish.

Jibu, said Hideyoshi, addressing Mitsunari. Send Lord Ieyasu another reminder to come to Osaka outlining that my patience has its limits. Which reminds me, have we heard from the Hojo lord, Ujimasa yet?

Yes, my lord, Mitsunari replied. We have received an invitation from him for you to visit him at Odawara Castle.

Visit him? Is that it? said a surprised Hideyoshi.

There is more, my Lord. The Hojo lord continues in his message that upon such a visit, he would take your head and have his falcons feast on your eyes. Hideyoshi immediately felt the rage within him rise but before he could reply he felt the calming hand of his wife squeezing his shoulder.

Forgive me for interrupting but is the Tokugawa lord still without a wife? said Nene.

Yes. It has been six years since he had his wife, Lady Tsukiyama, beheaded. A messy affair that, and to my knowledge, he has not taken another, Hideyoshi replied.

Ieyasu was a loyal vassal to Nobunaga, Hideyoshi added. A loyalty he showed by executing his wife for conspiring with the Takeda against his master, Nobunaga. His son Nobuyasu was also ordered to commit seppuku for his part in the same treason.

To lose a wife and a son is painful, said Nene. Then it is clear. You should arrange a marriage for Ieyasu and cement family ties. That way, you two will not need to fight. An astonished Hideyoshi quickly responded.

How do you intend to perform this miracle then, my love? To date, we have not been blessed with any children, let alone a daughter. And as for my sisters, Tomo and Asahi, they are both married.

Forgive me husband but, surely being married is not an impediment when matters of state are concerned. Having thought he had won the argument; Hideyoshi was now confused.

What are you saying, Nene?

Let us be practical about this. The years have not been kind to your sisters. Tomo is, shall we say, not a good catch and Asahi, although approaching her forty-second year, carries her age well. I feel she is a much better prospect.

But she is married, insisted Hideyoshi. Nene, ignoring the obvious, continued with her point.

Pay off her husband. I think a fiefdom and a generous stipend will soothe his pride. What do you think, Jibu? A surprised Mitsunari looked at Nene and gave a wry smile.

The Lady Nene’s suggestion is not without merit, my lord, said Mitsunari. Lord Ieyasu resists from a position of strength. He knows he is safe at Okazaki and that to unseat him will require you to throw everything you have at him. He thinks you will find the cost of victory or a loss too great a price to bear. We also need to remember his friendly relations with the Hojo. Your current dispute with Ujimasa suits his purpose, for they are likely to come to his aid should you attack. If an alliance through marriage, as suggested by Lady Nene, is possible, then it would isolate the Hojo, leaving you free to resolve that last remaining thorn in your side.

The Hojo, Hideyoshi muttered aloud to himself. He felt calmer at the prospect of finally dealing with the arrogant Uijmasa.

Jibu, this is fine, but I can guarantee that the wily fox Ieyasu will want something in return. Who do you suggest we send to lay our proposal before Ieyasu?

I was thinking of asking your brother-in-law, Asano Nagamasa, my lord.

Ah, excellent choice. Nagamasa is on good terms with Ieyasu, and he will trust what he says. Send word for Nagamasa to come and see me and make the arrangements for the marriage proposition with Ieyasu. We will see soon enough what he wants in return.

Yes, my lord, said Jibu. Do we tell the Lady Asahi of your intentions? Before Hideyoshi could reply, Nene again interrupted.

I think not. What if the Tokugawa lord refuses? Then all we have achieved is sown discord between the Lady and her husband, said Nene.

Then the matter is settled, said Hideyoshi. We will not yet inform Asahi of our intentions.

My lord, may I raise another issue? said Mitsunari. It concerns your nephew, Sir Hidetsugu.

If you are talking about the incident the other day at Mount Kongo, I have had a full report and the officials have exonerated him from any crime.

But my lord, how can that be? I was there.

Jibu. Do not presume to question your Lord. Mitsunari, realising there was no point in pursuing his protest, bowed, and sought permission to leave.

