History UsefulNotes / KonishiYukinaga

Apparently still hoping to negotiate peace, Yukinaga sent a spy to the Joseon court, informing them of the time and place for Kiyomasa's next landing and advising them to act against his hated rival. However, Admiral Yi Sun-Sin suspected a trap, and his refusal to act on this information led to the latter's arrest and demotion. Whether or not the information Konishi fed to the Koreans was truthful is a subject to debate[[note]]On one hand, he and Mitsunari had tried to reach out to Joseon for peace negotiations earlier--an offer which the Koreans had ignored--and may have leaked the information as a proof of his sincerity. Besides, he and Kato ''did'' really, ''really'' hate each other. On the other hand, the Japanese had orders to get rid of Admiral Yi so they could take control of the seas. The Japanese disputed that this conspiracy even happened at all.[[/note]]. In any case, the war began anew, and Yukinaga stationed himself at Suncheon.

Apparently still hoping to negotiate peace, Yukinaga sent a spy to the Joseon court, informing them of the time and place for Kiyomasa's next landing and advising them to act against his hated rival. However, Admiral Yi Sun-Sin suspected a trap, and his refusal to act on this information led to the latter's arrest and demotion. Whether or not the information Konishi fed to the Koreans was truthful is a subject to debate[[note]]On one hand, he and Mitsunari had tried to reach out to Joseon for peace negotiations earlier--an offer which the Koreans had ignored--and may have leaked the information as a proof of his sincerity. Besides, he and Kato ''did'' really, ''really'' hate each other. On the other hand, the Japanese had orders to get rid of Admiral Yi so they could take control of the seas, and Konishi apparently faced no consequence for selling out his fellow commander[[/note]]. In any case, the war began anew, and Yukinaga stationed himself at Suncheon.

Yukinaga, whose birth name is Yakuro, was born to a merchant family in Sakai, but was eventually elevated as a Samurai vassal to Ukita Naoie. It is unclear when and how this exactly happened, although some sources claimed that the young man impressed Naoie with his combat skills when he repelled some assassins that were after latter's life while the two were conducting a trade.

When UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga sent Hideyoshi to campaign against the Mori clan--then an ally to the Ukita clan--Naoie decided to defect to the Oda, and sent Yukinaga as an envoy to negotiate Ukita's surrender. It is said that Hideyoshi was won over by Yukinaga's gift for gab that he recruited the former merchant into his services after Naoie's death.

Thanks to his mercantile background, Yukinaga had a fair bit of naval expertise--a skill that many of the Oda and Toyotomi vassals lack--and this allowed him to rise quickly through the ranks, eventually becoming Hideyoshi's Commander at Sea. For his military achievements and his role in the suppression of an uprising of Kyushu, he was awarded the Southern half of Higo province--with the Northern part being given to Kato Kiyomasa. The two men infamously do ''not'' get along[[note]]aside from numerous territorial disputes, Kato purportedly detested Yukinaga for his merchant roots, while Yukinaga opposed Kato for the latter's brutal persecution of Christians in his territory, many of whom fled to Yukinaga's domain.[[/note]], and the bad blood between them is one of the factors that led Kato into fighting for the Eastern Army during The Battle of Sekigahara despite otherwise being a Toyotomi supporter.

* HistoricalDowngrade: In ''Saihai no Yukue'', he is shown to be a coward who can barely keep his composure under the pressure of battlefield and flees at the first sight of trouble. Korea's "Veritable Records of King Seonjo" actually describe him as a dignified man who is not to be trifled with, and was viewed as a considerable threat by the Korean--Ming allied forces.

Thanks to his mercantile background, Yukinaga had a fair bit of naval expertise--a skill that many of the Oda and Toyotomi vassals lack--and this allowed him to rise quickly through the ranks, eventually becoming Hideyoshi's Commander at Sea. For his military achievements and his role in the suppression of an uprising of Kyushu, he was awarded the Southern half of Higo province--with the Northern part being given to Kato Kiyomasa. The two men infamously do ''not'' get along[[note]]aside from numerous territorial disputes, Kato purportedly detested Yukinaga for his merchant roots, while Yukinaga opposed Kato for the latter's brutal persecution of Christians in his territory, many of whom fled to Yukinaga's domain.[[/note]], and the bad blood between the two is one of the factors that led Kato into fighting for the Eastern Army during The Battle of Sekigahara despite otherwise being a Toyotomi supporter.

Apparently still hoping to negotiate peace, Yukinaga sent a spy to the Joseon court, informing them of the time and place for Kato Kiyomasa's next landing and advising them to act against his hated rival. However, Admiral Yi Sun-Sin suspected a trap, and his refusal to act on this information led to the latter's arrest and demotion. Whether or not the information Konishi fed to the Koreans was truthful is a subject to debate[[note]]On one hand, he and Mitsunari had tried to reach out to Joseon for peace negotiations earlier--an offer which the Koreans had ignored--and may have leaked the information as a proof of his sincerity. Besides, he and Kato ''did'' really, ''really'' hate each other. On the other hand, the Japanese had orders to get rid of Admiral Yi so they could take control of the seas, and Konishi apparently faced no consequence for selling out his fellow commander[[/note]]. In any case, the war began anew, and Yukinaga stationed himself at Suncheon.

