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When the Portuguese discovered Japan, in 1542, they
introduced the musket to the Japanese, and the weapon was long known
as Tanegashima, that being the name of the island where the
Portuguese ship first touched. Thenceforth, the manufacture of
firearms was carried on with more or less success at various places,
especially Sakai in Izumi and Negoro in Kii. "Small guns" (kozutsu)
and "large guns" (ozutsu) are mentioned in the annals of the time,
but by ozutsuwe must understand muskets of large calibre rather than
cannon.

INVASION OF CHUGOKU.

At this time nearly the whole of central Japan (Chugoku) was under
the sway of Mori Terumoto, who succeeded his grandfather, Motonari,
head of the great Mori family and ancestor of the present Prince
Mori. One of these central provinces, namely, Harima, had just been
the scene of a revolt which Hideyoshi crushed by his wonted
combination of cajolery and conquest. The ease with which this feat
was accomplished and the expediency of maintaining the sequence of
successes induced Hideyoshi to propose that the subjugation of the
whole of central Japan should be entrusted to him and that he should
be allowed to adopt Nobunaga's second son, Hidekatsu, to whom the
rule of Chugoku should be entrusted, Hideyoshi keeping for himself
only the outlying portions. Nobunaga readily agreed, and, in 1577,
Hideyoshi set out on this important expedition, with a force of some
ten thousand men, all fully equipped and highly trained. It is
noteworthy that, before leaving Azuchi, Hideyoshi declared to
Nobunaga his intention of conquering Kyushu after the reduction of
Chugoku, and thereafter he announced his purpose of crossing to Korea
and making that country the basis of a campaign against China. "When
that is effected," Hideyoshi is quoted as saying, "the three
countries, China, Korea, and Japan, will be one. I shall do it all as
easily as a man rolls up a piece of matting and carries it under his
arm."

It is evident from these words that the project of invading Korea and
China was entertained by Hideyoshi nearly twenty years before--as
will presently be seen--he attempted to carry it into practice.
Hideyoshi marched in the first place to Harima, where his operations
were so vigorous and so successful that Ukita Naoiye, who held the
neighbouring provinces of Bizen and Mimasaka under the suzerainty of
Mori Terumoto, espoused Nobunaga's cause without fighting. It is
unnecessary to follow the details of the campaign that ensued. It
lasted for five years, and ended in the subjection of as many
provinces, namely, Harima, Tamba, Tango, Tajima, and Inaba. Hideyoshi
then returned to Azuchi and presented to Nobunaga an immense quantity
of spolia opima which are said to have exceeded five thousand in
number and to have covered all the ground around the castle.

DESTRUCTION OF THE TAKEDA

Shortly before Hideyoshi's triumphant return from his first brilliant
campaign in the central provinces, a memorable event occurred in Kai.
Nobunaga's eldest son, Nobutada, uniting his forces with those of
Ieyasu, completely destroyed the army of Takeda Katsuyori at
Temmoku-zan, in the province of Kai. So thorough was the victory that
Katsuyori and his son both committed suicide. Nobunaga then gave the
province of Suruga to Ieyasu, and divided Shinano and Kotsuke into
manors, which were distributed among the Owari generals as rewards.
Takigawa Kazumasu was nominated kwanryo of the Kwanto, chiefly in
order to watch and restrain the movements of the Hojo family, now the
only formidable enemy of Nobunaga in the east.

RESUMPTION OF THE CHUGOKU CAMPAIGN

After a brief rest, Hideyoshi again left Kyoto for the central
provinces. He commenced operations on this second occasion by
invading the island of Awaji, and having reduced it, he passed on to
Bitchu, where he invested the important castle of Takamatsu, then
under the command of Shimizu Muneharu. This stronghold was so well
planned and had such great natural advantages that Hideyoshi
abstained from any attempt to carry it by assault, and had recourse
to the device of damming and banking a river so as to flood the
fortress. About two miles and a half of embankment had to be made,
and during the progress of the work, Mori Terumoto, who had been
conducting a campaign elsewhere, found time to march a strong army to
the relief of Takamatsu. But Terumoto, acting on the advice of his
best generals, refrained from attacking Hideyoshi's army. He sought
rather to invite an onset from Hideyoshi, so that, during the
progress of the combat, the garrison might find an opportunity to
destroy the embankment. Hideyoshi, however, was much too astute to be
tempted by such tactics. He saw that the fate of the castle must be
sealed in a few days, and he refrained from any offensive movement.
But, in order to gratify Nobunaga by simulating need of his
assistance, a despatch was sent to Azuchi begging him to come and
personally direct the capture of the fort and the shattering of
Terumoto's army.

