Toyotomi Regime: One of the Five Great Elders, daimyo of the Chūgoku region
Mōri Terumoto
毛利輝元
Mōri Terumoto succeeded to the headship in 1563 under the guardianship of his grandfather Mōri Motonari following his father Takamoto's sudden death, and after Motonari's death in 1571, he governed the vast domain of the Chūgoku region with the support of his uncles Kikkawa Motoharu and Takakage (the "Mōri Ryōsen System"). Following the settlement regarding Takamatsu Castle in Bitchū in 1582, he submitted to Toyotomi Hideyoshi and began constructing Hiroshima Castle at the mouth of the Ōta River from 1589, relocating his domain's center from Kōriyama Castle to command nine provinces of Chūgoku with a total of 1.12 million koku. In 1592, he welcomed Hideyoshi at Hiroshima Castle as he departed for the Korean campaign at Nagoya in Hizen, and was thus incorporated into the Toyotomi regime's nationwide mobilization. After Hideyoshi's death, he became one of the Five Great Elders supporting the young Hideyori, but faced the challenge of maintaining both military obligations and regional control while managing his vast network of branch families, regional powers, and maritime commerce.
Sources 広島市「史跡広島城跡保存活用計画」／広島県「戦国大名とひろしま～毛利元就～」／安芸高田市「広報あきたかた」令和3年12月号／岡山市「宇喜多氏と高松城水攻め」
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Related events
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1563
Mōri Takamatsu's Sudden Death and Terutoto's Succession
Principal partyMōri Takamatsu died suddenly during an expedition to Izumo, and his grandson Terutoto succeeded to the headship. Motonari became Terutoto's guardian.
1570
Spring
Defense of San’in by the Mōri
Defended Gassan-Toda CastleMōri Terumoto fortifies Gassan-Toda Castle to block Amago remnants and Oda advances.
Summer
Katsuhisa Amago's counter-offensive
Mori side facing the Amago in IzumoThe Amago restoration army, led by the returned-to-lay-life Amago Katsuhisa with Yamanaka Yukimori, briefly seized much of Izumo, but was heavily defeated at Mt. Fube by the returning main Mori force under Mori Terumoto, Kikkawa Motoharu and Kobayakawa Takakage, and its strength was greatly reduced.
1571
6/14
Mōri Motonari Dies at Age 75
Related figureMōri Motonari died of illness at Koriyama Castle at age 75. After that, his grandson Terutoto inherited the Mōri clan with the support of his two uncles Kikkawa Motoharu and Kobayakawa Takataka.
Autumn
Mōri defense of the western provinces
Defended the Chugoku regionMōri Terumoto maintained defensive lines in the Chūgoku region, preparing against Amago remnants and Oda westward advance while carefully assessing turmoil in Kinai.
1573
Summer
Stabilization of the West by the Mōri Clan
Related figureMōri Terumoto remained wary of Oda expansion westward while maintaining defensive lines in the Chūgoku region. Although there was still room for coordination with Yoshiaki, the rapid change in Kinai politics led the Mōri to adopt a more cautious stance.
1581
Month 10
Fall of Tottori Castle
Clan head who sustained the Mori relief effortThrough starvation tactics, Hideyoshi captures Tottori Castle, securing all of Inaba and depriving Mōri of a San’in base.
1600
10/21
Battle of Sekigahara
Commander-in-chief of the Western armyThe decisive battle in Mino: Tokugawa Ieyasu’s Eastern Army defeats the Western Army.
1608
Hagi Castle Is Completed
Builder of the castle; lord of Choshu domainHagi Castle, built by Mōri Terumoto as his new base after the Battle of Sekigahara, was completed as the political center of the Chōshū domain.
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