Yoshitaka Kuki

Japanese: 九鬼嘉隆 - くき・よしたか

Year of death: October 12, 1600 (November 17, 1600)
Year of birth: Tenbun 11 (1542)
A military commander in the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the son of Kuki Sadataka, lord of Shimada Castle, and succeeded his nephew Sumitaka as head of the Kuki clan. He was originally called Umanosuke and served under the Kitabatake clan, governor of Ise Province, but when Oda Nobunaga's power reached Ise, he followed Nobunaga and led the Shima navy, distinguishing himself in the attack on Ise Nagashima Ikko-Ikki. After that, he played an active role as the center of the Oda navy, but in the siege of Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple in Osaka, he fought against the Mori navy, which supported Hongan-ji Temple, and was defeated every time. Finally, in 1578 (Tensho 6), Nobunaga ordered him to build iron-clad warships, and he completed six ships at Ise Ominato, and succeeded in defeating the Mori navy in the battle at the mouth of the Kizu River in Settsu. This battle prevented military supplies from being brought to Hongan-ji Temple, which was a major factor in Nobunaga's victory. He then built a castle in Toba and moved there, where he was given 35,000 koku of land in Ise and Shima. After Nobunaga's death, he followed Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and was appointed as Osumi no Kami (Lord of Osumi) in around 1582-1584. He distinguished himself as a naval commander in the Kyushu campaign in 1585 and the Odawara campaign in 1586. During the Bunroku Invasion, he was credited with transporting and guarding Toyotomi troops crossing into Korea. However, he fought against Yi Sun-sin's naval forces and was defeated. In 1597 (Keicho 2), he retired, handing over the family headship to Komori Takashi, but in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1592, he sided with Ishida Mitsunari on the Western side, and attacked Toba Castle, the residence of Komori Takashi, who was absent while serving on the Eastern side in the campaign against Aizu, and seized it. With the defeat of the Western side becoming decisive, Yoshitaka hid in Wagu on Toshi Island in Shima. Moritaka asked Ieyasu to spare his father Yoshitaka's life in exchange for his own military achievements, and was granted permission, but committed suicide just before the news reached him.

(Tetsuo Owada)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：慶長5.10.12(1600.11.17)
生年：天文11(1542)
戦国・安土桃山時代の武将。志摩田城城主九鬼定隆の子で,甥澄隆のあとをうけて九鬼氏の家督を継いだ。はじめ,右馬允を称し,伊勢国司北畠氏の配下にあったが,織田信長の力が伊勢におよんできたころから信長に従い,志摩水軍を率いて,信長の伊勢長島一向一揆攻めに戦功をあげている。以後,織田水軍の中心となって活躍するが,大坂の石山本願寺包囲戦では,本願寺を支援する毛利水軍と戦っては常に敗れ,ついに天正6(1578)年,信長から鉄張り軍艦の建造を命ぜられて伊勢大湊で6艘完成させ,摂津木津川河口の戦で毛利水軍を撃破することに成功した。この戦いによって,本願寺に兵糧が運びこまれなくなり,信長勝利の大きな要因となった。その後,鳥羽に城を築いて移り,伊勢・志摩のうちで3万5000石を与えられた。信長死後は豊臣秀吉に従い,天正13,4年ごろには従五位下・大隅守に叙任され,同15年の九州攻め,同18年の小田原攻めでは,ともに水軍の将として戦功をあげている。文禄の役では,朝鮮に渡る豊臣軍の兵員輸送とその警固に功があった。しかし李舜臣の水軍と戦い,敗れている。慶長2(1597)年,家督を子守隆に譲って隠居したが,同5年の関ケ原の戦では西軍石田三成方につき,東軍に属して会津攻めに従軍し留守となった子守隆の居城鳥羽城を攻め,これを奪いとっている。西軍の敗北が決定的な状況で,嘉隆は志摩の答志島内の和具に潜伏した。守隆が己れの戦功に代えて父嘉隆の助命を家康に請い許されたが,その報が届く直前に自刃。

(小和田哲男)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

<<: Multiplication table - Kuku

>>: Extremely silly and clever