The Deification of the Toyotomi Regime and Its Pursuit of Honor : With Focus on Hideyoshi as an “Individual”

Abstract

Hideyoshi, nearing his death in 1598, left a will that asked to deify himself as a god (a new Hachiman). However, the wishes Hideyoshi made as an “individual” faded, and the Toyotomi administration, as an “institution,” worshiped him as a new god (Toyokuni Daimyojin). This paper distinguished and analyzed the difference between the Hideyoshi, who became Toyokuni Daimyojin after his death from the Hideyoshi in life who wanted to become a new Hachiman. Why did Hideyoshi try to become a god? Many have pointed out that Hideyoshi wanted to become a god of war to protect the Toyotomi clan and his young son. However, this paper presented a view that differs from that of Okada Shoji, who emphasized the influence of Yoshida Shinto in the deification of Hideyoshi. That is, this study posited that while the Yoshida Shinto’s influence was considerable in enshrining Hideyoshi as a Toyokuni Daimyojin, it had little to do with Hideyoshi’s living wish to become a new Hachiman. The deification of Hideyoshi has been commonly understood in the context of increasing the power of the samurai class, which prioritized “military power.” While agreeing with such views, this paper examined this issue through the notion of “honor,” which has not yet been explored in previous studies. This study thus showed how unlike the concept of honor in the Middle Ages, which was related to warfare, Hideyoshi’s honor was linked to his deification, of “passing on his name to posterity and being worshipped like a Deus (God).”