Turning Point - Sekigahara: Toyotomi's Global Expansion and its Consequences

Phase 07 - Advent of the Osaka Period

In general, the 30-year period from 1578 when Nobunaga Oda built Azuchi Castle at the end of the Sengoku period until 1608 when Hideyoshi Toyotomi assumed the position of Kampaku is referred to as the "Azuchi-Momoyama Period." Azuchi refers to Azuchi Castle built by Nobunaga, while Momoyama refers to Fushimi Castle where Hideyoshi spent his later years. Fushimi Castle fell and was burned down in the summer of 1600 but was reconstructed starting in 1608, and by 1614, it was rebuilt even more lavishly. It was subsequently used as a retreat for the Toyotomi clan.

Hideyori Toyotomi became Kampaku, but the Toyotomi clan did not assume the position of Seii Taishogun, unlike the previous shogunates. In other words, they were not the military leaders of the samurai, and there was no shogunate. The Kampaku was the representative of the Emperor, holding a position within the Imperial Court with delegated authority over not only the samurai but all Japanese people.

Therefore, the core of the Toyotomi government, mainly located within Osaka Castle, was called the "Osaka Palace (Gosho)" in reference to the "Hana no Gosho" ("Flower Palace") of the Muromachi Shogunate during the Muromachi period. When referring to the government itself, they began to use the term "Gofu" (Regency) with the meaning of the seat of the Kampaku's government. In later generations, people began to refer to the era under the continued rule of the Toyotomi government as the "Osaka Period."

It's worth noting that the characteristics of buildings from the Azuchi-Momoyama to the Osaka periods were also strongly influenced by the Osaka Palace.

This was because the Toyotomi clan emphasized their position as retainers of the Imperial Court, emphasizing the noble symbol color "black," which had been established since the Ritsuryō system. Only the Toyotomi clan and their lineage were allowed to use black as the color for their castles, while the walls of other daimyō's castles and common houses were predominantly ordered to be white or colors other than black, creating a distinction.

Additionally, the initial black color on the walls of fortresses was primarily achieved by painting wooden walls black. However, from around the 1610s, black wall tiles (Japanese-style tiles) were used to enhance fire resistance. These wall tiles initially had a structure similar to roof tiles but later turned into shining black ceramics, adding to the brilliance of the castle.

As a result, when one looked at a castle, it became immediately apparent whether it belonged to the Toyotomi clan or another daimyō, creating a distinctive visual landscape across various regions in Japan. The "Toyotomi colors" featuring black with gold leaf accents were seen as symbols of power in two different eras.

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By the 1630s, the surviving daimyō from the Sengoku period were quite few, with figures like Masamune Date and Hideie Ukita being notable exceptions. In 1631, when Masamune gave up his position of Tairō to the next generation due to old age, the still-healthy Hideie took over the position. Hideie Ukita was exceptionally long-lived for his time, living to the age of 83 and surviving until 1655. He held the position for 14 years and, partly due to his connection with the Toyotomi clan, even rose to the rank of Minister of the Right (Udaijin). Because of this, in his later years and posthumously, Hideie came to be referred to as "Ufusama" (Lord of the Right) in recognition of his position. His continued vitality in his later years meant that he wielded significant influence over the later Toyotomi government. Moreover, Hideie's loyalty to Hideyoshi and the Toyotomi clan was exceptionally strong, and it can be said that his attitude and actions played a pivotal role in stabilizing both the Toyotomi clan and their administration.

Hideie Ukita, who lived the longest, is not only known as the last of the Warring States daimyō but also as a person who witnessed and passed on the tales of that era.