Posted: 11 December 2004 at 7:18pm | IP Logged

I DEDICATE THIS TO MY TEACHER, MIKI SHIHAN:

One of the most famous Samurai in Japanese history, Kato Kiyomasa is described by historians as a "natural leader of men" and "awe inspiring".  He is noted for his extreme bravery and was absolutely aggressive to the point of cruelty in battle. 

A senior general of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he was awarded lordship of Kumamoto castle in Higo at the age of 26.  The son of a blacksmith, he joined  Hideyoshi at age 18 and became legendary for his ferocity in combat, distinguishing himself at the battle of Shizugatake. 

Awarded a large fief of 250,000 koku in Higo province, Kiyomasa ruthlessly supressed Christianity.  A follower 0f Nichiren Buddhism, he soon came into conflict with the lord of a neighboring province, a Christian named Konishi Yukinaga.

In 1592, Kiyomasa led part of Hideyoshi's  army in his campaigns in Korea--along side his rival, Lord  Konishi.  He occupied the city of Seoul and later crossed theTumen River into China.

Kiyomasa stood poised to conquer all of Asia, but a Korean naval blockade prevented him from receiving  reinforcements and  provisions necessary to support his 150,000 man army.

He struck such fear into the Koreans that he was nicknamed ”Kishokan” ("the devil general").  

By this time,  Konishi Yukinaga had run into fierce fighting at Pyongyang and tried to negotiate a peace treaty with the Korean and Chinese forces surrounding him. 

Kato Kiyomasa was infuriated by the surrender attempt and upon his return to Japan, he ravaged the Konishi family's neighboring domain in retaliation. Konishi was mercilessly executed in the aftermath of Sekigahara and his domain was awarded to Kiyomasa, bringing his total fiefdom to 540,000 koku.

Known for his love of combat, he led a spartan existance and truely lived for fighting.   For sport, he hunted tigers in Korea armed with nothing more than a spear or sword.  Several famous artworks depict this. 

A strict military man, Lord Kiyomasa's views were considered extreme, even by Samurai standards.  Later in life, he would write that anyone caught straying from martial arts practice by watching plays or dancing would be forced to commit seppuku.  Despite this, he had no shortage of followers.  He easily attracted warriors into his service and was not considered unfriendly.

Kiyomasa was also known as an expert engineer and designer of castles and military fortifications, including the impressive Kumamoto castle.  He laid out the irrigation network of the domain by diverting the Okawa river and was considered an agricultural genius as well.

An aggressive and successful military leader, he was considered a "no-nonsense warrior" and  quoted as saying that a samurai's only duty in life was to "Grasp the swords and die" He is also noted for his famous saying:

"It is said that the inferior seek to emulate the superior. Thus, if a general slackens only a little, those beneath him will be greatly negligent. Is it not said that the mind of one superior is passed on to 10,000 subordinates?"

Footnote:  One clue to Kato Kiyomasa's fate is that of his son, who was  later banished by the shogunate for his family's past association with the Toyotomi.

Intro from Wilson's book: 

Kato Kiyomasa was born the son of a blacksmith in the prov­ince of Owari, and from the age of 18 attached himself to a rising military leader from the same area, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. At age 21, Kato fought at the battle of Shizugadake, earning great honor for his courage, and by his 26th year he was nominated to the lordship of Kumamoto Castle in Kyushu. By 1592 he had earned such respect from Toyotomi that he was awarded partial com­mand of the vanguard invading Korea, along with Konishi Yuki­naga and Kuroda Nagamasa. Kato^'s ferocity quickly became leg­endary, and it was on this campaign that the Koreans nicknamed him Kishokan, or the ^"Devil General."

In 1597 Toyotomi again attacked Korea, with Kato once in command of one segment of the vanguard. Events did not proceed well for the invaders, but Kato's reputation for courage and obstinacy only increased. Surrounded at a place called Yolsan, he and his troops held out against overwhelming odds—this despite a move by Konishi's forces to sue for peace. Kato never forgot Konishi's betrayal.

