Akechi Mitsuhide
明智 光秀
Edo period painting of Akechi Mitsuhide.
Lord of Kameyama Castle
In office 1578–1582
Succeeded by	Toyotomi Hidekatsu
Lord of Sakamoto Castle
In office 1571–1582
Succeeded by	Niwa Nagahide
Personal details
Born	10 March 1528 Tara Castle, Mino Province, Japan
Died	July 2, 1582(1582-07-02) (aged 54) Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Spouse	Tsumaki Hiroko
Children	Akechi Mitsuyoshi Akechi Tama at least one other daughter
Parents	Akechi Mitsutsuna (father) Daughter of the Wakasa Takeda clan (mother)
Relatives	Akechi Hidemitsu (son-in-law) Akechi Mitsutada (cousin)
Nickname	"Jūbei" (十兵衛)
Military service
Allegiance	Toki clan Saitō clan Ashikaga shogunate Oda clan
Unit	Akechi clan
Battles/wars	Battle of Nagaragawa Battle of Honkoku-ji Siege of Kanegasaki Siege of Mount Hiei Kawachi Campaign Battle of Nagashino Tanba Campaign Ishiyama Hongan-ji War Battle of Tedorigawa Siege of Shigisan Siege of Yakami Castle Siege of Kuroi Castle Honnō-ji Incident Battle of Yamazaki
Japanese name
Kanji	明智 光秀
Hiragana	あけち みつひで
Transcriptions Romanization Akechi Mitsuhide

Akechi Mitsuhide (明智 光秀, March 10, 1528 – July 2, 1582),^[1] first called Jūbei from his clan and later Koretō Hyūga no Kami (惟任日向守) from his title, was a Japanese samurai general of the Sengoku period. He is best known as the assassin of Oda Nobunaga. For this notorious murder, he was somewhat disparagingly known as the "Nine Day Shogun". Mitsuhide was originally a bodyguard of Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later, one of the trusted generals under daimyō Oda Nobunaga during his war of political unification in Japan.

Mitsuhide rebelled against Nobunaga for unknown reasons in the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582, forcing the unprotected Nobunaga to commit seppuku in Kyoto.

Mitsuhide attempted to establish himself as shōgun, but was pursued by Nobunaga's successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi and defeated at the Battle of Yamazaki. The 13-days short reign of Mitsuhide is listed as the inspiration for the yojijukugo set phrase mikkatenka (三日天下, short-lived^[2] reign).^[3][4]

He is still popular in present culture. A ceremonial activity was held on April 15, 2018, in Kyoto.^[5]

Early life

Akechi Mitsuhide was believed to be born on 10 March 1528 in Tara Castle, Mino Province (present-day Kani, Gifu Prefecture).^[6] In the Akechi Family Tree recorded in "Zoku Gunsho Ruiju" and the "Mino no Kuni Shokki", it is said that the Akechi clan which Mitsuhide hailed from were descended as branch of Toki clan of the Seiwa Genji clan, where the Toki clan served as shugo in Mino Province for over 200 years from the Kenmu Restoration, and has produced several dozen branches from then on.^[7] However, there are no primary historical sources that supported this claim. Moreover, when Ashikaga Yoshiaki was staying in Echizen Province, Mitsuhide served as a foot soldiers (made up of those who were not direct vassals of the Shogun) which recruited during the time of Ashikaga Yoshiteru. This casted doubts among historian he was not from the main line of the Akechi clan of the Toki clan, who were listed in the hokoshu, a higher rank than the foot soldiers. His father is listed as Akechi Mitsutsuna in various genealogies from the Edo period.^[8]

Mitsuhide is rumored to be a childhood friend or cousin of Nōhime. It is believed that he was raised to be a general among 10,000 by Saitō Dōsan and the Toki clan during their governorship of the Mino Province. When Dōsan's son, Saitō Yoshitatsu, rebelled against his father in 1556, Mitsuhide sided with Dōsan.^{[citation needed]}

Service under Ashikaga Shogunate and Oda Nobunaga

Mitsuhide began serving the "wandering shōgun" Ashikaga Yoshiaki as one of his guardians under Hosokawa Fujitaka. Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiaki asked Asakura Yoshikage to be his official protector, an offer which Yoshikage declined. Later, Yoshiaki appealed to Mitsuhide, who suggested Oda Nobunaga instead.^[9]

In 1567, Nobunaga conquered Mino province, and marched through Omi province to Kyoto. In November 1568, Nobunaga, Yoshiaki, and Mitsuhide arrived in Kyoto, the capital of Japan. Nobunaga made Yoshiaki the next shogun and turned Honkoku-ji Temple into a temporary Shogun palace.

