Imagawa Yoshimoto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Imagawa Yoshimoto |
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| 今川 義元 | |
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| Head of Imagawa clan | |
| In office 1536–1560 |
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| Preceded by | Imagawa Ujiteru |
| Succeeded by | Imagawa Ujizane |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Yosakimaru 1519 Sunpu, Suruga Province, Japan |
| Died | June 12, 1560 (aged 40–41) Dengakuhazama, Owari Province, Japan |
| Spouse(s) | Jōkei-in |
| Children | 5, including Imagawa Ujizane |
| Mother | Jukei-ni |
| Father | Imagawa Ujichika |
| Relatives | Imagawa Ujiteru (brother) Hōjō Ujiyasu (brother-in-law) Takeda Shingen (brother-in-law) Lady Hayakawa (niece and daughter-in-law) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Imagawa clan |
| Rank | Daimyo |
| Unit | Imagawa clan |
| Commands | Sunpu Castle |
| Battles/wars | Hanagura Disturbance (1536) Battle of Azukizaka (1542) Battle of Azukizaka (1548) Battle of Muraki Castle (1554) Battle of Okehazama (1560) † |
Imagawa Yoshimoto (今川 義元) (1519 – June 12, 1560) was a powerful Japanese daimyō (a feudal lord) during the Sengoku period. This was a time of many wars in Japan. He was based in Suruga Province and was known as "The number one Daimyō in the Tōkaidō." He was one of the three main lords who controlled the Tōkaidō region.
In 1560, Imagawa Yoshimoto was marching towards Kyoto, hoping to become the Shogun (Japan's military ruler). However, he was killed by Oda Nobunaga in a surprise attack at a place called Dengakuhazama.
Contents
Early Life and Becoming a Leader
Imagawa Yoshimoto was born in 1519. He was the third son of Imagawa Ujichika, who was the head of the Imagawa clan. His childhood name was Yosakimaru. Since he was not the oldest son, he was not expected to take over his father's position. Because of this, he was sent to a temple to become a monk. There, his name was changed to Baigaku Shōhō.
A Fight for Power
In 1536, Yoshimoto's older brother, Imagawa Ujiteru, died suddenly. This caused a big argument over who should be the next leader. His older half-brother, Genkō Etan, tried to take control. The Imagawa clan split into two groups.
Yoshimoto's supporters said he should be the leader because his mother, Jukei-ni, was Ujichika's main wife. Genkō Etan's supporters argued that he was older. With help from Hojo Ujitsuna and Takeda Nobutora, Yoshimoto's side won. This conflict was known as the Hanagura Disturbance. After this, Baigaku Shōhō changed his name to Yoshimoto and became the new head of the clan.
Imagawa Clan's Military Campaigns
After becoming the clan leader, Yoshimoto made important alliances. He married the sister of Takeda Shingen from Kai. This helped him form a strong bond with the Takeda clan. He even helped Shingen imprison his own father in 1540. Soon after, the Later Hōjō clan tried to invade Suruga Province, but Yoshimoto successfully defeated them.
Expanding Territory
In 1542, Yoshimoto began to move his forces into Mikawa Province. He wanted to stop the growing power of Oda Nobuhide in that area. However, Yoshimoto was defeated in the 1542 Battle of Azukizaka.
Later, in 1548, Yoshimoto defeated Nobuhide in the Second Battle of Azukizaka. He continued to expand his lands until 1560. Over these years, he gained control of Suruga, Totomi, and Mikawa provinces.
Peace Agreements and Further Expansion
In 1552, Imagawa Yoshimoto's daughter married Takeda Yoshinobu, who was Shingen's son. This further strengthened the alliance. In 1554, Yoshimoto also made peace with the Hōjō clan. This was sealed by the marriage of his son, Imagawa Ujizane, to Lady Hayakawa, the daughter of Hōjō Ujiyasu.
In 1554, the Imagawa clan moved west and built Muraki Castle in southeast Owari. They surrounded Mizuno Nobumoto in his castle of Ogawa. Mizuno Nobumoto was an uncle of Tokugawa Ieyasu and had switched his loyalty from Imagawa to Oda Nobunaga.
By 1558, Yoshimoto started to let his son, Ujizane, handle the clan's political matters. Yoshimoto wanted to focus more on expanding his territory westward into Mikawa and Owari.
Death of Imagawa Yoshimoto
In the summer of 1560, Imagawa Yoshimoto formed a three-way alliance with the Takeda and Hōjō clans. He then began his march towards Kyoto. His army included Matsudaira Motoyasu (who later became known as 'Tokugawa Ieyasu') leading the front. Yoshimoto had a strong force of about 25,000 soldiers. He even spread rumors that he had 40,000 troops to scare his enemies. While this worried many, Oda Nobunaga was not afraid.
After capturing a few castles from the Oda clan, Yoshimoto's army became careless. They started celebrating with songs and sake (rice wine). However, Oda Nobunaga launched a surprise attack with his smaller army of 3,000 soldiers. A sudden heavy rain helped Nobunaga's attack. Two Oda samurai, Mōri Shinsuke and Hattori Koheita, ambushed and killed Yoshimoto in the village of Dengakuhazama.
After Yoshimoto's death, his son Ujizane became the head of the family. However, the Imagawa clan quickly lost its power. Ujizane was later called upon by Tokugawa Ieyasu and became a kōke (a high-ranking official) in the Tokugawa clan's government. Yoshimoto's niece, Lady Tsukiyama, was the wife of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Imagawa Yoshimoto has several graves. His body is buried at Daisei-ji, a temple in the city of Toyokawa in modern Aichi Prefecture.
Family Life
- Father: Imagawa Ujichika
- Mother: Jukei-ni (died 1568)
- Wife: Jōkei-in (1519–1550)
- Children:
- Imagawa Ujizane (with Jōkei-in)
- Chotoku Ichigetsu (died 1625) (with Jōkei-in)
- Reishō-in (died 1612), who married Takeda Yoshinobu (with Jōkei-in)
- Daughter (隆福院)
- Daughter who married Mure Katsushige
| Preceded by Imagawa Ujiteru |
11th Suruga-Imagawa family head 1536–1560 |
Succeeded by Imagawa Ujizane |