The Precepts of Kato Kiyomasa

KATO KIYOMASA (1562-1611) 

ARTICLES CONCERNING WHICH ALL SAMURAI SHOULD BE RESOLVED, REGARDLESS OF RANK

"One should not be negligent in the way of the retainer. One should rise at four in the morning, practice sword technique, eat one's meal, and train with the bow, the gun, and the horse. For a well developed retainer, he should become even more so.

If one should want diversions, he should make them such outdoor pastimes such as falconing, deer hunting and wrestling.

For clothing, anything between cotton and natural silk will do. A man who squanders money for clothing and brings his household finances into disorder is fit for punishment. Generally one should further himself with armor that is appropriate for his social position, sustain his retainers, and use his money for martial affairs.

When associating with one's ordinary companions, one should limit the meeting to one guest and one host, and the meal should consist of plain brown rice. When practicing the martial arts, however, one may meet with many people.

As for the decorum at the time of a campaign, one must be mindful that he is a samurai. A person who loves beautification where it is unnecessary is fit for punishment.

The practice of Noh Drama is absolutely forbidden. When one unsheathes his sword, he has cutting a person down on his mind. Thus, as all things are born from being placed in one’s heart, a samurai who practices dancing, which is outside of the martial arts, should be ordered to commit seppuku.

One should put forth great effort in matters of learning. One should read books concerning military matters, and direct his attention exclusively to the virtues of loyalty and filial piety.

Reading Chinese poetry, linked verse, and waka(1) is forbidden. One will surely become womanized if he gives his heart knowledge of such elegant and delicate refinements.

Having been born into the house of a warrior, one's intentions should be to grasp the long and the short swords and to die.

If a man does not investigate into the matter of Bushido daily, it will be difficult for him to die a brave and manly death. Thus it is essential to engrave This business of the warrior into one's mind well.

The above conditions should be adhered to night and day. if there is anyone who finds these conditions difficult to fulfill, he should be dismissed, an investigation should be quickly carried out, it should be signed and sealed that he was unable to mature in the Way of Manhood, and he should be driven out. To this, there is no doubt."

Posted: 25 December 2004 at 8:49pm | IP Logged

Kumamoto's magnificent castle.

Like the other two, Kato was very much the tough guy. That is soon evident from his statue close to Kumamoto Castle. Only a tough guy could get away with Kato's huge, over-the-top, Halloween-style helmet without eliciting sniggers from those around. In Higo (present-day Kumamoto Prefecture), this hardened warrior was lord of all he surveyed. And after having wisely picked the winning side before the decisive Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (which cleared the way for the 264-year rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate, from 1603-1867), Kato was able to survey twice the amount of land in west-central Kyushu he had before, and call it his own -- courtesy of Tokugawa Ieyasu, de facto ruler of Japan after that battle.

In addition to being one of the top generals of his day, Kato was also one of the country's greatest castle architects. As might be guessed, the fortress that still dominates Kumamoto's city center was his handiwork, and was regarded as one of the three strongest citadels in the land.

Like many Japanese castles, Kumamoto's is not the original building, but for the most part a latter-day ferroconcrete reconstruction. However, rebuilding the battle-scarred structure was done reasonably well, and the main donjon still makes an impressive sight -- from the outside at least: The interior has all the historical charm of a ward office. But it is palpably apparent from the reconstructed buildings and precipitous slopes of the great stone foundations what a formidable stronghold this once was.

The statue of warlord Kato Kiyomasa, who designed Kumamoto Castle.

Clear, too, is the no-nonsense, martial character of this castle, which sports none of the decorative flourishes you see at Himeji Castle, for instance. Kato's castle-building skills were put to their severest test in 1877, during the Sa- tsuma Rebellion -- Japan's last civil war and the loose historical background (Hollywood, as ever, being meticulous in its disregard for factual accuracy) to the events depicted in the current Tom Cruise movie, "The Last Samurai."

Saigo Takamori, the person on whom the Ken Watanabe film character is roughly based, was one of the main figures in the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ended the so-called Edo Period of rule by Tokugawa shoguns. But Saigo -- from the Satsuma domain of present-day Kagoshima Prefecture -- became progressively disenchanted with the Meiji regime he had helped create, and eventually found himself propelled into open rebellion against the government.

