Ouchi Yoshitaka

September 30 is the anniversary of the death of Ouchi Yoshitaka.

This is a "Nishiki-e", or multi-colored woodblock print, entitled "Ouchi Yoshitaka" by the artist Utagawa Yoshitora. It is one of the artworks from the print series "Musha Kagami" ("Mirror of Warriors", from the National Diet Library archives).

Ouchi Yoshitaka (1507-1551) was a "Daimyo" (feudal lord) who ruled the Chugoku and Kyushu regions centered around the Nagato and Suo provinces. He fought for power against the Amago and Mori clans in the Chugoku region and the Shoni and Otomo clans in the northern Kyushu region. However, Yoshitaka lost his political ambitions when his heir died in battle, and he began to devote his energy to the arts and culture. Later, the Sue and Naito clans revolted against Yoshitaka, which led to the destruction of the Ouchi clan