The story of the spectacular couple Tadaoki Hosokawa and Garasha
//Summary - Level-C2//
Tadaoki Hosokawa, a distinguished military leader favoured by key historical figures such as Nobunaga Oda, was married to Garasha, the daughter of Mitsuhide Akechi. Initially fortified by mutual support, their union was destabilised by significant political strife, culminating in Garasha's tragic demise around the Battle of Sekigahara. This illustrates the profound personal and political tumult of the Sengoku era.
1)
Tadaoki Hosokawa was a wise and brave military commander. Nobunaga Oda loved him and later by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. His descendants prospered as lords of the Kumamoto domain, earning 540,000 koku.
Tadaoki Hosokawa's wife, Tama, known as Garasha, was the daughter of Mitsuhide Akechi. Tadaoki loved Garasha very much, and they had three sons and two daughters. But a cruel fate awaited them both.
2)
Due to a particular incident, the relationship between the couple is gradually disturbed, and eventually, Garasha loses her life on the eve of Sekigahara.
This time, I would like to present the story of this couple, who represent the Sengoku period.
(It was only later that Tadaoki's wife, Tama, became a Christian and was given the baptismal name "Garasha", but in the main text, she will use the famous name Garasha).
3)
Fujitaka, father of Hosokawa Tadaoki, who served Oda Nobunaga and Akechi Mitsuhide
Hosokawa Tadaoki's father, Fujitaka, was a military commander who served the Ashikaga family and Oda Nobunaga. The Hosokawa family was a famous family that had held important positions in the Shogunate for generations. Although Fujitaka was not a direct family descendant, he served close to the Shogun.
However, after the 13th Shogun, Yoshiteru Ashikaga, he wandered around the country following his younger brother Yoshiaki.
4)
Mitsuhide Akechi was Fujitaka's colleague and close friend. Although Mitsuhide's background is unknown, he was not from a prestigious Shogunate family like Fujitaka.
They persuade Oda Nobunaga to move to Kyoto and gain Nobunaga's trust to make Yoshiaki Shogun.
5)
Fujitaka Hosokawa had served the Shogun's family, for a Shogun should not escape their control. At the same time, Mitsuhide Akechi was a newcomer who showed remarkable success as a military commander under Nobunaga from an early age.
The positions of Mitsuhide and Fujitaka, whose abilities were recognised by Nobunaga, were reversed.
Later, when Yoshiaki was banished from Kyoto by Nobunaga, Fujitaka began to fight for Nobunaga as Mitsuhide's yoriki (a daimyo who received orders from Mitsuhide).
6)
Tadaoki Hosokawa's meeting with Mitsuhide Akechi's daughter Garasha
To strengthen the relationship between the Akechi and Hosokawa families, Oda Nobunaga ordered Tadaoki Hosokawa to marry Mitsuhide Akechi's daughter. This girl is the later Garasha.
It is said that Tadaoki and Garasha, who became husband and wife at Shoryuji Castle, were very close. However, after that, a life full of ups and downs awaited them.
7)
Tadaoki Hosokawa is forced to make the difficult decision to divorce Garasha.
In "An Incident at Honnoji temple'' Oda Nobunaga dies. The decision of the Hosokawa family was made at this time.
A son and a daughter were born to Tadaoki Hosokawa and Garasha, and the two lived happily together. Furthermore, with the support of Mitsuhide Akechi, the Hosokawa family came to rule the southern part of Tango Province (today's northern Kyoto Prefecture), and things were going smoothly.
But something big happens. This is the Incident at Honnoji temple.
8)
Mitsuhide Akechi suddenly rebelled against Nobunaga Oda and attacked Nobunaga while he was staying at Honnoji Temple in Kyoto, killing him. He then sent letters to the feudal lords around Kyoto, asking them to side with him.
Mitsuhide was his ally, and he must have thought that the Hosokawa family, into which his daughter had married, would follow him no matter what.
But the reality was different.