The Satsuma Rebellion, though, proved to be a disastrous failure. Saigo made a big mistake by laying siege to Kumamoto Castle. The siege lasted almost 50 days, but the massive fortifications of that old sly boots Kato withstood everything Saigo could throw at them. The donjon and many other buildings were reduced to smoldering heaps, but the castle itself proved impregnable: the garrison held out.

A delightful corner of Kumamoto's renowned Suizenji Jojuen "strolling garden," (above) and the torii walk at Inari Shrine beside Suizenji Jojuen.

If the castle tops Kumamoto's list of attractions today, a close second is Suizenji Jojuen, considered one of Japan's finest kaiyu-shiki teien (strolling gardens). For those who like gardens, the place is attractive enough -- in a sculpted, trimmed and manicured sort of way. Appropriately, for a strolling garden, Suizenji Jojuen is modeled on the 53 stations of that great highway the Tokaido, which once linked Kyoto and Edo (former Tokyo). Dutiful tourists can be seen trying to identify the various places on the route -- a not inconsiderably difficult task, as there are no signs indicating what is supposed to be what. But as the large pointed mound that was meant to be Mount Fuji looked to me remarkably unlike the mountain, I decided there would be little point trying to pick out the less-conspicuous landmarks on the route.

Nonetheless, one person who no doubt was perfectly delighted with the garden was that great Japanophile, Lafcadio Hearn, who was also known as Yakumo Koizumi, the name he adopted after becoming a naturalized Japanese citizen in 1896. Hearn was one of the first Westerners to write extensively about Japan and its culture. After he moved to Kumamoto in 1891, he made the city his home for three years and lived in a house owned by a samurai family. The writer would probably have few complaints with the house today, which occupies an attractive piece of real estate close to the warren of backstreet bars and restaurants that help to give the middle part of town its lively character.

This storyteller (above) is one of the many performers who now often work around the castle.

Just as in Hearn's time, the Kumamoto that the visitor finds is a fiery sort of place. Kumamoto Prefecture is known as the "Land of Fire" because it is home to the massive volcano Mount Aso. Similarly, one of the local culinary specialties is karashi renkon -- a dish of deep-fried lotus root stuffed with a miso-mustard paste, which if you try it in an eatery that prides itself on its homemade stuff, can be so hot as to bring tears to your eyes.

The people, too -- as they will readily admit -- are a fiery lot. The Kumamoto character is described in the local dialect as mo-kkosu, which is usually translated as "feisty" or "stubborn."

From what I witnessed of the place, I would definitely opt for "feisty." Someone bumped into me and bellowed an apology. I went into a store and the shopkeeper barked out to me, "What do you want?" Though it scarcely seems possible, even the politicians out electioneering in Kumamoto sound more strident and downright irritating than elsewhere in Japan.

A serving of the fiery local dish, karashi renkon.

Mokkosu is not the only local dialect word that you invariably encounter in Kumamoto. Another is yoka, meaning "good." This term has been plucked up by the city council and artfully incorporated into its "master plan" for Kumamoto, which goes as follows: "Yoka people, yoka city and yoka life." And, well, PR spin aside, it has to be said that Kumamoto is hard to dislike. It is an open, spacious place with stylish shops; the great castle and its extensive grounds give it an attractive green heart -- and beneath their mokkosu shell, the locals can be rather charming.

If only Kumamoto could work in a couple of yoka Italian restaurants, then it really would have a lot going for it.

The Japan Times: Dec. 12, 2003
(C) All rights reserved

Posted: 25 December 2004 at 9:27pm | IP Logged

Artistic depictions of Kiyomasa's retainers:

