Konishi Yukinaga
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Konishi Yukinaga (小西 行長; 1558 – 1600) was a Japanese samurai and later daimyō who served under Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Sengoku period period.[1]
In 1582, Yukinaga was sent by Hideyoshi to assist daimyō Ukita Naoie in the reconstruction of temples and shrines that were destroyed in the past few years.[2]
Biography
Early life
Born as the second son of a wealthy merchant in Sakai, Yukinaga was adopted by an Okayama merchant named Totoya Kuroemon. After becoming a samurai, Yukinaga caught the attention of Okayama's daimyo Ukita Naoie. When Oda Nobunaga led a campaign in the Chūgoku region against the Mōri clan, one of the Ukita's allies, Yukinaga served as a liason between the clan and the Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who led the campaign. This also led Yukinaga to enter Hideyoshi's service as one of his retainers.[1]
The rengakai in Harima
In 1582, as Hideyoshi's contact with the Ukita clan, Yukinaga assisted Naoie in his efforts to repair and rebuild the damaged temples and shrines in Harima Province.[2] Through Naoie's associates, Yukinaga arranged for incense to be transported to Harima from Bizen Province to Aga south of Himeji. Unbeknowst to Yukinaga, Naoie's associates were mercenaries and secretly smuggled weaponry along with the incense cargo to Hontokuji Temple, where they would be used to stage an attack in the province.[3]
Along with Naoie, Yukinaga attended a rengakai at the Himeji Castle organized by the province's daimyo Kuroda Kanbei. There, Yukinaga greeted Naoie's son Hideie, who was staying in the castle as a political hostage. Prior to the rengakai, Yukinaga also met Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke,[2] who had been sent by Lady Nene in pursue of the Shinbakufu.[4] During the rengakai at night, mercenaries hired by Naoie[5] attacked the castle and kidnapped Hideie, with Yukinaga surviving the incident and noticing a particular scent left behind by the attackers.[2]
Investigating the scent
- Naoe: "Lord Yukinaga. I've located shipment of incense. Heavily guarded incense, at that. And signed off by you. Incense? Ring any bells? For example, those ronin that attacked the rengakai? You've been shipping weapons, my lord. Disguised as incense. Did you know this?"
- Yukinaga: "Incense from Bizen? Yes, of course. But, weapons? Of course not! A potential conspiracy has followed Lord Naoie all the way to Harima, it seems. Using temples as cover for their schemes?"
- —Yukinaga confronted by Naoe about the weapon shipments, 1582.[src]
Sensing familiarity with the scent, Yukinaga traveled to the Aga to begin his investigation, as well as to meet with merchants helping with his incense shipments. There, Yukinaga was visited by Naoe and Yasuke, who were investigating the scent as well. Yukinaga told the two of his familiarity with the scent that originated from Bizen, and his suspicions regarding the merchants hired by Naoie. The two confronted the merchants on his behalf and uncovered a note that detailed the shipment of weapons smuggled along with the incense at Hontokuji Temple.[3]
When Naoe and Yasuke returned and confronted Yukinaga with what they found, the samurai acknowledged he had signed off the shipment of incense but insisted that he did not have knowledge of the weapons smuggled with them. Yukinaga was then told to stay clear of Himeji Castle while the two continued their investigations.[3]
Gallery
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Closeup of Yukinaga
Appearances
References
