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Battles had raged for the previous few years between the ''[[daimyo|daimyô]]'' of Kyûshû, and by 1587 the [[Shimazu clan]] of [[Satsuma han|Satsuma]] were the primary power on the island. In 1586, hearing of Hideyoshi's plans for invasion, they lifted their siege of [[Tachibana castle]], withdrawing a great portion of their forces back to [[Higo province]], while the rest stayed in [[Bungo province]]. There, they seized [[Funai castle]] from the [[Otomo clan|Ôtomo clan]] and prepared for the invasion.

Battles had raged for the previous few years between the ''[[daimyo|daimyô]]'' of Kyûshû, and by 1587 the [[Shimazu clan]] of [[Satsuma han|Satsuma]] were the primary power on the island. In 1586, hearing of Hideyoshi's plans for invasion, they lifted their siege of [[Tachibana castle]], withdrawing a great portion of their forces back to [[Higo province]], while the rest stayed in [[Bungo province]]. There, they seized [[Funai castle]] from the [[Otomo clan|Ôtomo clan]] and prepared for the invasion.

The Ôtomo were supported by armies under [[Sengoku Hidehisa]] and [[Chosokabe Motochika|Chôsokabe Motochika]], a major Shikoku lord who had been defeated by Hideyoshi the previous year, and had thus pressed into service. Though Bungo province ultimately fell to the Shimazu. Sengoku and Chôsokabe delayed the Shimazu, however, and weakened them in preparation for the arrival of Hideyoshi's armies and those of the [[Mori clan|Môri clan]], another of Hideyoshi's allies.

The Ôtomo were supported by armies under [[Sengoku Hidehisa]] and [[Chosokabe Motochika|Chôsokabe Motochika]], a major Shikoku lord who had been defeated by Hideyoshi the previous year, and had thus been pressed into service. Though Bungo province ultimately fell to the Shimazu, the Sengoku and Chôsokabe delayed the Shimazu in [[1586]], defeating and weakening them, in preparation for the arrival of Hideyoshi's armies and those of the [[Mori clan|Môri clan]], another of Hideyoshi's allies. [[Shimazu Tadatsune]] (Iehisa) suffered significant losses at the hands of the Chôsokabe at the [[battle of Hetsugigawa]] in that year. Afterward, Iehisa pursued the Ôtomo to [[Usuki castle]], but once Hideyoshi and his brother [[Hashiba Hidenaga]] made landfall, the Shimazu were forced to pull back.

 

[[Image:Japan Kyushu Kagoshima.png|250px|thumb|left|The island of Kyûshû, with modern-day Kagoshima prefecture, roughly corresponding to the [[Shimazu clan]]'s home [[Satsuma province|province of Satsuma]] highlighted.]]

[[Image:Japan Kyushu Kagoshima.png|250px|thumb|left|The island of Kyûshû, with modern-day Kagoshima prefecture, roughly corresponding to the [[Shimazu clan]]'s home [[Satsuma province|province of Satsuma]] highlighted.]]

[[Hashiba Hidenaga]], half-brother to Hideyoshi, landed to the south of Bungo, attacking the Shimazu at [[Takajo|Takajô]], on Kyûshû's eastern coast, in 1587. Meanwhile, Hideyoshi took his own forces down a more westerly route, attacking [[Ganjaku castle]] in [[Chikuzen province]], which was held by the [[Akizuki clan]]. Later that year, the two brothers would meet up in the Shimazu's home province of Satsuma, to assault their home castle at [[Kagoshima]]. Ultimately, Kagoshima itself was not attacked; the Shimazu surrendered, leaving Hideyoshi to return his attention to the [[Go-Hojo clan|Hôjô clan]] of the [[Kanto|Kantô]], the last major clan to oppose him.

 

Hidenaga landed to the south of Bungo, attacking the Shimazu at [[battle of Takajo|Takajô]], on Kyûshû's eastern coast, in 1587. Meanwhile, Hideyoshi took his own forces down a more westerly route, attacking [[Ganjaku castle]] in [[Chikuzen province]], which was held by the [[Akizuki clan]]. The lords of northern Kyushu lost the decisive battle at [[battle of Nejirozaka|battle of Nejirozaka]], and from then on, the Shimazu found themselves defeated in one battle after another.

 

Eventually, the two Hashiba/Toyotomi forces met up in the Shimazu home province of Satsuma, intending to assault the Shimazu home castle at [[Kagoshima]] if the Shimazu did not surrender. Ultimately, however, Shimazu Yoshihisa submitted to Hideyoshi's authority, taking the tonsure and formally surrendering at Taihei-ji<!--泰平寺--> in [[Satsuma Sendai]], and Kagoshima was not attacked. Having secured his dominion over Kyushu, Hideyoshi was now free to return his attention to the [[Go-Hojo clan|Hôjô clan]] of the [[Kanto|Kantô]], the last major clan in the realm to oppose him.

Hideyoshi would make use of Kyûshû through much of the 1590s in his attacks on Korea.

Hideyoshi would make use of Kyûshû through much of the 1590s in his attacks on Korea.

*[[Siege of Kagoshima]] - Hideyoshi and Hidenaga surround the Shimazu capital, and earn a surrender without laying siege to the castle.

*[[Siege of Kagoshima]] - Hideyoshi and Hidenaga surround the Shimazu capital, and earn a surrender without laying siege to the castle.

==Reference==

==References==

''This article was written by [[User:LordAmeth]] and contributed to both S-A and Wikipedia; the author gives permission for the initial text (of June 22, 2007) to be used in this way.''

*"[http://www.shuseikan.jp/word/sengoku08.html Kyushu no eki]," ''Satsuma Shimazu-ke no rekishi'', [[Shokoshuseikan|Shôkoshûseikan]] official website.

*Turnbull, Stephen (1998). 'The Samurai Sourcebook'. London: Cassell & Co.

*Turnbull, Stephen (1998). 'The Samurai Sourcebook'. London: Cassell & Co.

[[Category:Battles]]

[[Category:Battles]]

[[Category:Sengoku Period]]

[[Category:Sengoku Period]]