In 1569, after Nobunaga and his followers returned from Kyoto on January 4, the Miyoshi clan (Miyoshi Saninshu) attacked Ashikaga Yoshiaki at Honkoku-ji on January 31. In this battle, Mitsuhide defended the shōgun and repulsed the Miyoshi clan. Then Nobunaga asked Mitsuhide to join his army. Mitsuhide decided to serve under the Shōgun and also join Nobunaga.

At the Siege of Kanegasaki (1570) in Echizen Province. Mitsuhide joined Hideyoshi to serve as the rear-guard for the departing Oda forces.

In 1571, after the successful attack at the Ikkō-ikki Enryaku-ji temple, Mitsuhide received the area of Sakamoto area and built Sakamoto Castle.^[10] Although Nobunaga rarely put too much trust in his retainers, he particularly trusted Shibata Katsuie, Hashiba Hideyoshi, and Akechi Mitsuhide, who was the first subordinate to receive a castle from Nobunaga.

In 1572, Mitsuhide continued serving Shogun Yoshiaki by contributing to the campaign in Kawachi Province.

In 1573, after Ashikaga Yoshiaki raised arms against Nobunaga, Mitsuhide broke with Yoshiaki and served as a senior retainer of Nobunaga in battles at Ishiyama Castle and Imakatata Castle.

In 1574, after the Ashikaga Shogunate ended, Mitsuhide served as a dual magistrate, assessing taxes on temple holdings in Kyōto and its environs.

In 1575, after the Battle of Nagashino, Nobunaga sent Akechi Mitsuhide to take control of Tanba Province. Mitsuhide attempted diplomacy and won over a number of the smaller local lords to his side. However, the Akai clan were adamant in their opposition, and Mitsuhide was forced to lay siege to Kuroi Castle for two months in the winter of 1575. Later, he was awarded the Court titles of "Junior Fifth Rank (Lower)" and "Governor of Hyūga", and the honorary title of "Koretō Hyūga-no-kami".

In April 1576, during the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War, Mitsuhide, Hosokawa Fujitaka, Harada Naomasa, and Araki Murashige led the Oda forces against the Ikkō-ikki in the battle of Tenno-ji.^[11] In the meantime, in Tanba Province, the Hatano clan under Hatano Hideharu declared independence and turned against Nobunaga.

In 1577, Mitsuhide, along with Hosokawa Fujitaka and Tsutsui Junkei, fought under Oda Nobutada in the Siege of Shigisan against Matsunaga Hisahide, who had rebelled against Nobunaga. Later, Mitsuhide took part in the Battle of Tedorigawa against Uesugi Kenshin.^{[1]: 27, 228}

In 1578, two years after the Hatano clan rebelled, Nobunaga ordered Mitsuhide to return to Tanba Province and subdue them. Mitsuhide defeated several rebel clans allied to the Hatano. He defeated the Akai clan, led by Akai Naomasa (the "Red Demon of Tanba"), at the second siege of Kuroi castle. For this successful campaign, Nobunaga awarded Mitsuhide Kameyama Castle, and Tanba Province as a fief with revenue of 550,000 koku.

In 1579, Mitsuhide induced Hatano Hideharu to surrender Yakami Castle by promising Hideharu safety. However, Nobunaga broke the agreement and executed Hideharu. This reputedly displeased the Hatano family. As a result, several of Hideharu's retainers murdered Akechi Mitsuhide's mother (or aunt).^[1]: 230 The failing relationship between Nobunaga and Mitsuhide was further damaged by several public insults which Nobunaga directed at Mitsuhide.

In 1580, Nobunaga dismissed his most important commander, Sakuma Nobumori. Mitsuhide replaced Nobumori in command and came to lead the largest force in the Kinki area (Kansai). This move was often said to be linked to the Honnō-ji Incident.

In 1581, Nobunaga assigned Mitsuhide to manage the Kyōto ouma-zoroi ("Kyōto Mounted Horse Parade"), a large-scale military parade held to the east of the Imperial Palace in Kyōto.

Honnō-ji Incident

In 1582, Mitsuhide was ordered by Nobunaga to march west to assist Hashiba Hideyoshi who was at that time fighting the Mōri clan. Ignoring his orders, Mitsuhide assembled an army of 13,000 soldiers and moved against Nobunaga's position at Honnō-ji. On June 21, Mitsuhide was quoted as saying, "The enemy is at Honnō-ji!" His army surrounded the temple and eventually set it on fire. Oda Nobunaga was killed either during the fighting, or by his own hand. Nobunaga's son, Oda Nobutada, fled the scene, but was surrounded at Nijō Castle and killed.^[12] Despite not killing Nobunaga personally, Mitsuhide claimed responsibility for his death.