Asano Nagamasa departed Osaka for Mikawa with Hideyoshi’s marriage proposal at first light, late in the hour of the hare. And just as Hideyoshi had expected, the Tokugawa lord agreed, subject to certain conditions. Nagamasa reported Ieyasu had insisted that all his fiefs remain intact under Tokugawa control and that his son, Hidetada, is to inherit his estates unopposed. Further, in the event of a successful war with the Hojo, their lands are to be given to Ieyasu.

Hideyoshi, anticipating Ieyasu’s demands, made sure Nagamasa came prepared. Ieyasu was presented with a letter bearing Hideyoshi’s seal, agreeing to such terms that Ieyasu might set. Nagamasa further reported that Ieyasu, who was so impressed by Hideyoshi’s forethought that he laughed uncontrollably for several minutes before insisting he stay for an evening of celebratory drinking. The very next morning, Ieyasu sent his envoy Sakakibara Yasumasa to the residence of Lady Asahi in Kyoto to present his betrothal gifts, while Nagamasa, feeling under the weather from too much drinking, returned to Osaka and reported to Hideyoshi. Fearing that Asahi would discover his plan, Hideyoshi had earlier sent word to her husband, Saji Hyuga, ordering him to divorce her. It is for the good of the nation, the decree stated, adding that he also expected Hyuga to commit seppuku to avoid any scandal.

Are you troubled, my Lord? Nene asked as she massaged Hideyoshi’s neck as he rested his head on her lap.

Nei, I am forty-eight, Hideyoshi said, using the pet name he had for her. And still without an heir. Nene immediately felt the mounting pressure of guilt rise in her, and it took an effort to resist releasing a torrent of tears. Noticing Nene becoming upset, Hideyoshi immediately sat up and comforted her.

Forgive me Nei. I did not mean to upset you; it is not your fault, said Hideyoshi. But should I die without an heir? The daimyo will fight among themselves and plunge the nation back into war. Nene nodded and sighed.

"What you say is true, my lord. As your wife, I have failed in my duty to provide you with children and heirs. The Kami has seen fit not to bless me with children, so I have no right to complain that you seek solace in other women. As your wife, I will continue to devote my life to your well-being and pray to the Kami, to keep you safe. You will achieve wonderful things in your lifetime, for this is your destiny." Hideyoshi, touched by Nene’s candour and acceptance, lowered his head into Nene’s lap and relaxed.

Do you remember the three daughters of Lady Oichi that her brother Lord Nobunaga ordered me to take care of after the fall of Odani? said Hideyoshi.

How can I forget? You beheaded her ten-year-old son, said Nene.

Now, now Nei, you know I was ordered to by Lord Nobunaga.

An innocent child died to satisfy Nobunaga’s revenge. Yes, I understand, said Nene. Hideyoshi’s temperament soured at the mention of Manpukumaru’s death. He had taken no pleasure in executing the child, but he felt no guilt, either. The lord had commanded, and he must obey.

You spoke of Oichi’s daughters? said Nene, waiting for Hideyoshi to finish his tale.

If you remember, Lady Oichi resented not dying with her husband Azai Nagamasa at Odani and came to hate her brother, Nobunaga with a passion. Lord Nobunaga, eager to have his sister off his hands, then ordered his general, Shibata Katsuie, to re-marry her, said Hideyoshi.

I also seem to remember that you had a certain fondness for her as well, said Nene, unable to resist a well-timed dig at her husband. Hideyoshi, beginning to feel uncomfortable, persisted with his tale.

After Lord Nobunaga’s death, Katsuie disagreed with me over who should succeed him, and we went to war against each other. Anyway, as you know, he was soundly defeated and Oichi, to her credit, dutifully followed her husband into the void and once again, I promised to take care of her daughters.

Does this story have a point, husband? said Nene.

Yes. It concerns Oichi’s eldest daughter, Ocha. I intend to make her my concubine.

Chapter Two

Spring/Summer: Tensho Fourteen (1586)

Yasuku, where are you? Hideyoshi shouted from the corridor outside Nene’s private quarters.

It was Nene’s childhood name that she had not heard spoken for many years and she called out, I am in my living room, said Nene. Hideyoshi opened the sliding door to Nene’s room and entered to find her at her writing table. He noticed that the doors opening out onto the summer garden were wide open and found Nene gazing intently at the developing view outside. A stiff breeze had blown through sweeping up the fallen petals of Sakura blossom, only to fall again like snow, but with hues of pink and white.