9)
Hosokawa Tadaoki's father, Fujitaka, flatly refuses Mitsuhide's request. As a result, Fujitaka shaved his head, changed his name to Yusai, retired and handed over the family leadership to Tadaoki. He also ordered Tadaoki to divorce Garasha.
Although Mitsuhide was Fujitaka's best friend and superior, it is said that Fujitaka disagreed with him because he was dissatisfied with the lack of planning for the rebellion and the hierarchical relationship in general.
10)
However, Tadaoki loved Garasha very much. Usually, in the event of a divorce, the wife would be returned to her parents' home. Still, he was imprisoned deep in the mountains called Midono (present-day Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture).
Although Tadaoki publicly stated that Garasha had been imprisoned, he often visited the place.
11)
"Three Days of Tenka" The fall of Akechi Mitsuhide and the subsequent Hosokawa family
For Garasha's father, Akechi Mitsuhide, the disobedience of the Hosokawa family was a significant blow. Very few people would obey those who did not even follow relatives. Mitsuhide was defeated by Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi's army, which returned to Kyoto at full speed and died in the retreat.
12)
Fujitaka Hosokawa had taken an anti-Mitsuhide stand early on. Since he had communicated with Hideyoshi early on, he was not suspected of colluding with Mitsuhide and was given peace in his territory in Southern Tango.
Meanwhile, Mitsunobu Isshiki, the lord of Northern Tango, had Tadaoki's sister as his wife, but because he was familiar with Mitsuhide, the Hosokawa army subjugated him.
Thanks to Tadaoki's efforts, the Hosokawa family conquered Northern Tango, which Hideyoshi recognised as Tango's territory.
13)
The story of the two scars on Tadaoki Hosokawa's face
As mentioned above, Tadaoki Hosokawa was a brave military commander Oda Nobunaga admired, but he had conspicuous scars on his forehead and nose.
The scar on his forehead was the one Tadaoki received during his first battle, and it seems that he was proud of it to those around him until he received the scar on his nose as proof of his bravery in battle.
14)
However, the "nose wound" was received unexpectedly after the attack on Hokutango. Tadaoki attacked and destroyed his sister's husband, Isshiki Mitsunobu, and his sister's angry attack caused this wound.
After that, talking about the scars on his face in front of Tadaoki became taboo.
15)
In fact, after this, Tadaoki's wild personality gradually comes to the surface, and it turns out that his younger sister has the same blood...
By the way, it seems that this younger sister later married into another family was blessed with a child and lived a peaceful life.
16)
Treatment of Tadaoki Hosokawa's divorced wife, Garasha
Let's go back to Hosokawa Tadaoki and Garasha.
In this way, the Hosokawa family of Yusai and Tadaoki came under Hideyoshi's control, but Garasha, the "daughter of a traitor", remained imprisoned. Hideyoshi, who had destroyed the "rebel" Akechi Mitsuhide, was about to be defeated, so he probably couldn't have welcomed him so quickly.
17)
Hideyoshi, unable to see the situation, allowed Garasha to visit the Hosokawa residence in Osaka. As the situation in the country was still uncertain, Hideyoshi probably wanted to win the hearts of talented military commanders.
On the surface, after living apart for about two years, the two began to live together again. Tadaoki continued to fight in various places as a military commander under Hideyoshi.
18)
Garasha is baptised and becomes a Christian.
Tadaoki Hosokawa's military service in Kyushu and Garasha's baptism
Before Hosokawa Tadaoki joined the conquest of Kyushu, the two had a third son, Tadatoshi, who would later inherit the Hosokawa family.
However, Tadatoshi was weak, and this was a cause for concern for Garasha. He must also have suffered from the fact that his father, Akechi Mitsuhide, had become a rebel and been killed.
19)
When Tadaoki goes to Kyushu, Garasha secretly visits a Christian church he has been interested in to relieve his spiritual anxiety.
Incidentally, it is said that Garasha became interested in Christianity because Tadaoki told him a story about Takayama Ukon, a close friend of Tadaoki's who was famous as a Christian daimyo.