Mitsuhide's betrayal of the Oda shocked the capital, and he was forced to move quickly to secure his position. Mitsuhide looted Azuchi castle to reward his men and maintain their loyalty.

Mitsuhide attempted to make gestures of friendship to a panicked Imperial Court; he also made many attempts to win over the other clans, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, Hosokawa Fujitaka, to whom he was related through marriage, quickly cut ties with him, as well as Tsutsui Junkei, who refused to take Akechi's side, and half-heartedly supported Hideyoshi.^[1]: 278 Tetsuo Owada argued that the biggest mistake of Mitsuhide after he killed Nobunaga was he cannot provide the head of either Nobunaga or Nobutada as proof, since it would backfire as many daimyo lords doubt his success, while Hideyoshi manage to spun his propaganda that Nobunaga was still alive and escaped the assassination attempt. This caused Mitsuhide's reputation further undermined as many began to doubt his capability to kill Nobunaga, while most of Oda vassals and allies rather expecting the return of Nobunaga than accepting the invitation from Mitsuhide to join.^[13]

Death

Mitsuhide had counted on Toyotomi Hideyoshi being occupied fighting with the Mori, and unable to respond to Mitsuhide's coup d'état. However, having learned of the assassination of his lord, Hideyoshi quickly signed a peace treaty with the Mori, and alongside Tokugawa Ieyasu rushed to be the first to avenge Nobunaga. Hideyoshi force marched his army to Settsu in four days, and caught Mitsuhide off guard.

Mitsuhide had been unable to garner support for his cause, and his army had dwindled down to 10,000 men. Hideyoshi, however, had won over former Oda retainers, including Niwa Nagahide and Ikeda Tsuneoki, and had a strength of 20,000 men. In July 2, 1582, the two forces met at the Battle of Yamazaki.

Battle of Yamazaki

Mitsuhide took up a position south of Shōryūji Castle, securing his right flank by the Yodo river, and his left at the foot of the 270-metre Tennozan. Hideyoshi immediately seized the advantage by securing the heights of Tennōzan; his vanguard then maneuvered to face the Akechi forces along the Enmyōji river.

Mitsuhide's forces made a failed attempt to force Hideyoshi from Tennōzan. Ikeda Tsuneoki moved to reinforce Hideyoshi's right flank, which soon crossed Enmyōji-gawa and turned the Akechi flank. Simultaneously, Hideyoshi's forces marched against the Akechi front; this started a rout, only two hours after the battle had begun.^[14]

Mitsuhide's men fled, with the exception of the 200 men under Mimaki Kaneaki (御牧 兼顕), who charged and were destroyed by Hideyoshi's larger force. Soon, panic set in among the Akechi army, and Hideyoshi's army chased them back to Shōryūji, where the garrison collapsed. The bandit leader Nakamura Chōbei later killed Mitsuhide as Mitsuhide fled the battle.^{[1]: 277–278}

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Akechi Mitsuhide.

Family

• Father: Akechi Mitsutsuna
• Mother: Daughter of the Wakasa Takeda clan
• Wife: Tsumaki Hiroko (妻木煕子)
• Sons:
  • Akechi Mitsuyoshi (明智光慶)
• Daughters:
  • Hosokawa Gracia (明智玉子): Wife of Hosokawa Tadaoki; ancestor of Empress Shōken
• Relatives
  • Akechi Mitsuharu (明智光春): Cousin
  • Akechi Hidemitsu (明智秀満): Adopted son (and son-in-law); ancestor of Sakamoto Ryōma
  • Nōhime: Cousin; Saitō Dōsan daughter; Wife of Oda Nobunaga

Legacy

Tensho Koshirae sword

The Tensho Koshirae was first forged during the Azuchi-Momoyama Era and was meant to be a replica of Akechi Mitsuhide's sword. These katanas were made for practical use and thus had a simplistic design philosophy and the metal tempered to be strong and durable. ^[15] The Akechi family was able to trace their heritage to the Toki clan and from there to the Minamoto clan.

Castles built or reconstructed by Mitsuhide

Mitsuhide was well known as a master of castle construction, and was engaged in the construction of many castles.^[16][17]

• Sakamoto Castle , Main base of Akechi clan.(Mitsuhide's residence)
• Fukuchiyama Castle
• Kameyama Castle, In 2019, Akechi Mistuhide's statue was built in the castle.^[18]
• Shūzan Castle
• Kinzan Castle
• Kuroi Castle
• Shūchi Castle
• Usayama Castle

See also

• People of the Sengoku period in popular culture

Appendix

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

• Takayanagi, Mitsutoshi (1966), Akechi Mitsuhide (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Yoshikawa Kōbunkan, OCLC 42626467
• Taniguchi, Kengo (2014). 明智光秀. 歴史新書y. 洋泉社. ISBN 978-4800304216.