Toki Yorinari

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Toki Yorinari (土岐頼芸, Toki Yorinari^? 1502–December 28, 1582) was a son of Toki Masafusa and final ruling head of the Toki clan during the latter years of the Sengoku period of feudal Japan.

1 Period of Rule
2 Loss of Power
3 References
4 See also

[edit] Period of Rule

Attaining leaders after his elder brother, Yorizumi (土岐頼純), died in 1547, Yorinari consolidated his power as shugo within Mino Province. However, he was incompetent in controlling the already eroding power of the Toki clan, and thus promoted a man by the name of Saitō Dōsan—who at the time being only a mere merchant with great repute—as one of his head retainers.

Dōsan, who knew that Yorinari's power could be potentially sullied and grasped within his own hands if he plays his hand right, ambitiously began to contribute to the general instability already present within the province, while protecting himself with the reputation he already possessed among the populace. Yorinari, knowing of Dōsan's inner treachery, sent him both his concubine and that of his biological son—who at the time was to be born eight months into the future—Saitō Yoshitatsu, as an entirely secret matter that he hoped would appease the former in 1526.

The incidents following this event are blurry, and Saitō Dōsan had obtained the position of magistrate by the year 1548, and used this greater level of power and influence to finally overthrow Yorinari and declare himself as the daimyo of Mino.

[edit] Loss of Power

Yorinari, being enraged at his overthrownment, immediately allied the remaining power he still possessed to Oda Nobuhide, Saitō Dōsan's long rival, and encouraged Nobuhide to assault the Mino province by the year 1547. As the two forces collided at the Battle of Kanoguchi, Nobuhide suffered defeat, forcing Yorinari to retire in humiliation, merely wandering from one province to the other.

By the time of Oda Nobunaga's passing by the hands of Akechi Mitsuhide during 1582, many retainers originally under Yorinari visited him at his place of residence, to which they encouraged him to reattain himself as Head of Mino at such a time of seizable circumstances. Unfortunately, however, Yorinari was already very old at this point in time, and died of an unknown illness shortly following such a proposal.