20)
Through this trip to the church, Garasha became aware of Christ's teachings and was eventually baptised. At this time, she received her Christian name and was given the name Garasha from her original "pearl."
However, this will put Garasha to an unexpected test.
21)
Toyotomi Hideyoshi's "Bateren Expulsion Order
When Toyotomi Hideyoshi went to Kyushu, he was surprised that Christianity flourished there. When he saw with his own eyes that not only ordinary people but even samurai and feudal lords were being baptised, he couldn't help but feel that Japanese people were under threat by Christianity.
So Hideyoshi issued an order to ban Bateren. However, this law did not necessarily prohibit Christian belief or propagation. Hideyoshi did nothing more than destroy the church in Kyoto and put Nagasaki under the direct control of the Toyotomi family.
22)
However, Tadaoki Hosokawa learned of Hideyoshi's antipathy towards Christianity and probably thought that Garasha's baptism could cause a crisis for the Hosokawa family.
As a daimyo, it is natural to think of the family's safety, but...
23)
The change of heart of Tadaoki Hosokawa, who loved Garasha, and the relationship between the two begins to distort.
Taking the opportunity to march to Kyushu, Tadaoki Hosokawa changed as a person.
In front of Garasha, Tadaoki says, "I have five concubines," when he sees the slight negligence of Garasha's nanny, he cuts off her nose and ears and banishes her.
24)
Furthermore, a previously unseen side of Tadaoki's madness comes to the fore, such as when He cuts down a rude vassal and wipes the blood from his sword with Garasha's Kosode.
However, Garasha was also strong-willed and continued wearing her blood-stained nosode for several days, so Tadaoki apologised and asked her to change her clothes.
25)
Episode of Tadaoki Hosokawa and Garasha: Are they "Demon and Snake"?
There is an anecdote about this.
One day, Hosokawa Tadaoki got angry with the gardener in charge of the mansion's trees over something trivial and cut the gardener off by Tadaoki. Garasha was watching the scene but did not react and tried to leave.
26)
Tadaoki then scolds Garasha and says, "Don't you think so? You're like a snake."
To which Garasha said, "You're a demon, cutting someone down for something so trivial, a snake would be a good choice for a demon's wife." and left the scene.
It was a very sick story.
27)
Tadaoki Hosokawa also had a side as a cultural figure who loved the tea ceremony.
This story is a bit off-topic. Although Tadaoki Hosokawa was called a "demon" by Garasha, he was known as a man of culture.
Especially in the "tea ceremony", which was very popular among the warlords then, he was a leading student of Sen no Rikyu. He was counted as one of the "seven philosophers of Rikyu". It is said that Tadaoki was the one Rikyu loved the most.
28)
The leader of the Seven Philosophers was a military commander named Ujisato Gamo. Ujisato was also a man of great courage and bravery on the battlefield and elegance off the battlefield. He was very close to Tadaoki.
A school of tea ceremony called "Sansai-ryu", which Tadaoki founded continues today. (Sansai is Tadaoki's Buddhist name).
29)
Tadaoki was a first-rate master of tea ceremonies, waka poetry, and painting. Incidentally, Tadaoki's father, Yusai, is known to have been a master of waka poetry in this period.
Rikyu Shichitetsu' is a name given to the seven military commanders who were Sen no Rikyu's top disciples, and was also called "Rikyu Shichininshu" in ancient times. The names of the seven members have changed over time, but only Tadaoki Hosokawa and Ujisato Gamo have remained the same.
30)
Let's go back to the couple Tadaoki and Garasha.
Tadaoki Hosokawa and Garasha: The Battle of Sekigahara that tore them apart forever
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who seemed to rule the country, died as time passed. Hosokawa Tadaoki and Garasha awaited a cruel fate.
31)
The struggle for power after Hideyoshi's death culminated in the Battle of Sekigahara. Daimyo from all over the country participated in the war, and the eastern army led by Tokugawa Ieyasu and the western army led by Ishida Mitsunari clashed at Sekigahara.
