- Birth: 1512
- Death: 1585
- Sons: Ito Yoshimasu, Ito Suketaka
- Distinction: Lord of Hyûga province
Yoshisuke succeeded his brother Sukemitsu in 1533, afterwards having to contend with a rebellion among his retainers. In various clashes with neighboring clans such as the Kitahara family he proved himself a capable commander. By 1568 he was on hostile terms with the Shimazu clan of Satsuma province. That year he took Obi castle in southern Hyûga in 1568 but in 1572 his 3,000-man army was defeated by 300 troops commanded by Shimazu Yoshihiro in what is sometimes called the 'Okehazama of Kyushu'. By this time Yoshisuke had reportedly allowed himself to sink into a luxuriant lifestyle like that of a Kyoto courtier and in this way has been compared to Imagawa Yoshimoto (who was killed at Okehazama). Yoshisuke was defeated again at Takabaru in 1576 and in 1577, hard-pressed by the Shimazu (who defeated him at Tozaki-Kamiya that year), fled to the lands of the Ôtomo. He eventually retired to Kyoto after wandering from place to place. He died on 8/29/1585.
References
- Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005