Rokkaku Yoshikata

• Birth: 1521
• Death: 1598
• Other names: Sasaki Yoshikata, Rokkaku Shôtei
• Distinction: Ômi Warlord
• Sons: Rokkaku Yoshiharu, Yoshisada

Yoshikata was a son of Rokkaku Sadayori. He was involved in many of the later struggles for power around Kyoto, supporting Hosokawa Harumoto in 1549 in his war with Miyoshi Chokei. He went on to fight with Asai Hisamasa of northern Ômi and Saito Dôsan of Mino, as well as with Matsunaga Hisahide in 1558. In 1559 Yoshikata officially retired in favor of his son Yoshiharu and shaved his head and assumed the name Shôtei. He nonetheless continued as the effective joint-leader of the Rokkaku. Yoshikata and Yoshiharu were soundly defeated at Norada in 1560 by the Asai and created dissension within the ranks of their retainer band by executing Goto Tajima no kami Katatoyo in 1563. In 1567 they jointly composed the Rokkaku-shi shikimoku, which, significantly, places limitations on the authority of the daimyô. They refused a request by Nobunaga to allow Oda troops safe passage through southern Ômi in September 1568. As a result the Rokkaku were brushed aside by Nobunaga on his way to Kyoto in October-November. Yoshikata and Yoshiharu fled Kannonji, which fell into Nobunaga's hands, but continued to contest Nobunaga's activities from Namazue Castle with what might be termed guerrilla warfare. They were defeated attempting to take Chomyoji in southern Ômi from Shibata Katsuie and Yoshikata afterwards surrendered in 1570. He was afterwards allowed to live in Ômi by Nobunaga.

References

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