This political struggle and the battle of Sekigahara drastically changed the fate of Tadaoki Hosokawa and Garasha.
32)
The death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the departure of Tadaoki Hosokawa
After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Hosokawa Tadaoki approached Tokugawa Ieyasu. When Ieyasu went to the eastern part of Japan to conquer Aizu, Tadaoki followed.
However, the feudal lords had to leave their wives and children behind as hostages in their Osaka mansions, and in the event of a battle, the hostages' lives were lost. Some feudal lords took precautions such as hiding their wives in barrels and returning them to the state.
33)
This was especially troublesome for Tadaoki, who worshipped Garasha. In the mansion, Tadaoki issued harsh orders to Garasha and his retainers.
"If the enemy attacks your mansion, kill his wife and commit seppuku on all of them".
34)
Tadaoki did not tell Garasha to harm herself. This is probably because he knew that self-harm is forbidden in Christianity.
And this order of Tadaoki, unfortunately, has become a reality.
35)
Mitsunari Ishida's intentions and failures in trying to take Garasha hostage
Tokugawa Ieyasu wants to take over the government after the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Ishida Mitsunari and others conflict to stop him. As the battle approached, Mitsunari thought that if he took hostages and put them in Osaka Castle to threaten them, the military commanders following Ieyasu would also side with them.
36)
So Mitsunari sent soldiers to the feudal lords' mansions, choosing the Hosokawa family as a starting point. Tadaoki's love for Garasha was well-known even among military commanders.
He surrounded the Hosokawa mansion with soldiers and advised the people inside to enter Osaka Castle.
He thought that if he took Garasha hostage, Tadaoki would join his side, but Mitsunari's idea was too naive and would fail.
37)
The violent end of Garasha in flames
Garasha rejects Ishida Mitsunari's advice and orders his Hosokawa retainers to kill him as Tadaoki orders.
The vassal stabbed Garasha to death with a spear from the next room and then set fire to the mansion.
38)
Mitsunari was surprised by the situation. It is said that after this incident, he gave up on allowing hostages from other families to enter the castle, as he had no idea that the people left behind were prepared to do so.
39)
Tadaoki Hosokawa and Garasha: Two people who loved each other despite the time.
Tadaoki Hosokawa returns to Osaka after the battle of Sekigahara. The grief of losing Tadaoki's Garasha was deep. Finally, Tadaoki held a Christian funeral for Garasha.
40)
This ended the relationship between Tadaoki Hosokawa and the Garasha couple, who had been at the mercy of politics and war and had gone through ups and downs. Although Tadaoki won the battle and protected his home, how sad was losing his beloved wife, Garasha?
After that, Tadaoki and Garasha's blood died out in the central Hosokawa family of the Kumamoto domain, but the branch family's lineage continues to carry their blood.
Add info No1)
Meaning of Garasha:
The baptismal name is Gratia (Latin for God's grace). At the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tadaoki sided with the Tokugawa side (eastern army), so Ishida Mitsunari asked Garasha to enter Osaka as a hostage. Still, Garasha refused and went to Tamatsukuri's Hosokawa residence in Osaka to serve as a vassal. She took her own life by hand.
Why did the Honnoji Incident occur? :
Mitsuhide Akechi had connections with the Imperial Court, and the theory is that the Honnoji Incident occurred due to the wishes of the Imperial Court. Akechi Mitsuhide worked as the Kyoto magistrate and was well-versed in Kyoto's affairs. Therefore, it is quite possible that he had connections with court nobles and members of the imperial court. This theory suggests that Akechi Mitsuhide assassinated Oda Nobunaga in response to the wishes of the Imperial Court.
