Chōsokabe Motochika facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chōsokabe Motochika
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| 長宗我部 元親 | |
Portrait of Chōsokabe Motochika
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| Head of Chōsokabe clan | |
| In office 1560–1599 |
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| Preceded by | Chōsokabe Kunichika |
| Succeeded by | Chōsokabe Morichika |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Yasaburō
1539 Okō Castle, Tosa Province |
| Died | July 11, 1599 (aged 59–60) Fushimi |
| Relations | Chōsokabe Kunichika (father) Kōsokabe Chikayasu (brother) Chosokabe Nobuchika (son) |
| Nicknames | "Little Princess" (Himewako) "Little Demon" (Oniwako) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Chōsokabe clan Ichijō family Toyotomi clan |
| Rank | Daimyo, Kunai-shō |
| Unit | Chōsokabe clan |
| Commands | Okō Castle |
| Battles/wars | Tosa Campaign (1562-1575) Battle of Shimantogawa (1575) Iyo Campaign (1579) Battle of Nakatomigawa (1582) Battle of Hiketa (1583) Invasion of Shikoku (1585) Kyushu Campaign (1586-1587) Siege of Shimoda (1590) Korean Campaign (1592) San Felipe incident (1596) |
Chōsokabe Motochika (長宗我部 元親, 1539 – July 11, 1599) was a powerful Japanese daimyō (a feudal lord) during the Sengoku period (a time of civil war). He was the 21st leader of the Chōsokabe clan. His family ruled Tosa Province, which is now Kōchi Prefecture. He became famous for uniting the entire Shikoku island under his control.
Contents
Early Life and Becoming a Leader
Motochika was born in 1539 at Okō Castle in Tosa Province. His father was Chōsokabe Kunichika, the head of the Chōsokabe clan. As a child, Motochika was very quiet and gentle. People even called him "Himewako," meaning 'Little Princess.'
However, he later proved to be a very brave and skilled warrior. His father was very impressed. When Motochika grew up, his family was becoming more independent from the powerful Ichijō family. Motochika continued this important work.
First Battle and Rise to Power
In 1560, Motochika fought in his first battle at Tonomoto. His father's army captured Nagahama castle. The Motoyama clan tried to take it back. Motochika fought bravely, showing everyone his true strength.
In 1562, Motochika attacked Asakura castle. He defeated Motoyama Shigetoki. By making friends with other local families, Motochika built a strong base in the Kōchi plain.
By 1569, Motochika's power had grown a lot. He marched with 7,000 men against the rival Aki clan in east Tosa. He defeated Aki Kunitora at the Battle of Yanagare and took Aki Castle. This victory made him even stronger.
Uniting Shikoku Island
Motochika dreamed of ruling all of Shikoku island. After becoming strong in Tosa, he started to make this dream a reality.
Conquering Tosa Province
In 1573, the leader of the Ichijō family, Ichijō Kanesada, was not popular. Many of his followers left him. Motochika saw this chance and attacked the Ichijō family's main base. Kanesada was defeated and had to run away.
In 1575, Motochika completely defeated the Ichijō family at the Battle of Shimantogawa. This victory gave him full control of Tosa Province.
Expanding into Iyo and Awa
After taking Tosa, Motochika looked north to Iyo province. The lord there, Kōno Michinao, was not very strong. In 1579, Motochika's army faced Kōno's forces. Motochika's general was killed, but this was only a small setback.
The next year, Motochika led 30,000 men into Iyo Province. He forced Kōno Michinao to flee. With Iyo under his control, Motochika continued his expansion.
In 1582, he attacked Awa province. He defeated the Miyoshi clan at the Battle of Nakatomigawa. Later, he moved into Sanuki province and defeated Sengoku Hidehisa at the Battle of Hiketa.
By 1583, Chōsokabe Motochika controlled Tosa, Iyo, Awa, and Sanuki. He had achieved his goal of uniting all of Shikoku island under his rule.
Facing Toyotomi Hideyoshi
In 1584, Toyotomi Hideyoshi became the most powerful warlord in Japan. He started to expand his control across the country. Hideyoshi decided to invade Shikoku island.
The Shikoku Campaign (1585)
In 1585, Hideyoshi launched a massive attack on Shikoku. His army had 113,000 soldiers. Motochika had only 40,000 soldiers, but he chose to fight to protect his lands. The fighting ended with the siege of Ichinomiya Castle, which lasted for 26 days.
Motochika eventually surrendered to Hideyoshi. He had to give up Awa, Sanuki, and Iyo provinces. However, Hideyoshi allowed him to keep Tosa province.
Serving Under Hideyoshi
After losing most of Shikoku, Motochika became a loyal follower of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
In 1587, Motochika and his son, Chōsokabe Nobuchika, joined Hideyoshi's invasion of Kyūshū. Sadly, Nobuchika died during this campaign at the Battle of Hetsugigawa.
Motochika also helped Hideyoshi in other important events. In 1590, he led a fleet during the Siege of Shimoda and the Siege of Odawara (1590). He also fought in the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598) in 1592.
In 1596, a Spanish ship called the San Felipe was shipwrecked in Motochika's territory. Motochika took the ship's cargo. This event became a big problem and eventually led to a sad incident involving Christians in Japan.
Death and Legacy
Chōsokabe Motochika died in 1599 at the age of 60. He passed away at his home in Fushimi. His son, Chōsokabe Morichika, became the next leader of the clan.
Motochika is remembered not only for his military skills but also for his "100-Article Code of the Chōsokabe." This was a set of rules for his domain. He also worked hard to build strong castle towns to help his economy.
Family
- Father: Chōsokabe Kunichika (1504–1560)
- Mother: A daughter of the Saitō clan
- Wife: Lady Motochika (died 1583)
- Sons:
- Chōsokabe Nobuchika (1565–1587)
- Chōsokabe Morichika (1575–1615)
