Shimazu Toshihisa

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Shimazu Toshihisa (1537-1592) was a senior retainer to the clan of Shimazu throughout the latter Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan. As Toshihisa was respectively the third son to Shimazu Takahisa, he was relatively obligated to support his father in military service at a young age, where he would moderately distinguish himself from his fellow brothers. By the year of 1566, the competent Yoshihisa had succeeded to headship over the Shimazu according to the delegation of his father, Takahisa, causing Toshihisa to support this new head throughout many variable campaigns up until the year of 1580, earning himself a reputation as a reliable warrior. Initially at this year, Yoshihisa generously awarded Toshihisa with the Keto-in District of Satsuma Province; and as this thus verified that Toshihisa now possessed his own designated fief, he adopted Shimazu Tadachika--the secondary son of Shimazu Yoshitora--as his heir, and in return gave Yoshitora his respective daughter in marriage. As many years consecutively passed following this initial period in time, the Shimazu had made a mutual alliance with the powerful Toyotomi Hideyoshi; and by the year of 1592--the year at which Hideyoshi began his invasion of Korea--Toshihisa would be one of the required arms that were tasked to support the former in this aspiration.

However, as Toshihisa felt as if he would be too sick and generally unable to employ such an assignment, he declined the order with the justification of being sick, while his respective retainers went in his stead. But as Hideyoshi saw this as a subjective attempt to potentially rebel against the Shimazu while the majority of his followers used the guise of employing good intention by going in Toshihisa's place, he tasked Yoshihisa to punish his brother in any means that would finalize that Toshihisa will be prevented from an attempt of defiance against the Toyotomi. However, as Toshihisa had received word of this movement before Yoshihisa initially arrived before his domain, he wrote a death note that stated as he has been falsely proclaimed as harboring hurt to Hideyoshi, his own life shall be taken in an ultimate prospect that the Shimazu house will be free from any form of suspicion and blame, following this by committing ritual suicide, and thus dieing a humiliating death. As this excusal provided to Hideyoshi that Toshihisa was indeed a man that was more than likely honest in intention, the former's heir and retainers were likewise allowed to continue in their mutual service beneath the Toyotomi flag.