When Hideyoshi died in 1598, all the Japanese troops in Korea were subsequently ordered to withdraw. While the Chinese initially wanted to let the Japanese leave safely after being bribed by Konishi, the Koreans refused, and Admiral Yi blockaded Yukinaga at Suncheon to prevent him from leaving. Reinforcements sent by his allies to break the blockade triggered the Battle of Noryang, during which Yukinaga managed to escape to Sacheon, rendezvous with the other commanders, and return to Japan.

Back home, he supported UsefulNotes/IshidaMitsunari against UsefulNotes/TokugawaIeyasu's uprising, but was promptly defeated at Sekigahara. Konishi fled to Mt. Ibuki, but knowing that he can't escape, requested a local farmer to arrest him and sell him to the Eastern Army for a reward. The farmer advised him to commit {{seppuku}} instead, although Yukinaga refused on the grounds of his faith. He was eventually captured and executed alongside Mitsunari and several other Western generals, although his body was later reclaimed by the Jesuits to be given proper rites and burial.

Apparently still hoping to negotiate peace, Yukinaga sent a spy to the Joseon court, informing them of the time and place for Kato Kiyomasa's next landing and advising them to act against his hated rival. However, Admiral Yi Sun-Sin suspected a trap, and his refusal to act on this information led to the latter's arrest and demotion. Whether or not the information Konishi fed to the Koreans was truthful is a subject to debate[[note]]On one hand, he and Mitsunari had tried to reach out to Joseon for peace negotiations earlier--an offer which the Koreans had ignored--and may have leaked the information as a proof of his sincerity. Besides, he and Kato ''did'' really, ''really'' hate each other. On the other hand, the Japanese had orders to get rid of Admiral Yi so they could take control of the seas, and Konishi apparently faced no consequence for selling out his fellow commander[[/note]]. The war began anew, and Yukinaga stationed himself at Suncheon.

Hideyoshi died in 1598, and all the Japanese troops in Korea were subsequently ordered to withdraw. While the Chinese initially wanted to let the Japanese leave safely after being bribed by Konishi, the Koreans refused, and Admiral Yi blockaded Yukinaga at Suncheon to prevent him from leaving. Reinforcements sent by his allies to break the blockade triggered the Battle of Noryang, during which Yukinaga managed to escape to Sacheon, rendezvous with the other commanders, and return to Japan.

While Konishi ruled over Higo, Christianity flourished in his realm. One of his retainers, and one of the many who converted to Catholicism during his tenure, was Matsuda Jinpei, the father of UsefulNotes/AmakusaShiro[[note]]Amakusa was a part of the South Higo province, which Yukinaga ruled[[/note]], who would later lead the Shimabara Rebellion.

* A facsimile of him named Kiyama is a minor supporting character in James Clavell's 1975 ''[[Literature/AsianSaga Shōgun]]'', portrayed as a Christian InNameOnly due to prioritizing trade with the Portuguese. The 2024 adaptation of the novel, ''Series/Shogun2024'', seems him fully named "Kiyama Ukon Sadanaga", a name composited with UsefulNotes/DomJustoTakayamaUkon but is broadly the same negative caricature.

Apparently still hoping to negotiate peace, Yukinaga sent a spy to the Joseon court, informing them of the time and place for Kato Kiyomasa's next landing and advising them to act against his hated rival. However, Admiral Yi Sun-Sin suspected a trap, and his refusal to act on this information led to the latter's arrest and demotion. Whether or not the information Konishi fed to the Koreans was truthful is a subject to debate[[note]]On one hand, he and Mitsunari had tried to reach out to Joseon for peace negotiations earlier--an offer which the Koreans had ignored--and may have leaked the information as a proof of his sincerity. Besides, he and Kato ''did'' really, ''really'' hate each other. On the other hand, the Japanese had orders to get rid of Admiral Yi so they could take control of the seas, and Konishi apparently faced no consequence for selling out his fellow commander.[[/note]] The war began anew, and Yukinaga stationed himself at Suncheon.

Back home, he supported UsefulNotes/IshidaMitsunari against UsefulNotes/TokugawaIeyasu's uprising, but was promptly defeated at Sekigahara. Konishi fled to Mt. Ibuki, but knowing that he can't escape, requested a local farmer to arrest him and sell him to the Eastern Army for a reward. The farmer advised him to commit {{seppuku}} instead, although Yukinaga refused on the grounds of his faith. He was eventually captured and executed alongside Mitsunari and several other Western generals, although his body later reclaimed by the Jesuits to be given proper rites and burial.

Fictional depictions of him in Japanese media tend to highlight his merchant background first and foremost, and he is frequently portrayed as a greedy opportunist[[note]]A sentiment which is likely exacerbated by the enmity between the Samurai and merchant classes during the Edo era[[/note]]. Meanwhile, Creator/ShusakuEndo depicted him as a weak Christian because he was unable to wholeheartedly dedicate his life to his faith, and continued to serve as a warlord rather than renounce everything for God like UsefulNotes/DomJustoTakayamaUkon. This stands in contrast to the Jesuits' account, who paint him as an almost saintly figure in their records. Oddly enough, the Chinese and even Korean historical records also seem to be quite positive in their assessments of his character, especially when comparing him with the likes of Kato Kiyomasa, making him a rare figure who is viewed more positively by his enemies than in his home country.