"Date Masamune was the person most feared by Hideyoshi and Ieyasu."
Part 4: The power to compete with the powers that be (Masamune Date, Part 1)
//Summary - Level-C2//
Date Masamune, a Sengoku period daimyo and the 17th head of the Date family emerged as a formidable figure, advising the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu. Masamune distinguished himself through exceptional negotiation skills and political acumen despite being considered a generation behind leaders like Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. His strategic manoeuvres, including appearing late at the Odawara conquest in white to capture Hideyoshi's interest and brilliantly defending himself against accusations of rebellion, earned him a reputation as a clever and potentially dangerous leader.
1)
This time, it's Date Masamune, who is said to be a late Sengoku warlord. Although he had ambitions to conquer the world, time passed by. However, he eventually became an essential figure in the country, advising Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.
How did they compete with those in power at the time? We will ask Mr Kozo Kaku to explain how to manage one's life and how to behave based on Masamune's methods, which are still relevant today.
Date Masamune is the 17th head of the Date family, a feudal lord of the Sengoku period, and the first lord of the Sendai domain. He is often referred to as a "late Sengoku daimyo".
2)
Compared to Oda Nobunaga, born in 1534, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, born in 1537, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, born in 1542, Masamune, born in 1567, was better than them.
A generation later, at 33, he would become a military commander 25 years his junior. Masamune's father, Terumune, was of the same generation as Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Ieyasu. Terumune was born in the 13th year of the Tenbun reign.
3)
Masamune, born in the Tohoku region, was behind Kyoto and Kinai, the centres of Japan at that time, both politically and culturally. Even around Tensho 13 (1585), when Hideyoshi was just one step away from unifying the country and building Osaka Castle, Tohoku was still amid dirty battles between small, powerful clans.
Then, in 1584, at 18, Masamune inherited the family leadership from his father, Terumune, and emerged as the Sengoku daimyo. He was undoubtedly slow. Looking back at history, however, we can say that Masamune's importance may have increased because he was late.
4)
The people of Tohoku still have a great respect for Masamune. Why is Masamune still so popular? Historically, the first thing to say is that the cultural level of Tohoku, which was far from the country's centre, suddenly rose dramatically thanks to Date Masamune alone.
During Hideyoshi's conquest of Odawara in 1590, Masamune became nationally known for the first time. Until then, they had been doing many things in Tohoku, but in the end, they were running wild in the countryside.
5)
An extremely clever person
Date Masamune was one-eyed and ruled Oshu, which was far from the centre, but he was still a prominent figure during the eras of Hideyoshi and Ieyasu.
Although he was said to be a generation behind, he was suspected of wanting the world or stealing it. No other daimyo was so suspicious of Hideyoshi and Ieyasu.
6)
Kojuro is also excellent, but we must not forget that Masamune himself was brilliant. Terumune was probably aware of this, so he put much effort into it. In particular, Masamune had excellent "negotiation skills", which allowed him to judge how to negotiate by observing people.
7)
For example, it is known that Masamune appeared late at the Odawara conquest before Hideyoshi dressed in white.
That's because his opponent was Hideyoshi. He did this because he knew Hideyoshi would find Masamune's performance interesting. Masamune could coordinate the situation. The word "Date man (a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance)" comes from this talent of Masamune.
8)
Furthermore, Masamune thought about what he would do if Hideyoshi did not respond well.
He talks to Toshiie Maeda and Ieyasu beforehand. Considering Toshiie's and Ieyasu's territory, both would want Masamune on their side from a geopolitical standpoint, so they appear in white clothes, thinking that these two would be able to defend them in case of an emergency.
9)
Second white costume
The year after the Odawara conquest, the Kasai-Osaki rebellion broke out. The vassals of the former feudal lords whom Hideyoshi's Oshu Shioki had tamed rebelled in it.
10)
The rebellion, which began in Isawa County, Mutsu Province (now Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture), spread throughout the former territory of Kasai and Osaki (from northern Miyagi Prefecture to southern Iwate Prefecture).
The former feudal lord was a member of the Date family, and the territory initially belonged to the Date family. Although Masamune did not appear publicly, he incited the rebellion by sending letters to his masterminds behind the scenes.
11)
Ujisato Gamo, sent by Hideyoshi, put down the rebellion itself, but at the time, Ujisato managed to obtain a letter that Masamune had forwarded to the ringleader. Hideyoshi calls Masamune again.
12)
Then Masamune goes out again, dressed in white. This time, he has brought his vassals with him, and in a slightly different arrangement, they all carry the cross.
13)
It was the second time he wore white, which was too much, so Hideyoshi disapproved and wondered if the same trick would work. "There is irrefutable evidence. If you can defend yourself, do it," he said, pushing him away.
Usually, this would be the end. But Masamune makes a brilliant defence. What did he say? "This is a forgery," he declared.
14)
Hideyoshi pursued the idea further, saying, "Isn't there also a flower press(Kao, signature) you made?"
Then Masamune said, "This signature is a fake. My kao is shaped like a bird called a wagtail. I made a hole in the eye of the wagtail with a needle, but this letter has no hole. Could you please check the signatures if you have any doubts?"
15)
When we checked, we found that Masamune was right: the floral seals on all the letters he had received in the past had needle-poked holes in them.
This is the fantastic thing about Masamune. He did not poke holes in the signature because he knew that a letter given to a revolter could fall into the hands of an enemy or traitor.
16)
As expected, Hideyoshi made no sound, and Masamune was again forgiven. However, everyone at the interrogation believed that Masamune was a "dangerous fellow". Ieyasu was also present and listened intently to the exchange between the two.
"Date Masamune was the person most feared by Hideyoshi and Ieyasu."
Part 4: The power to compete with the powers that be (Masamune Date, Part 1)
https://business.nikkei.com/atcl/plus/00031/042700007/
"The late Sengoku warlord" Date Masamune. An explanation of the ups and downs of life in 3 minutes!
https://intojapanwaraku.com/rock/culture-rock/185670/
One-Eyed Dragon Masamune
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rbluDX9Opk
The entire Date clan is furious after their home base, Yonezawa, and homeland, Date, are confiscated [The One-Eyed Dragon, Masamune]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6ITnnaaBTU
The boundary between text and pictures (9) Where are the eyes of Date Masamune's flower press "Wagtail"?
https://mojinosuke.hatenablog.com/entry/2018/10/04/231000
