Chōsokabe Motochika

Chōsokabe Motochika

Chōsokabe Motochika (長宗我部 元親, 1539 – July 11, 1599^[1]) was a Sengoku period daimyo in Japan.

Early life

He was the 21st chief of the Chōsokabe clan of Tosa Province (present-day Kōchi Prefecture). He was the son and heir of Chōsokabe Kunichika and his mother was a daughter of the Saitō clan of Mino Province.

In the 1562 Battle of Asakura Chosakabe Motochika defeated Motoyama Shigetoki and gained control of Shikoku Island. He then went on to take Aki Castle in the 1569 Siege of Aki.^[2]

Battle of Watarigawa and Conflict with Hideyoshi

In 1575, Motochika was victorious at the Battle of Watarigawa, gaining control of Tosa Province. Over the ensuing decade, he extended his power to all of Shikoku. However, in 1585, Hashiba (later Toyotomi) Hideyoshi invaded that island with a force of 100,000 men, led by Ukita Hideie, Kobayakawa Takakage, Kikkawa Motonaga, Hashiba Hidenaga, and Hashiba Hidetsugu. Motochika surrendered, and forfeited Awa, Sanuki, and Iyo Provinces; Hideyoshi permitted him to retain Tosa.

• 
  Chosokabe Morichika hata-jirushi (right)
• 
  Chosokabe Morichika hata-jirushi and uma-jirushi

Service under Hideyoshi

Under Hideyoshi, Motochika and his son Nobuchika participated in the invasion of neighboring Kyūshū, in which Nobuchika died. In 1590, Motochika led a fleet in the Siege of Odawara, and also fought in the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592.

Death

Motochika died in 1599 at age 61 at his mansion in Fushimi. His successor was Chōsokabe Morichika.

Family

• Grandfather: Chōsokabe Kanetsugu (died 1508)
• Father: Chōsokabe Kunichika (1504–1560)
• Mother: Daughter of the Saitō clan
• Wife: Lady Motochika (died 1583)
  • Concubine: Koshōshō, or Lady Ōgata
• Sons:
  • Chōsokabe Nobuchika (1565–1587)
  • Kazawa Chikakaze (1567-1587)
  • Tsuno Chikatada (1572–1600)
  • Chōsokabe Morichika (1575–1615)
  • Chōsokabe Ukondaifu (1583-1615)
  • Chōsokabe Yasutoyo (born 1599)
• Daughters:
  • Unknown daughter (wife of Ichijō Tadamasa)
  • Akohime (wife of Satake Chikanao)
  • Unknown daughter (wife of Kira Chikazane)
  • Unknown daughter (wife of Yoshimatsu Jūzaemon)

In popular culture

He is a playable character in Pokémon Conquest (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner Pokémon being Dewott and Samurott.^[3]

Motochika is a playable character from Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends onwards, where he wields a shamisen, he continuously calls himself as "The Bat King", due to Nobunaga historically referring to him as a "the bat who refuses to fly away from its home".^[4]

Motochika is also a playable character in the Sony Playstation game, Sengoku Basara where he wields an anchor and appears as a pirate. He is also appears in the anime adaptation of the game Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings.

References

1. 亀岡龍太 (December 11, 2010). "http://mytown.asahi.com/areanews/kochi/OSK201012100141.html" [Chōsokabe clan documents on display at Tosa Yamauchi Family Treasury and Archives beginning on the 11th] (in Japanese). Asahi.com My Town. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2011. External link in |title= (help)
2. Turnbull, Stephen (1998). The Samurai Sourcebook. Cassell & Co. p. 216,218. ISBN 1854095234.
3. "Motochika + Dewott - Pokemon Conquest characters". Pokemon. Retrieved 2012-06-17.
4. "Characters in SW2 xtreme legend".

• 新井政義（編集者）『日本史事典』。東京：旺文社 1987 (p. 263)