Chōsokabe forcesChōsokabe
Chōsokabe Motochika
長宗我部元親
“The Prodigy of Tosa”
1539–1599 (aged 61)
- Rank / office
- Junior Assistant Minister of the Imperial Household
- Domain / base
- Tosa (Okō Castle)
- Banner / crest
- Seven wood-sorrel leaves
- Battles in 3D
- 3 battles
Portrait · Source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
As a pale, quiet boy he was mocked as "the little princess," but in his first battle at 22 he wielded his spear so fiercely that he became feared as "the little demon." Leading the half-farmer, half-soldier "one-armour" troops he unified Tosa, then attacked into Awa, Sanuki and Iyo and became master of Shikoku. But in Tenshō 13 he could not resist the invasion of Shikoku by Hideyoshi, master of the realm, and surrendered; confirmed in Tosa alone, he became a vassal. In his last years he lost his heir Nobuchika at the battle of Hetsugigawa in Kyushu, and died leaving his house troubled over the succession.
Life and battlesGold dots mark battles you can watch in 3D
- 1560Eiroku 3
First Battle at Nagahama
Fought his first battle at 22 and became feared as "the little demon."
- 1575Tenshō 3
Unification of Tosa
Drove out the Ichijō, pacified the whole of Tosa and set out to conquer Shikoku.
- 1585Tenshō 13
Invasion of Shikoku; Surrender
Lost Ichinomiya and other castles to Hideyoshi's great army, surrendered and was confirmed in Tosa alone.
Invasion of Shikoku Commander-in-chief 8,000 troops Watch in 3D › The "prodigy of Tosa," who had all but unified Shikoku in a single generation. He watched the campaign from Hakuchi Castle, saw that he was hopelessly outnumbered and chose to surrender. - 1586Tenshō 14
The Tragedy of Hetsugigawa
Lost his heir Nobuchika at the Hetsugi River in Kyushu, a deep and lasting grief.
Battle of Hetsugigawa 2,000 troops Watch in 3D › Lord of Tosa, who had submitted to Hideyoshi in the invasion of Shikoku the year before. He opposed the crossing and urged waiting for reinforcements, but was ignored; he lost his heir Nobuchika in the melee and escaped to Iyo. - 1590
Siege of Odawara
Lord of Tosa. Having lost his heir Nobuchika at the Battle of Hetsugigawa, in this campaign he led the Tosa fleet and helped close Odawara off from the sea.
Odawara, Sagami Province 2,500 troops Watch in 3D › - 1599Keichō 4
Death at Fushimi
Died at his residence in Fushimi, as if having watched the course of the realm to its end.
