Turning Point - Sekigahara: Toyotomi's Global Expansion and its Consequences

Phase 06 - Political Turmoil

The Toyotomi government was a somewhat unique unified government in Japanese history, which began after the feudal system centered around samurai emerged.

Despite the ruling class being composed of samurai, the rulers were proxies of the Emperor, known as the Kampaku (or Daijō-daijin (Chancellor of the Realm)), and not the Shogun, who was traditionally seen as the leader and ruler of the warrior class. This fact was not affected by the ceremonial rank of the Kampaku being higher than that of the Shogun.

Furthermore, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, who effectively rose from being a commoner to becoming the ruler of Japan, passed away just about 10 years after unifying Japan. Consequently, he couldn't consolidate his power, made many wasteful moves, and his efforts were often lacking. Additionally, in his later years, his abilities declined significantly due to old age.

Moreover, Hideyoshi passed away without a strong successor, and there was a lack of a competent figure who could be considered the second-in-command. This inevitably caused chaos. At the same time, Ieyasu Tokugawa, who was the second-in-command at the time, was highly capable and ambitious, leading to the rapid escalation of the chaos, culminating in the Battle of Sekigahara.

However, Ieyasu, being relatively old for the time, had a tendency to rush into seizing power, which led to his overthrow by a coalition of powerful daimyōs loyal to the Toyotomi government. Many historians in later years have suggested that if he had spent a few more years preparing, he could have been in a more advantageous position.

As a result of the short-lived turmoil, the majority of daimyōs who were actively opposed to the Toyotomi government's central authority disappeared. This was believed to restore stability to the Toyotomi government.

In fact, a new system was established, strengthening the government as a coalition of major daimyōs with the Toyotomi clan at its core. Simultaneously, administrative control by bureaucratic samurai known as the "Bunji faction" was reinforced.

In essence, a pattern emerged where the powerful decided policy, while the capable executed it.

However, the Toyotomi clan and its associates acted as if they were absolute rulers and operators of the central government, causing turmoil within the regime and accumulating resentment and contempt from powerholders across Japan. Nevertheless, open resistance did not occur immediately.

After the death of Ieyasu Tokugawa, there were no daimyōs with the strength to openly oppose the Toyotomi government. At best, they sought to expand their influence within the government. Furthermore, there were virtually no individuals with the determination to return to the Sengoku period. Even if such individuals existed, the public was already seeking stability, so those who would avoid causing chaos and losing support were the only ones in power. Masamune Date, who was known as the last "Warring States Daimyō," is often considered an exception, but he was restrained by the distant location of his domain and the fact that he was held in check by Uesugi, who was known for their unwavering loyalty.

Thus, while small power struggles persisted and the gap between the Toyotomi clan and other daimyōs gradually deepened, the Toyotomi government managed to continue its governance reasonably well. This was largely due to the efforts of the councilors and their followers, particularly the bureaucratic samurai of the Bunji faction. Additionally, Japan at that time was experiencing economic prosperity and population growth, which acted as factors that did not bring about political instability. The era was still firmly in the midst of the Azuchi-Momoyama period, characterized by its splendor and extravagance.

Subsequently, despite various challenges, the Toyotomi government continued to be managed mainly by powerful daimyōs.

One significant change during this period began with the replacement of the Kampaku.