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This would be Date Masamune's last expansionist adventure, however. With the coming of the next year Hideyoshi besieged the [[Hojo clan|Hojo's]] [[Odawara castle]]. Hideyoshi ordered Date to participate, which he did, though it is said he put off his arrival so that his spies could report on the likely victor. Since the outcome of the siege was obvious, Date presented himself before Hideyoshi and apologized for his lateness. Following the conclusion of the siege, however, Hideyoshi ordered Date to relinquish his newly won holdings in [[Aizu]] (perhaps using Date's tardiness as a pretext) and be content with Yonezawa (200,000 koku), a much-reduced income that doubtlessly did not sit so well with Masamune.  

This would be Date Masamune's last expansionist adventure, however. With the coming of the next year Hideyoshi besieged the [[Hojo clan|Hojo's]] [[Odawara castle]]. Hideyoshi ordered Date to participate, which he did, though it is said he put off his arrival so that his spies could report on the likely victor. Since the outcome of the siege was obvious, Date presented himself before Hideyoshi and apologized for his lateness. Following the conclusion of the siege, however, Hideyoshi ordered Date to relinquish his newly won holdings in [[Aizu]] (perhaps using Date's tardiness as a pretext) and be content with Yonezawa (200,000 koku), a much-reduced income that doubtlessly did not sit so well with Masamune.  

In [[1592]], Date served in Hideyoshi's headquarters at Nagoya on Kyushu during the Korean invasion. Three years later, he found himself implicated in the suspected treason of [[Toyotomi Hidetsugu]] and was ordered to pack up and move his household to Iyo on Shikoku, an unthinkable fate (to Date) averted through the good offices of [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]. All in all, it is not surprising that Date readily joined Tokugawa when war came between the latter and [[Ishida Mitsunari]] began in [[1600]]. He had already married a son to one of Ieyasu's daughters (an act which in itself had aggravated tensions between Ieyasu and his fellow san-bugyo members) and was likely contemplating how best his remote forces could aid Tokugawa when war began. In the event, he and [[Mogami Yoshiakira]] of [[Dewa province|Dewa]] held the forces of [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]] at bay, with Masamune's first contribution to the war effort being the [[Siege of Hataya]]. The battles in the north culminated with Masamune's attack on [[Fukushima castle|Fukushima Castle]]. Date and Mogami's efforts allowed Tokugawa to move west in confidence, and, of course, the campaign culminated in the total victory at [[Battle of Sekigahara|Sekigahara]] in October 1600. In the aftermath, Date's lands were enlarged to 600,000 koku, and he built a new castle town (Aoba-jo) at Sendai.  

In [[1592]], Date served in Hideyoshi's headquarters at Nagoya on Kyushu during the [[Korean Invasions|Korean invasion]]. Three years later, he found himself implicated in the suspected treason of [[Toyotomi Hidetsugu]] and was ordered to pack up and move his household to Iyo on Shikoku, an unthinkable fate (to Date) averted through the good offices of [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]. All in all, it is not surprising that Date readily joined Tokugawa when war came between the latter and [[Ishida Mitsunari]] began in [[1600]]. He had already married a son to one of Ieyasu's daughters (an act which in itself had aggravated tensions between Ieyasu and his fellow san-bugyo members) and was likely contemplating how best his remote forces could aid Tokugawa when war began. In the event, he and [[Mogami Yoshiakira]] of [[Dewa province|Dewa]] held the forces of [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]] at bay, with Masamune's first contribution to the war effort being the [[Siege of Hataya]]. The battles in the north culminated with Masamune's attack on [[Fukushima castle|Fukushima Castle]]. Date and Mogami's efforts allowed Tokugawa to move west in confidence, and, of course, the campaign culminated in the total victory at [[Battle of Sekigahara|Sekigahara]] in October 1600. In the aftermath, Date's lands were enlarged to 600,000 koku, and he built a new castle town (Aoba-jo) at Sendai.  

In [[1613]] an interesting chain of events unfolded. Masamune, largely lenient towards the Christians in his lands, interceded on the behalf of a certain Father [[Soteho]] who had been condemned to death for preaching his faith in Japan in defiance of the anti-Christian edicts. Soteho was released and sent to Sendai, where Date asked if he might arrange for a trade mission to Europe, accompanied by a few Date retainers. Soteho agreed, and Ieyasu reluctantly consented to Masamune's requests for authorization, despite fears that the crafty Date was somehow fishing for European aid in a possible overthrow of the Tokugawa. Masamune dispatched [[Hasekura Tsunenaga]] ([[1571]]-[[1622]]) to head the mission, which returned seven years later. The long-time travelers found that Date had been pressured into initiating a persecution in his territory, and Soteho, arriving at Nagasaki, was once again condemned to death, and this time burned. Though Date's embassy had come to naught, he maintained his status as a first rate general, serving in the Osaka Campaigns ([[1614]],[[1615]]). His somewhat unusual and at times controversial manner of doing things was best demonstrated by an incident that occurred during the 1615 siege. Evidently, Masamune became frustrated at the lack of aggression on the part of friendly troops under [[Jinbo Sukemochi]], and ordered his own men to let off a few rifle volleys in their direction to goad them into action. Needless to say, this was not an act well looked upon by his fellow generals.

In [[1613]] an interesting chain of events unfolded. Masamune, largely lenient towards the Christians in his lands, interceded on the behalf of a certain Father [[Soteho]] who had been condemned to death for preaching his faith in Japan in defiance of the anti-Christian edicts. Soteho was released and sent to Sendai, where Date asked if he might arrange for a trade mission to Europe, accompanied by a few Date retainers. Soteho agreed, and Ieyasu reluctantly consented to Masamune's requests for authorization, despite fears that the crafty Date was somehow fishing for European aid in a possible overthrow of the Tokugawa. Masamune dispatched [[Hasekura Tsunenaga]] ([[1571]]-[[1622]]) to head the mission, which returned seven years later. The long-time travelers found that Date had been pressured into initiating a persecution in his territory, and Soteho, arriving at Nagasaki, was once again condemned to death, and this time burned. Though Date's embassy had come to naught, he maintained his status as a first rate general, serving in the Osaka Campaigns ([[1614]],[[1615]]). His somewhat unusual and at times controversial manner of doing things was best demonstrated by an incident that occurred during the 1615 siege. Evidently, Masamune became frustrated at the lack of aggression on the part of friendly troops under [[Jinbo Sukemochi]], and ordered his own men to let off a few rifle volleys in their direction to goad them into action. Needless to say, this was not an act well looked upon by his fellow generals.