The council of five regents, also known as the five Tairō (五大老 go-tairō), was formed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to rule Japan in the place of his son, Hideyori, until such time as he came of age. Hideyoshi chose his five most powerful daimyo: Ukita Hideie, Maeda Toshiie, Uesugi Kagekatsu, Mori Terumoto, and the famous Tokugawa Ieyasu. (Kobayakawa Takakage was also to have been a regent, but died before Hideyoshi himself.) Hideyoshi in old age. ... Grave of Toyotomi Clan at Mount Koya Toyotomi Hideyori (豊臣 秀頼 Toyotomi Hideyori), 1593-1615, was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. ... Daimyo Matsudaira Katamori visits the residence of a retainer. ... Ukita Hideie (宇喜多秀家, 1573-1655) was the daimyo of Bizen and Mimasaka provinces (modern Okayama Prefecture), and one of the council of five regents appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. ... Grave of Maeda clan at Mount Koya Maeda Toshiie (前田 利家 Maeda Toshiie; January 15, 1539 - April 27, 1599) was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga. ... Uesugi Kagekatsu (上杉景勝, January 8, 1556-March 19, 1623) was a daimyo during the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods of Japanese history. ... Mōri Terumoto (毛利 輝元) (January 22, 1553 – April 27, 1625) was the son of Mori Takamoto, fought against Toyotomi Hideyoshi but was eventually overcome, participated in the Kyushu campaign (1587) on Hideyoshis side and built Hiroshima Castle. ... Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (previously spelled Iyeyasu); 徳川 家康 (January 31, 1543 – June 1, 1616) was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. ... Kobayakawa Takakage ) (1532-1597) Kobayakawa Takakage, the third son of Mori Motonari. ...

It was Hideyoshi's hope that the members of the council would balance each other, preventing any one of them from taking control. This was not to be, however: almost immediately after Hideyoshi's death in 1598, the regents swiftly divided themselves into two camps, consisting of 'Tokugawa' and 'everybody else'. War did not actually break out until mid-1600; it ended the same year, at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending in an uneasy peace that left Hideyori alive and in control of Osaka Castle. Events January 7 - Boris Godunov seizes the throne of Russia following the death of his brother-in-law, Tsar Feodor I. April 13 - Edict of Nantes - Henry IV of France grants French Huguenots equal rights with Catholics. ... 1597 1598 1599 - 1600 - 1601 1602 1603 |- | align=center colspan=2 | Decades: 1570s 1580s 1590s - 1600s - 1610s 1620s 1630s |- | align=center | Centuries: 15th century - 16th century - 17th century |} // Events January January 1 - Scotland adopts January 1st as being New Years Day February February 17 - Giordano Bruno burned at the... Combatants forces loyal to Toyotomi Hideyori forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu Commanders Ishida Mitsunari, others Tokugawa Ieyasu, others Strength 82,000 74,000 Casualties The Battle of Sekigahara or popularly known as the Realm Divide was a decisive battle on September 15, 1600 (on the ancient Chinese calendar, October 21 on... Osaka Castle Osaka Castle (大坂城・大阪城; Ōsaka-jō) is a castle in Chuo-ku, Osaka, Japan. ...