Ah, there you are, said Hideyoshi. I have been looking all over for you. Great news, finally I have a proper family name and not just any name. Her concentration interrupted, Nene laid down her writing brush and bowed before her husband.

As you know, my appointment as Kampaku, to the emperor, has not been without its problems, but my recent adoption into the noble Fujiwara clan has now made my appointment possible. The Fujiwara has complained to the emperor that, as Kampaku, I must have an inherited name, a family name. Which, as you know, I lack.

But you just said you now have a family name, said Nene, looking confused. Hideyoshi’s face, now beaming with delight, stepped closer to Nene, and presented her with the court edict to read.

Look, the emperor has given me Toyotomi as the family name.

Congratulations, husband. Your power and titles now exceed that of the great Lord Nobunaga, Nene said with genuine admiration.

Look closer, said Hideyoshi, pointing to a section of the edict. "It also confirms your status as the wife of a Kampaku and gives you the title of Kita no Mandokoro. Now I must run and tell Jibu and have him send out letters to all the daimyo advising them of these developments. He is also to become one of the five Bugyo-magistrates I am creating to help govern the capital. As Kampaku, I expect to be busy." Hideyoshi left, leaving Nene at her writing table, her gaze quickly returning to the Sakura blossom outside.

Aside from her writing table, Nene’s living room was devoid of furniture. The room’s only decorative focal point was a tokonoma alcove with freshly picked peony flowers in a rustic vase. It was how Nene liked it, simple and uncluttered. For most of the time, she slept here alone in the adjacent chamber as her husband was often away, preoccupied in the arms of one of his many concubines. This was the way of things, and she had no choice but to accept her husband’s liaisons, for she had failed in her duty to conceive an heir. But it did not stop the feelings of resentment and guilt stirring within her.

Why am I concerning myself with this? Thought Nene. He has a mansion full of concubines, all seduced by power and wealth. And all are guaranteed to bring with them disharmony and intrigue. Nene dwelt on those thoughts and recent memories of one such girl named Mariko came to mind. She was fourteen years of age then, the same age she had been when she married.

Mariko was a servant maid assigned to Nene’s household, and she remembered taking an instant liking to her. She was reserved and proud, qualities that reminded Nene of herself at that age and she was acutely aware of her husband’s ever-wandering eye upon her. It was not long after Mariko’s arrival to the household that complaints reached Nene that Mariko had accused another servant girl of stealing a mirror belonging to her and had made the point of reporting the crime to Hideyoshi and not her. She confronted her husband about the allegation, insisting that she would handle it, but Hideyoshi had other ideas. Determined to see justice done, he had the servant girl publicly beheaded for her crime. Nene recalled chastising her husband for meting out such an excessive punishment and pointed out that the legal code Hideyoshi had created proscribes that the punishment for such a crime by a woman was to be flogged or given to a brothel, not decapitated.

Nene suspected her husband’s motivation to carry out such a harsh punishment was to curry favour with his prospective new lover, Mariko, and gently reminded her husband of her status as the principal and sole wife. It was her duty alone to deal with all matters concerning the running of the household. As was her responsibility to administer and protect his property in his absence. Hideyoshi, eager to rid himself of any responsibility, eagerly deferred to Nene’s jurisdiction in this matter, promising not to interfere again.

So it was that Nene had the servants’ quarters thoroughly searched by the palace guards and was not the least surprised to learn that the stolen mirror in question was found hidden in the bedding belonging to Mariko. The servants were immediately questioned, and a picture soon formed of servants being bullied by Mariko using her favoured status with Hideyoshi to dominate the household. Some weeks had passed before Hideyoshi enquired about Mariko’s absence from the household, only to be told that Mariko had been urgently called away to tend to her sick mother. A confused Hideyoshi then stated that, to his knowledge, Mariko had been an orphan. Nene shrugged her shoulders in ignorance and thought of the pleasure quarters at the Roku jo Misujimachi and their new apprentice.