ASSASSINATION OF NOBUNAGA

Among Nobunaga's vassal barons at that time was Akechi Mitsuhide. A
scion of the illustrious family of Seiwa Genji, Mitsuhide had served
under several suzerains prior to 1566, when he repaired to Gifu and
offered his sword to Nobunaga. Five years afterwards he received a
fief of one hundred thousand koku and the title of Hyuga no Kami.
This rapid promotion made him Nobunaga's debtor, but a shocking
event, which occurred in 1577, seems to have inspired him with the
deepest resentment against his patron. Mitsuhide, besieging the
castle of Yakami in Tamba province, promised quarter to the brothers
Hatano, who commanded its defence, and gave his own mother as
hostage. But Nobunaga, disregarding this promise, put the Hatano
brothers to the sword, and the latter's adherents avenged themselves
by slaughtering Mitsuhide's mother. The best informed belief is that
this incident converted Mitsuhide into Nobunaga's bitter enemy, and
that the spirit of revenge was fostered by insults to which Nobunaga,
always passionate and rough, publicly subjected Mitsuhide. At all
events, when, as stated above, Hideyoshi's message of invitation
reached Nobunaga at Azuchi, the latter gave orders for the despatch
of a strong force to Takamatsu, one body, consisting of some thirty
thousand men, being placed under the command of Mitsuhide. Nobunaga
himself repaired to Kyoto and took up his quarters at the temple
Honno-ji, whence he intended to follow his armies to the central
provinces.

Mitsuhide concluded that his opportunity had now come. He determined
to kill Nobunaga, and then to join hands with Mori Terumoto. He made
known his design to a few of his retainers, and these attempted
fruitlessly to dissuade him, but, seeing that his resolution was
irrevocable, they agreed to assist him. The troops were duly
assembled and put in motion, but instead of taking the road westward,
they received an unexpected intimation, "The enemy is in Honno-ji,"
and their route was altered accordingly. Nobunaga defended himself
valiantly. But being at last severely wounded and recognizing the
hopelessness of resistance, he set fire to the temple and committed
suicide, his fourteen-year-old son, Katsunaga, perishing with him.
His eldest son, Nobutada, who had just returned from the campaign in
the east, followed his father to Kyoto, and was sojourning in the
temple Myogaku-ji when news reached him of Mitsuhide's treachery. He
attempted to succour his father, but arrived too late. Then he
repaired to the Nijo palace and, having entrusted his infant son to
the care of Maeda Gen-i with instructions to carry him to Kiyosu, he
made preparation for defence against Mitsuhide. Finally, overwhelmed
by numbers, he killed himself, and his example was followed by ninety
of his retainers. Mitsuhide then proceeded to Azuchi and having
pillaged the castle, returned to Kyoto, where he was received in
audience by the Emperor, and he then took the title of shogun.

AFTER THE ASSASSINATION

Nobunaga was assassinated on the second day of the sixth month,
according to Japanese reckoning. News of the event reached the camp
of the besiegers of Takamatsu almost immediately, but a messenger
sent by Mitsuhide to convey the intelligence to Mori and to solicit
his alliance was intercepted by Hideyoshi's men. A great deal of
historical confusion envelops immediately subsequent events, but the
facts seem simple enough. Hideyoshi found himself in a position of
great difficulty. His presence in Kyoto was almost a necessity, yet
he could not withdraw from Takamatsu without sacrificing all the
fruits of the campaign in the west and exposing himself to a probably
disastrous attack by Mori's army. In this emergency he acted with his
usual talent. Summoning a famous priest, Ekei, of a temple in Aki,
who enjoyed the confidence of all parties, he despatched him to
Mori's camp with proposals for peace and for the delimitation of the
frontiers of Mori and Nobunaga, on condition that the castle of
Takamatsu should be surrendered and the head of its commander,
Shimizu Muneharu, presented to his conquerer.

Mori was acting entirely by the advice of his two uncles, Kikkawa and
Kohayakawa, both men of profound insight. They fully admitted the
desirability of peace, since Hideyoshi's army effectually commanded
the communications between the eastern and western parts of Chugoku,
but they resolutely rejected the notion of sacrificing the life of
Shimizu on the altar of any compact. When the priest carried this
answer to Hideyoshi, the latter suggested, as the only recourse, that
Shimizu himself should be consulted. Ekei accordingly repaired to the
castle and explained the situation to its commandant. Shimizu had not
a moment's hesitation. He declared himself more than willing to die
for the sake of his liege-lord and his comrades, and he asked only
that fish and wine, to give the garrison the rare treat of a good
meal, should be furnished. On the 5th of the sixth month this
agreement was carried into effect. Shimizu committed suicide, the
compact between Mori and Hideyoshi was signed, and the latter,
striking his camp, prepared to set out for Kyoto.