Changes

==Command of the Western Provinces==

==Command of the Western Provinces==

[[Image:Mori_domain.jpg|thumb|left|]]

[[Image:Mori_domain.jpg|thumb|left|]]

The next five years were occupied with reorganizing the newly acquired Oûchi territories. In addition, a string of battles with the powerful [[Otomo clan|Ôtomo]] of Kyushu began over [[Moji castle]], a vital stronghold in the extreme northern tip of Buzen province. Moji would change hands a number of times until finally being secured by Takamoto in [[1561]].

The next five years were occupied with reorganizing the newly acquired Ôuchi territories. In addition, a string of battles with the powerful Kyushu daimyô [[Otomo clan|Ôtomo]], allies of the Ôuchi and then the Amako. Fighting centered around [[Moji castle]], a vital stronghold in the extreme northern tip of Buzen province. Moji would change hands a number of times until finally being secured by Takamoto in [[1561]].  Motonari continued his efforts in Iwami and in 1560, Honjô Tsunemitsu [本城常光] abandoned the Amako and joined Môri.  Tsunemitsu had changed sides a number of times over the years, between the Ôuchi and Amako, and in 1562, when it became practical, Motonari had him murdered to avoid being betrayed himself. [[Amako Haruhisa]] died suddenly in the 1st month of 1561, leaving his weaker son Yoshihisa to carry on the struggle. Little assistance was forthcoming from Gassan-Toda to the Amako's retainers in Iwami and in 1562 the Iwami Silver Mines were taken.

As might be expected, the Amako were not willing to give up their own dreams of dominance in the Chugoku region and continued to defy the Môri. Yet in 1562, [[Amako Haruhisa]] died, leaving his weaker son Yoshihisa to carry on the struggle. Haruhisa had not done much to prepare Yoshihisa for his struggle. Years before, Haruhisa had ordered the death (for reasons unknown) of his uncle Kunihisa and afterwards had done little beyond harassing the Môri in Iwami and Bingo and making an ultimately fruitless pact with the Ôtomo.  

Motonari pushed into Izumo and a campaign was then directed to cut Gassan-Toda off from its supply lines. In the 9th month of [[1563]], Takamoto, returning from Kyushu on his way to join his father in Izumo, died suddenly at the mansion of [[Watchi Saneharu]] [和智誠春] in Bingo Province.  Motonari, grief-stricken by the news, later named Takamoto's young son, Terumoto, as the heir and in the meantime continued to rule despite his advancing years. Although no specific cause of Takamoto's death was ever given, foul play was suspected as Takamoto had fallen ill shortly after dinner.  The suddeness of his death does suggest that he ingested poison of some kind.  Motonari was sufficiently suspicious of Watchi to have both him and his younger brother murdered some years later, although his son was spared and the Watchi house was allowed to continue.

Motonari wasted little time in taking advantage of Haruhisa's death. In [[1562]] Iwami was finally taken, and a campaign directed to cut Gassan-Toda off from its supply lines was initiated. Then, in [[1563]], Takamoto died. His passing was sudden, and the Amako were suspected as having a hand in it. Had that been the case, it was a useless gesture, for while the loss stung the Môri clan, it bought the Amako precious little time. In the fall of that year the Môri invested [[Shiraga Castle]], a vital 'satellite' of Gassan-Toda in Izumo. An Amako effort to relieve the garrison failed, and the castle surrendered in October after 70 days. Shiraga's fall all but isolated Gassan-Toda, and Môri led his 25,000 on to the Amako stronghold in the spring of 1564. This campaign is known as the [[Second Siege of Gassan-Toda|2nd Battle of Gassan-Toda]].  Heavily outnumbered and facing starvation, Yoshihisa nonetheless managed to resist one Môri assault in April that cost Motonari some moderate losses and forced him to withdraw to reorganize. In the September of [[1565]], Motonari returned, and this time resolved to starve Gassan - Toda into submission. To assist in this policy, Motonari let it be known that the Môri would accept no deserters from the castle, content to keep all of the besieged within the walls and eating up the Amako's dwindling supplies. For a final touch, he made a move to undermine the leadership of the defenders. A certain [[Uyama Hisanobu]], the son of the late [[Uyama Hisakane]], had shown himself to be a man of both wise judgment and unshakable dedication to the Amako. Motonari therefore had rumors spread within the castle walls about Uyama's loyalty, prompting Yoshihisa to have the unfortunate fellow killed. This, not surprisingly, did not go over so well with the other retainers, and when Motonari lifted his ban on deserters, thousands of half-starved men fled the doomed castle. Finally, in January of [[1566]], Yoshihisa surrendered. Possibly to the surprise of everyone involved (including Yoshihisa himself), Môri spared the defeated man's life, allowing him to take up a monk's habit.  

