ÅŒtani Yoshitsugu

Otani Yoshitsugu (Japanese大谷 吉 継; * 1559, † October 21, 1600 ) was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period and the Azuchi - Momoyama period. He was a follower of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and distinguished himself during the fighting in Kyushu and in Korea. There he joined Ishida Mitsunari with friendship.

Journey

Otani Yoshitsugu was probably born in 1559 as the son of a follower of Ōtomo Sorin, but the exact circumstances are unclear. In the 1570s he joined Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Mitsunari Ishida during the fighting in Kyushu. The two struck up a close friendship Samurai, which should only end with the death of the two after the battle of Sekigahara. In 1583 he participated in the Battle of Shizugatake and was rewarded with the province of Echizen, formerly owned by Shibata Katsuie. He therefore rose to the rank of daimyo. 1590 he took part in the siege of the castle Odawara. Since that time, Otani Yoshitsugu was suffering from the disease of leprosy, which ultimately led to his blindness. During the riots in 1600, he initially supported Tokugawa Ieyasu, but then changed sides when his close friend Ishida Mitsunari was appointed commander of the western army. During the Battle of Sekigahara Otani Yoshitsugu was one of the commanders of the Western Army. His troops moved first before successfully, but were cut off after the betrayal of Kobayakawa Hideaki. Surrounded by the enemy, Otani committed ritual suicide.

Trivia

The friendship between Otani Yoshitsugu and Mitsunari Ishida is a popular motif in Japan. He is a playable character in several computer games, including Kessen, Sengoku Basara and Samurai Warriors.