 Statue of Kato Kiyomasa in front of Kumamoto Castle The son of a blacksmith, and a native of Owari Province, he joined rising military warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, to whom his mother was related. At the Battle of Shizugatake, he was one of the "seven lancers," and was successful in a number of subsequent battles. In 1586, when Sassa Narimasa was removed from his fief in Higo Province, Kiyomasa received half the province, together with Konishi Yukinaga, and entered Kumamoto Castle. A devoted member of Nichiren Shu Buddhism, he encouraged the builing of Nichiren temples. He became legendary for his accomplishments during the invasions of Korea. However, he did not see eye-to-eye with Ishida Mitsunari, and Hideyoshi recalled him to Kyoto.
During the Battle of Sekigahara, Kiyomasa remained in Kyushu. He cooperated with Tokugawa Ieyasu, who after winning, awarded him the former territories of Konishi Yukinaga in Higo Province, increasing his fief to 520,000 koku. He died in Kumamoto in 1611.
External links
- The Precepts of Kato Kiyomasa (brief excerpts)
|