In the fall of 1563 the Môri invested [[Shiraga Castle]] [白鹿城], a vital 'satellite' of Gassan-Toda in Izumo held by [[Matsuda Michihisa]] [松田満久]. An Amako effort led by Yoshihisa's younger brother [[Amako Tomohisa|Tomohisa]] to relieve the garrison failed and the castle surrendered after 70 days when its water supply was cut. Michihisa committed suicide but his son [[Matsuda Masayasu|Masayasu]] [誠保] escaped and would reemerge with the attempted Amako restoration years later. In the meantime, Shiraga's fall all but isolated Gassan-Toda and Môri led his 15,000 men on to the Amako stronghold in the spring of 1564. This campaign is known as the [[Second Siege of Gassan-Toda|2nd Battle of Gassan-Toda]].  Heavily outnumbered and facing starvation, Yoshihisa nonetheless managed to resist one Môri assault in April that cost Motonari some moderate losses and forced him to withdraw to reorganize. In the 8th month of 1565, Motonari returned, and this time resolved to starve Gassan-Toda into submission. To assist in this policy, Motonari let it be known that the Môri would accept no deserters from the castle, content to keep all of the besieged within the walls and eating up the Amako's dwindling supplies. Yoshihisa then falsely accused his retainer [[Uyama Hisakane]] [宇山久兼] of treason in the 1st month of 1566 and had him killed. The morale of the starving defenders crumbled. Finally, in the 11th month, Yoshihisa surrendered and was exiled to the Enmyouji [円明寺] in Aki Province.

Motonari lived for five more years, passing away at the age of 74, having become one of the greatest warlords of the mid-16th Century. Under his leadership the Môri had expanded from a few districts in Aki to rule over ten of the Chugoku's eleven provinces.  Motonari was known even in his day as a master of wiles and trickery, a warlord whose schemes won as many battles as his soldiers.  His greatest victories: Arita-Nakaide, Yoshida-Koriyama, and Itskushima had all been against numerically superior foes and involved bold action on Motonari's part.  Interestingly, he is possibly best remembered, at least outside Japan, for an event that probably never took place-the 'lesson of the three arrows'. In this parable, Motonari gives each of his three sons an arrow to break. He then gives them three arrows bundled, and points out that while one may be broken easily, not so three united as one. The three sons were of course [[Mori Takamoto|Takamoto]], [[Mori Motoharu|Motoharu]], and [[Mori Takakage|Takakage]], and the lesson is one that Japanese children still learn in school today. He in fact had a total of six other sons, two of which appear to have died in childhood. The others included [[Mori Motoaki|Motoaki]], [[Mori Motokiyo|Motokiyo]], [[Mori Motomasa|Motomasa]] and [[Mori Hidekane|(Kobayakawa) Hidekane]].  

Motonari lived for five more years, passing away at the age of 74 at Koriyama Castle, having become one of the greatest warlords of the mid-16th Century. Under his leadership the Môri had expanded from a few districts in Aki to rule over ten of the Chugoku's eleven provinces.  Motonari was known even in his day as a master of wiles and trickery, a warlord whose schemes won as many battles as his soldiers.  His greatest victories: Arita-Nakaide, Yoshida-Koriyama, and Itskushima had all been against numerically superior foes and involved bold action on Motonari's part.  Interestingly, he is possibly best remembered, at least outside Japan, for an event that probably never took place-the 'lesson of the three arrows'. In this parable, Motonari gives each of his three sons an arrow to break. He then gives them three arrows bundled, and points out that while one may be broken easily, not so three united as one. The three sons were of course [[Mori Takamoto|Takamoto]], [[Mori Motoharu|Motoharu]], and [[Mori Takakage|Takakage]], and the lesson is one that Japanese children still learn in school today. He in fact had a total of six other sons, two of which appear to have died in childhood. The others included [[Mori Motoaki|Motoaki]], [[Mori Motokiyo|Motokiyo]], [[Mori Motomasa|Motomasa]] and [[Mori Hidekane|(Kobayakawa) Hidekane]].  

[[Shiji Hiroyoshi]], [[Kuchiba Michiyoshi]], [[Kumagai Nobunao]], [[Fukuhara Sadatoshi]], [[Katsura Motozumi]], [[Kodama Naritada]], [[Kokushi Motosuke]], [[Hiraga Hirosuke]], and [[Ichikawa Tsuneyoshi]] assisted Môri Motonari in his rule. His greatest generals, however, were his own sons [[Kobayakawa Takakage]] and [[Kikkawa Motoharu]], the 'Two Rivers' (a play on the 'Kawa' charactors in their names).  

[[Shiji Hiroyoshi]], [[Kuchiba Michiyoshi]], [[Kumagai Nobunao]], [[Fukuhara Sadatoshi]], [[Katsura Motozumi]], [[Kodama Naritada]], [[Kokushi Motosuke]], [[Hiraga Hirosuke]], and [[Ichikawa Tsuneyoshi]] assisted Môri Motonari in his rule. His greatest generals, however, were his own sons [[Kobayakawa Takakage]] and [[Kikkawa Motoharu]], the 'Two Rivers' (a play on the 'Kawa' charactors in their names).  

* Hall, John Whitney, Nagahara Keiji and Kozo Yamamura, eds. ''Japan Before Tokugawa'' Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey 1981

* Hall, John Whitney, Nagahara Keiji and Kozo Yamamura, eds. ''Japan Before Tokugawa'' Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey 1981

* Rekishi Gunzô Shirizu #49, ''Môri Senki'' Gakken, Japan, 1997

* Rekishi Gunzô Shirizu #49, ''Môri Senki'' Gakken, Japan, 1997