The "Honnoji Incident" shocked everyone during the turbulent Sengoku period. What is the cause of this incident?
https://www2.myjcom.jp/special/jtele/rekishi-wo-aruku/onair/onair_2019-2020_new-year.shtml#:~:text=%E3%81%82%E3%82%8B%E3%81%84%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E5%85%89%E7%A7%80%E3%81%8C%E4%B8%B9%E6%B3%A2%E6%94%BB%E3%82%81,%E3%81%AF%E4%BF%A1%E9%95%B7%E3%82%92%E6%AE%BA%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E3%80%82
There are various theories regarding the mystery of Nobunaga's assassination. There was a mastermind. That person was Tokugawa Ieyasu. It was Tokichiro Kinoshita. They were the Jesuits: Eiji Ankokuji, a political monk of the Mori family, Honganji Temple, Sakihisa Konoe, and Harutoyo Kanjuji, close aides to the Emperor.
Or, when Mitsuhide fought against the Hatano brothers in the Tamba attack, he took his mother hostage. He tried to negotiate diplomatically, but Nobunaga killed the Hatano brothers, and Mitsuhide's mother was killed in retaliation. To take revenge, Mitsuhide killed Nobunaga. They say it's because of a personal grudge.
Either way, Nobunaga was destroyed by the medieval remnants of the Muromachi shogunate, represented by the figures Mitsuhide and Yoshiaki.
Add info No2)
Nobunaga was a cruel man.
"If the bird doesn't sing, kill the bird." is said to be a haiku by Oda Nobunaga.
"If the bird doesn't sing, let's make it sing." by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
And "If the bird doesn't sing, let's wait until it sings." by Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Add info No3)
//Summary//
A)
Mitsuhide Akechi was Fujitaka's colleague and close friend. Although Mitsuhide's background is unknown, he was not from a prestigious Shogunate family like Fujitaka.
To strengthen the relationship between the Akechi and Hosokawa families, Oda Nobunaga ordered Tadaoki Hosokawa to marry Mitsuhide Akechi's daughter. This girl is the later Garasha.
B)
Mitsuhide Akechi suddenly rebelled against Nobunaga Oda and attacked Nobunaga while he was staying at Honnoji Temple in Kyoto, killing him. He then sent letters to the feudal lords around Kyoto, asking them to side with him.
C)
Hosokawa Tadaoki's father, Fujitaka, flatly refuses Mitsuhide's request. As a result, Fujitaka shaved his head, changed his name to Yusai, retired and handed over the family leadership to Tadaoki. He also ordered Tadaoki to divorce Garasha.
D)
For Garasha's father, Akechi Mitsuhide, the disobedience of the Hosokawa family was a significant blow. Very few people would obey those who did not even follow relatives. Mitsuhide was defeated by Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi's army, which returned to Kyoto at full speed and died in the retreat.
E)
In this way, the Hosokawa family of Yusai and Tadaoki came under Hideyoshi's control, but Garasha, the "daughter of a traitor", remained imprisoned.
On the surface, after living apart for about two years, the two began to live together again. Tadaoki continued to fight in various places as a military commander under Hideyoshi.
F)
When Tadaoki goes to Kyushu, Garasha secretly visits a Christian church he has been interested in to relieve his spiritual anxiety.
Tokugawa Ieyasu wants to take over the government after the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Ishida Mitsunari and others conflict to stop him.
G)
Garasha rejects Ishida Mitsunari's advice and orders his Hosokawa retainers to kill him as Tadaoki orders.
The vassal stabbed Garasha to death with a spear from the next room and then set fire to the mansion.
Tadaoki Hosokawa returns to Osaka after the battle of Sekigahara. The grief of losing Tadaoki's Garasha was deep. Finally, Tadaoki held a Christian funeral for Garasha.
The story of the spectacular couple Tadaoki Hosokawa and Garasha
https://www.guidoor.jp/media/hosokawa-tadaoki-garasha/
Episode 8 - Abyss of Life | FX's Shōgun: The Official Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbVodARfUsQ
A question of loyalty. Host Emily Yoshida and guests break down episode 8 of FX's Shōgun, which features showrunner Justin Marks, production designer Helen Jarvis, historian Frederick Cryns, and director Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour. Creators and experts deep-dive into the intricacies of the tea ceremony, the fates of the real-life shipwrecked sailors, and the evolution of a region that would become Tokyo.
