Hosokawa Masamoto

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Hosokawa Masamoto (1466-1507) a notable Deputy-Shogun of the Hosokawa clan of Japan, and son of Hosokawa Katsumoto. Masamoto was appointed to this very high rank during the year of 1486. However, for a brief period this title was lost by Hatakeyama Masanaga but was regained in time. When Ashikaga Yoshihisa died childless during the year of 1489, Masamoto supported the nomination of Ashikaga Yoshizumi as successor. Masamoto thought that the post of Deputy-Shogun would return to Hosokawa Masanaga due to Yoshitane's closeness with Hatakeyama Masanaga and his own objections to Yoshitane's rise. During Masanaga's struggle with a rival branch of the Hatakeyama clan, Yoshitane led troops to the assistance of Masanaga. Masamoto then assisted his force to the Hatakeyama, ultimately defeating that of Masanaga and Yoshitane. Masanaga killed himself during the battle and Yoshitane became a prisoner at Kyoto.

Masamoto then placed Yoshitane into exile and successfully made Ashikaga Yoshizumi the successor. However, Yoshizumi would be played as one of Masamoto's puppets. The same year Masamoto led a campaign against his opponents of Yamashiro Province. Masamoto who was childless (many who thought was a homosexual) then adopted Sumiyuki and Sumimoto as his sons. The retainers of Hosokawa then disputed for very long to who the successor of the Hosokawa would be. Following the year of 1504, Masamoto eliminated Yakushiji Motoichi who was a followe of Sumimoto (hence who he did not want as the successor). Following the year of 1506, Masamoto was threatened by an army led by Miyoshi Yukinaga who was another supporter of Sumimoto. Due to Masamoto then choosing someone else as the successor, Kosai Motonaga, along with Sumiyuki both broke into the house of Masamoto during the year of 1507 and killed him while he was taking a bath.