Matsumae Yoshihiro

• Birth: 1550
• Death: 1618
• Other names: Kakizaki Yoshihiro
• Distinction: Ezo warlord, Izu-no-kami

Matsumae Yoshihiro was the lord of the Sonogi area of Ezo province (Hokkaido) and submitted to Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590, bringing troops to the reduction of Kunoe castle the following year. Until the time of Yoshihiro, the Matsumae were known as the 'Kakizaki' clan - this would change in 1606, when Yoshihiro visited Kyoto and Osaka. He became known as 'Matsumae' Yoshihiro while showing a map of Matsumae, the town in Ezo where his clan was originally from, to a group of the late Hideyoshi's chief retainers at Osaka castle. Yoshihiro had reportedly many Ainu in his army, and these were well-known for their special poisoned arrows, although it is not known how effective these arrows were in battle, if employed at all.

References

• Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005