Nene inhaled deeply to savour the faint scent of the Sakura blossom lingering in the air, allowing the sour taste of her husband’s philandering ways to dissipate quickly. She thought about her new title, Kita no Mandokoro, and felt a growing sense of pride. She had come far since her childhood days and her husband’s use of her childhood name always brought back old memories.

Yasuku, where are you? Hideyoshi’s words echoed in her mind, and Nene smiled as she returned to her childhood days.

#

Summer: Kiyosu-Owari Province

Fourth Year of Eiroku (1561)

Yasuku, where are you? shouted Ashai Dono, Nene’s mother from the veranda of their villa within the grounds of Kiyosu Castle. A relatively small flatland castle in southern Owari, Kiyosu was also the residence of the Oda lord, Nobunaga. The fourteen-year-old Yasuku who had been playing with her younger sister Cho-sei immediately stopped running. Hearing her mother’s call, Cho-sei poked her head out from behind the large cryptomeria tree next to a large ornamental pond. Cho-sei had been holding a ‘water cutting’ contest with Yasuku on the pond, which lay at the bottom of a large, neatly manicured garden.

It was a contest in which flat stones were thrown across the pond’s flat surface and the number of skips or bounces the stones achieved was then counted. As Cho-sei’s lead in the contest widened, Yasuku abandoned the game and had run off towards the storehouse. It was her favourite sanctuary, a cool and dark place that she often used to hide in. A place to meditate, and above all, dream.

Both Yasuku and Cho-sei turned their attention towards the house in time to see their mother waving from the veranda and sprinted towards her.

Just look at yourself, said her exasperated and angry mother, pointing to Yasuku’s ruined blue kimono, now covered in grass stains. Do you think we are made of money, girl? Your husband is here, so hurry and prepare yourself. Yasuku and Cho-sei both bowed towards their stern-faced mother and quickly shuffled away, sniggering towards their quarters.

Yasuku’s mother had chosen for her an expensive black silk Tomesode, a formal kimono for married women that was embroidered with the family crests of the Asano clan. It had been gifted by Yasuku’s new uncle, Asano Nagakatsu. Her aunt, Nanamagari dono, had recently married Nagakatsu and took pleasure in reminding Yasuku’s mother of the prestigious lineage of the Asano clan she was now part of. Worried about her daughter’s future, Yasuku’s mother pressed her sister to arrange suitable marriages for both Yasuku and Cho-sei.

It turned out that Nagakatsu could not father children himself and was in danger of leaving his clan without an heir. In a surprising move, Nagakatsu offered to adopt both Yasuku and Cho-sei in the hope of suitable male grandchildren that would continue the Asano line. And true to his word, both Yasuku and Cho-sei were adopted into the Asano clan. It was not long before the twelve-year-old Cho-sei found herself betrothed to another of Nagakatsu’s adopted children, a young fifteen-year-old samurai called Nagamasa. They would marry once Cho-sei came of age.

In the girl’s quarters, Cho-sei set about waxing and combing Yasuko’s long black hair before forming it into a bun and fixing it with a silver comb. Yasuko had been the first to get married, much to her mother’s disappointment. Ashai Dono had earlier attempted to arrange a marriage for Yasuko with Maeda Toshiie, one of Lord Nobunaga’s important retainers and the new head of the Maeda clan, but Yasuku had her heart set on another. He was also one of Lord Nobunaga’s men, a lowly Ashigaru who went by the name of Tokichiro. It was a name he chose for himself, for being the son of a farmer. He had no family name.

But for the strange intervention of Nobunaga himself, Yasuku would have had no choice but to defer to the wishes of her parents and her father Sugihara Sadatoshi, a mid-ranking samurai of Lord Nobunaga and marry Maeda Toshiie. As was the custom, Toshiie sought his lord’s permission to marry and was taken back by Nobunaga’s refusal. Even Yasuku’s father, Sadatoshi, who pressed Lord Nobunaga for permission to wed her to Maeda Toshiie, was similarly rebuffed without explanation.

A sorrowful-looking Ashai Dono entered her daughter’s quarters, only to break out into tears at seeing her young daughter dressed as a young woman. She would later say to her husband Sadatoshi that while Cho-sei’s forthcoming marriage into the Asano clan was a source of immense pride, she despaired at the thought of Yasuku wedded to the son of a farmer.

