Yoshitaka Ōuchi

Yoshitaka Ōuchi is a daimyo of Suō Province and the 30th clan head of the Ōuchi. His excessive patronage of the arts caused the Sue clan to betray him.

The Nobunaga no Yabou 201X poll for 4-star officers puts him in two hundred-fifteenth place.

Role in Games
While not a generic officer, Yoshitaka appears in Samurai Warriors 4 during the Mōri's scenario, having been deposed and killed off by Harukata Sue.

The Nobunaga's Ambition series has him appear in scenarios prior to Nobunaga's ascension. His lack of courage makes him a poor choice for military endeavors.

In Chikai no Sanshi, he was the enemy in chapter 4. He and his vassal, Sugi Shigenori and Sue Okifusa has raised an army to attack Takeda Mitsukazu at Satō-Kanayama Castle but his army was attacked by Motonari's army. Causing him to suffer a defeated. Later he made peace with the Mōri clan and he ask to adopt Shōnotarō, which has been authorized by Motonari. Then he sent soldiers to fight against Amago clan but suffered a huge defeat at Gassantoda. Made him decide to patronize the arts but then he was betrayed by Sue at Tainei-ji. While Sue's soldiers were invading the temple, his vassal, Reizei Takatoyo has report the situation. Yoshitaka saw that he could not escape death, therefore persuaded Reizei to commit suicide together.

Historical Information
As the eldest son of Ōuchi Yoshioki, Kidōmaru joined his father's battles against the Amago clan in 1522. He eventually inherited the position of clan leader six years later. Hoping to consolidate the Ōuchi's influence through sheer force, he conquered the northern regions of Kyūshū and resumed conflict with the Amago, eventually taking Aki Province from them in 1541.

But during their attempted invasion of Izumo Province, the Ōuchi clan suffered numerous casualties which included Ōuchi Harumochi, Yoshitaka's adopted son. Soon enough, the daimyo lost all hope of conquering the land when his attack on Toda Castle ended in a decisive victory for Amago Haruhisa, causing him to focus more on the arts instead. His newfound direction split the clan into two rival factions; the one led by Sagara Taketō was content to keep their current territories intact whereas the other led by Sue Takafusa petitioned for the clan's expansion.

Due to Yoshitaka's policies, his home city of Yamaguchi greatly benefited from the rise in overseas trade and cultural activities. Not only did this attract the likes of foreign missionaries like Francis Xavier, it also allowed Yoshitaka to get close to Emperor Go-Nara in Kyoto. He was later appointed as acting governor of Yamashiro and took great pains to move much of the imperial court to Yamaguchi. This act was welcomed by the courtiers due to his funding of their various rituals.

Despite the Ōuchi's growing prosperity, Sue Takafusa's faction was dissatisfied with what they saw as indulgence on their lord's part. Not only were they denied the opportunity to prove themselves in battle, the arrival of the court members threatened their political standing within the clan itself. Thus, the group launched a revolt that lasted for several days, resulting in the deaths of many officials. Yoshitaka was forced to flee to Tainei-ji Temple in Nagato where he committed suicide alongside his six year old son Yoshihiro.

Gallery
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