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861)		Nș T32
		Title: Shimura Masazo Katsutoyo. Kimura Matazo. Series: Taiheiki Eiyuden, Heldengeschichten. Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga. Censor's seal: Mera-Murata. Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi. Date: 1848/49, Edo. Size: Ôban, 35,5 x 24,5 cm. Subject: Nobunagaki & Taikoki (Chronicle of Nobunaga and Taiko Hideyoshi) Text: Ryukatei Tanekazu, 1807-1858. Catalogue 4: Kuniyoshi - Taiheiki Eiyuden, Nș 32; Robinson, B.W. 1982, Nș 38.
Kimura Matazo was a retainer of Kato Kiyomasa (Nș T22). He fought with his lord in Korea. (See also Nș T44, T47).   Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) Nș T44 Title: Hida Magobyoye Masatoshi. Kida Magobei. Series: Taiheiki Eiyuden, Heldengeschichten. Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga. Censor's seal: Mera-Murata. Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi. Date: 1848/49, Edo. Size: Ôban, 35,5 x 24,5 cm. Subject: Nobunagaki & Taikoki (Chronicle of Nobunaga and Taiko Hideyoshi) Text: Ryukatei Tanekazu, 1807-1858. Catalogue 4: Kuniyoshi - Taiheiki Eiyuden, Nș 44; Robinson, B.W. 1982, Nș 12. Kida Magobei was born in Buzen (Kyushu) as a farmer. Nevertheless he became a famous warrior. In a Sumo competition he won 35 matches. Kimura Matazo (N° T32), a retainer of Kato Kiyomasa (N° T22), was the only one, who could beat him. Therefore Kida Magobei also became a retainer of Kiyomasa. Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) Nș T45 Title: Horimoto Gidayu Takatoshi. Morimoto Gidayu. Series: Taiheiki Eiyuden, Heldengeschichten. Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga. Censor's seal: Mera-Murata. Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi. Date: 1848/49, Edo. Size: Ôban, 35,5 x 24,5 cm. Subject: Nobunagaki & Taikoki (Chronicle of Nobunaga and Taiko Hideyoshi) Text: Ryukatei Tanekazu, 1807-1858. Catalogue 4: Kuniyoshi - Taiheiki Eiyuden, Nș 45; Robinson, B.W. 1982, Nș 14. Morimoto Gidayu was a retainer of Kato Kiyomasa (N° T22). At a battle in Korea his left elbow was shot through, but he continued fighting and won. Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) Nș T47 Title: Inauye Daikuro Masatada. Inouye Daikuro. Series: Taiheiki Eiyuden, Heldengeschichten. Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga. Censor's seal: Mera-Murata. Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi. Date: 1848/49, Edo. Size: Ôban, 35,5 x 24,5 cm. Subject: Nobunagaki & Taikoki (Chronicle of Nobunaga and Taiko Hideyoshi) Text: Ryukatei Tanekazu, 1807-1858. Catalogue 4: Kuniyoshi - Taiheiki Eiyuden, Nș 47; Robinson, B.W. 1982, Nș 16. Inouye Daikuro was a retainer of Kato Kiyomasa (N° T22). Once he was in quarrel with Kimura Matazo (N° T32). Kiyomasa intervened and offered both to enter his service as Samurai. Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) Nș T48 Title: Saito Toshimoto Nyudo Ryuhon. Series: Taiheiki Eiyuden, Heldengeschichten. Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga. Censor's seal: Mera-Murata. Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi. Date: 1848/49, Edo. Size: Ôban, 35,5 x 24,5 cm. Subject: Nobunagaki & Taikoki (Chronicle of Nobunaga and Taiko Hideyoshi) Text: Ryukatei Tanekazu, 1807-1858. Catalogue 4: Kuniyoshi - Taiheiki Eiyuden, Nș 48; Robinson, B.W. 1982, Nș 31. Saito Toshimoto Nyudo Ryuhon was the son of Saito Toshizo (N° T36) and a retainer of Kato Kiyomasa (N° T22). He fought in Korea.   Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) Nș T24 Title: Sama-no-suke Fujiwara no Yasuakira. Kato Yoshiaki 1563-1631. Series: Taiheiki Eiyuden, Heldengeschichten. Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga. Censor's seal: Mera-Murata. Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi. Date: 1848/49, Edo. Size: Ôban, 35,5 x 24,5 cm. Subject: Nobunagaki & Taikoki (Chronicle of Nobunaga and Taiko Hideyoshi) Text: Ryukatei Tanekazu, 1807-1858. Catalogue 4: Kuniyoshi - Taiheiki Eiyuden, Nș 24; Robinson, B.W. 1982, Nș 35. Kato Yoshiaki was born in the province of Omi. From his early youth on he desired to become a warrior. One day he attracted the attention of the Samurai Sato by breaking in a wild horse. He was adopted into the Sato family and his wishes came true. He was a hero at the Korean campaign (1592/98).