Why on earth did you have to marry an Ashigaru? said Yasuku’s mother, trying to compose herself. They tell me his father was just a peasant farmer. Oh, the shame of it.

Mother, Yasuku replied. I understand your disappointment, but I love him. He is honest, and he loves me. Love was not a strange emotion for a young girl, but it was a word that provoked a bitter response from her mother.

What you call love is nothing more than a childish infatuation. You should know by now that marriages are arranged by families for mutual benefit. Love, as you call it, grows within the marriage.

Yes mother, but your arrangements fell through, and by the grace of Buddha, Lord Nobunaga saw fit to Tokichiro permission to marry me instead. said Yasuku.

I am at a loss to understand Lord Nobunaga’s reasons, but as your father says, we must accept and obey, said Ashai Dono.

So, it was in the dead of night at the local shrine, absent of family, that the local priest married Yasuku to her husband, Tokichiro. He had told her that when he asked Nobunaga for permission to marry; the lord broke out into laughter, saying.

So, you are the one who has captured the heart of Asano Nagakatsu’s adopted daughter. Not only did Lord Nobunaga grant permission for the marriage, but he also provided a modest house, albeit in dire need of repairs on the outskirts of Kiyosu and elevated Tokichiro to the modest position of sandal bearer. It was here that Tokichiro spent as much time as he could repairing the house, while Yasuku remained at her family villa. It was today that her husband came to claim his bride.

#

Osaka Castle: The Present

Summer /Autumn: Tensho Fourteen (1586)

Toyotomi Hideyoshi entered the audience room of Osaka Castle in the mid-morning hour of the snake to view the merchandise provided by the grateful merchants of Sakai. As he took his seat on the dais in front of Mitsunari and Ocha, daughter of Oichi no kata, Hideyoshi eyed his prospective concubine with predatory eyes.

Ocha had come to Osaka at Hideyoshi’s insistence as a housemaid. He required someone to attend to the needs of the daimyo families that were held hostage at the castle, but he desired her presence. Ocha’s mother, Oichi, was a tall woman renowned for her good looks and Ocha, at seventeen years of age, had inherited both traits. She knelt before Hideyoshi in a vermillion silk kosode adorned with white peony flowers. Her long raven black hair hung loose in the Taregami style, reaching well beyond her waist to rest on the polished floorboards behind her. The ends of her hair were secured with a large gold ribbon.

Spread out around the room lay a selection of the finest Chinese silks, expensive jade jewellery, and a selection of combs, mirrors, and other barbarian curiosities. As the newly appointed Bugyo, a magistrate for the port of Sakai, Mitsunari was tasked with arranging this display for Hideyoshi to browse over and select an appropriate gift for Ocha.

Hideyoshi gestured towards Mitsunari to move, spurring him to rise and hasten across the room to pick up a bolt of silk. An exquisite fabric of blue-dyed silk decorated with white lotus flowers that Mitsunari carefully laid at Ocha’s feet.

The Kampaku chose this, especially for you, said Mitsunari, addressing Ocha.

Come now, Jibu, said Hideyoshi. The lady is free to choose anything here that she desires. Mitsunari grinned. It had become almost a ritual, one that he had performed many times. With Hideyoshi’s knowledge, Mitsunari would select an appropriate gift that was likely to appeal to any of Hideyoshi’s prospective lovers and have his lord claim credit for having such good taste. Hideyoshi loved to give gifts, but he loved the spectacle of these presentations more. As the hunter, Hideyoshi would almost salivate at the prospect of seducing his chosen candidate. Ocha eagerly accepted the bolt of silk Mitsunari offered and complimented the Kampaku on his good taste, while Hideyoshi, emboldened by her enthusiasm, hastened to close the trap.

You will want for nothing, said Hideyoshi. All I ask is that you consider my proposal and become my concubine. You can give me your answer later. Hideyoshi looked at Mitsunari, adding, "Jibu will have it delivered to you and will be at your disposal should you require anything else. Now I must leave you. I have an informal tea