Posted: 16 January 2005 at 12:26am | IP Logged

Artwork depicting Kato Kiyomasa at Fushimi Castle

YOsh*tOSHI TSUKIOKA: Kato Kiyomasa at the Fall of Fushimi Castle:
Twenty-four Accomplishments in Imperial Japan, 1881

Kato Kiyomasa (1562-1611), also shown in Yosh*toshi's Courageous Warriors was a Toyotomi supporter until rivalry with Ishida Mitsunari, Regent for Hideyoshi's heir, lead him to the Tokugawa side.

Kato fought beside Ishida in 1600, beseiging Fushimi. Determined to give Tokugawa Ieyasu time to muster his army, the defenders held out for ten days, long enough to let Ieyasu get into a favourable position. Yosh*toshi shows Kato looking back thoughtfully at the castle ruins. As author of a handbook for samurai, he was bound to admire the loyalty and sacrifice of the defenders.

Whether it was admiration for Tokugawa loyalists, anger at Ishida, or the money, Kato was with the Tokugawa at Sekigahara when Ishida was completely defeated, clearing the way for the Tokugawa shogunate. Kato gained significant funds and became governor of Higo. Despite that, he worked for the survival of the Toyotomi, and, in 1611, organised a meeting between Ieyasu and Hideyori. However, in 1615, the Tokugawa eliminated the remaining Toyotomi.

Kiyomasa's armor on display at the Tokyo National Museum

		Chinsai Rosetsu () (Picture of Kiyoma battling with a tiger in Korea). Taiji Suru-zu Kato Kiyomasa Chosen Koku nite mojyu o. SERIES: Japanese Pictorial History in Art - Complete SIGNATURE: Chinsai Rosetsu-no-e PUBLISHER: Kubota Chokichi DATE: 1911, October 1 FORMAT: oban triptych CONDITION very good: left edge of left panel and bottom margin edges slightly dirty from handling, album backing; IMPRESSION and COLOR fine

Posted: 30 August 2005 at 9:40pm | IP Logged

KONISHI YUKINAGA


Lord of Hyogo
1555 - 1600

Konishi Yukinaga was one of the most famous Generals under Toyotomi Hideyoshi's command when he reigned in Japan after Oda Nobunaga's death. He has been mentioned so many times in other parts of this site, so I'm not going to get wordy here.

Although the overall CV of Konishi's was good, his career didn't go as smoothly as it seemed; he had made a great diplomatic blunder by pretending to surrender to the Chinese Emperor just to get a ceasefire in his Korean campaign. Toyotomi Hideyoshi found it out when a Chinese ambassador arrived at his castle, handing in credentials plus an official document that said Emperor Ming granted the title of 'King of Japan' to Toyotomi as a reward for his submission to the Chinese authority.

Konishi was lucky that he was only punished by being sent again to re-invade Korea -- in a socially mismatched duet with General Kato Kiyomasa, a zealous Nichiren Buddhist who hated Konishi and all things Christian and all foreigners. Surprisingly the duet worked somewhat. They did better than the first invasion, but the campaign was called off when Toyotomi Hideyoshi fell ill in 1599.

After Toyotomi died, Konishi joined the losing 'Western Army' joint forces under Ishida Mitsunari in the Sekigahara battle of 1600.

While being merciless to Ishida (who deserved it, so most people thought), Tokugawa Ieyasu respected Konishi Yukinaga as a fellow samurai despite his being a 'parvenu samurai' like his late boss Toyotomi Hideyoshi (the senior Konishi owned a drug store). So he was offered the samurai's death; the honorable suicide ('seppuku').

But Konishi said his religion condemns suicide of any kind. So he was beheaded by an executioner instead, like a common criminal; he died together with Ishida Mitsunari at the riverbank of Gamo, in Edo (today's Kyoto).