Toyotomi

The Toyotomi clan (豐臣氏, Toyotomi-uji or Toyotomi-shi) was a powerful yet short lived clan during the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods. It was founded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It's said that their name is a reference to Prince Shōtoku, but there is no evidence to really support the theory.

Hideyoshi was said to have originated from the Kinoshita clan (木下氏), a relatively minor clan with various opinions on its origin (one being that they were a branch of the Azai family). When Hideyoshi served Oda Nobunaga and became distinguished in war, he changed his family name to Hashiba and started the Hashiba clan (羽柴氏). He did this to gain a noble lineage with the Konoe family, a branch of the Fujiwara clan. It is said that he made the name by combining two characters from two of Nobunaga's reputable retainers, Niwa Nagahide and Shibata Katsuie.

Eventually, he was appointed as the kampaku and his family name was changed to Toyotomi on September 9, 1586. Hideyoshi soon became one of the most powerful men in the land when he was appointed into the Daijō Daijin and proudly called himself, Taikō (太閤), the closest adviser to the emperor. The Toyotomi name fell into ruin and ceased to exist when Hideyori was slain in 1615.

The paulownia seal is still used today to represent the government of Japan. Hideyoshi sported the standard version seen today and his personal variation of it. During the Warring States period, only emperors could grant this crest to another vassal and it was considered a great privilege to be able to use it.

Clan Heads

 * 1) Hideyoshi
 * 2) Hideyori

Other Family Members

 * Kinoshita Yaemon - Hideyoshi's biological father
 * Hidenaga - Hideyoshi's half brother, said to be a highly reliable and affable person
 * Hashiba Hidekatsu (Ishimatsumaru) - Hideyoshi's eldest biological son, died six years into his life
 * Tsurumaru (Tsurumatsu) - Hideyoshi's second biological son, died when he was three years old
 * Hashiba Hidekatsu - Hideyoshi's adopted son, Nobunaga's fourth son
 * Hidetsugu - Hideyoshi's adopted son, Miyoshi Yoshifusa's eldest biological son
 * Hidekatsu - Hideyoshi's adopted son, Miyoshi Yoshifusa's second biological son
 * Hideyasu (Yūki Hideyasu) - Hideyoshi's adopted son, Tokugawa Ieyasu's second son
 * Hashiba Hidetoshi (Kobayakawa Hideaki) - Hideyoshi's adopted son, Kinoshita Iesada's fifth son
 * Kunimatsu - Hideyori's son, died when he was eight years old

Ladies

 * Kōdai-In - Hideyoshi's wife
 * Yodo-dono - Hideyoshi's adopted daughter and famous concubine
 * Hatsu - Hideyoshi's adopted daughter, Kyōgoku Takatsugu's wife
 * Oeyo - Hideyoshi's adopted daughter, Tokugawa Hidetada's wife
 * Minami-dono - Hideyoshi's concubine
 * Minami no Tsubone - Yamana Toyokuni's daughter, Hideyoshi's concubine
 * Matsu no Maru-dono (Kyōgoku Tatsuko) - Kyōgoku Takayoshi's daughter, Hideyoshi's concubine
 * Māhime - Maeda Toshiie and Matsu's third daughter, Hideyoshi's concubine
 * Kaihime - Narita Ujinaga's eldest daughter, Hideyoshi's concubine
 * San no Maru-dono - Oda Nobunaga's sixth daughter, Hideyoshi's concubine
 * Sanjō-dono (Gamō Tora) - Gamō Katahide's daughter, Hideyoshi's concubine
 * Himeji-dono - Oda Nobukane's daughter, Hideyoshi's concubine
 * Hirosawa no Tsubone - Kunimitsu Kyosho's daughter, Hideyoshi's concubine
 * Getsukei-In (Shirako) - Ashikaga Yoritsumi's daughter, Hideyoshi's concubine
 * Otane no Kata - daughter of a ji-samurai, Hideyoshi's concubine
 * Enyū-In - Ukita Hideie's mother, said to have been Hideyoshi's concubine
 * Senhime - Tokugawa Hidetada's daughter, Hideyori's wife
 * Oiwa no Kata - Narita Goheisukenao's daughter, Hideyori's concubine
 * Nāhime - Hideyori and Oiwa no Kata's eldest daughter
 * Okogo no Tsubone - Hideyori's maid and concubine
 * Ryusei-In - Hidetsugu's daughter, Sanada Nobushige's concubine
 * Sadako - Hidekatsu's daughter, Kujō Yukiie's concubine

Seven Spearmen of Shizugatake
The Seven Spearmen of Shizugatake (賤ヶ岳の七本槍, Shizugatake no Shichihonyari) were seven celebrated generals who performed exceptionally well during the Battle of Shizugatake. Although these seven are famous in their own right, it's also said that Sakurai Iekazu, Ishikawa Kazumitu, Ōtani Yoshitsugu and Ishida Mitsunari received high honors for the battle.
 * 1) Katō Kiyomasa
 * 2) Fukushima Masanori
 * 3) Katō Yoshiaki
 * 4) Wakisaka Yasuharu
 * 5) Hirano Nagayasu
 * 6) Kasuya Takenori
 * 7) Katagiri Katsumoto

Hideyoshi himself did not praise these men as the "seven spearmen", so the idea of the rank existing is fictional. However, the concept of naming seven great spearmen is prevalent in fiction and other clans' historical records. The notion of these warriors emerging as notable figures likely came after the fact during the Edo Period.

Seven Generals
The Seven Generals (七将, Nana-sho) were men that Hideyoshi recognized as hard workers who helped propel his rise to power. Two other people who are considered for the same title are Tōdō Takatora and Hachisuka Iemasa.
 * 1) Fukushima Masanori
 * 2) Katō Kiyomasa
 * 3) Ikeda Terumasa
 * 4) Hosokawa Tadaoki
 * 5) Asano Yoshinaga
 * 6) Katō Yoshiaki
 * 7) Kuroda Nagamasa

Seven Hands
The Seven Hands (七手組, Nana-tegumi) were members of an elite force that protected and served Hideyoshi and Hideyori. Although known as "seven", there was actually more men than the title indicates. Each general had 10,000 men at their command and were present during the Siege of Osaka.
 * 1) Hayami Morihisa
 * 2) Ōki Kazushige
 * 3) Itō Nagazane
 * 4) Hatta Moritaka
 * 5) Nagashima Ujitane
 * 6) Mano Sukemune (and his son, Mano Yorikane)
 * 7) Nonomura Yukinari
 * 8) Matsuura Hidetō
 * 9) Kōrimune Yasu (speculated)

Five Elders
The Five Elders (五大老, Go-tairō) were five experienced and wealthy generals that Hideyoshi appointed to guide and advise Hideyori when he became of age. Hideyoshi grouped these men together to balance their differences but this unfortunately did not come to pass.
 * 1) Ukita Hideie
 * 2) Maeda Toshiie
 * 3) Uesugi Kagekatsu
 * 4) Mōri Terumoto
 * 5) Tokugawa Ieyasu

Five Commissioners
The Five Commissioners or the Five Regents (五奉行, go-Bugyō) was an administrative group that Hideyoshi established to take care of government affairs.
 * 1) Asano Nagamasa
 * 2) Maeda Gen'i
 * 3) Mashita Nagamori
 * 4) Natsuka Masaie
 * 5) Ishida Mitsunari

Four Guardian Kings of Hashiba
The Four Guardian Kings of Hashiba (羽柴四天王) were four generals who served Hideyoshi and helped him work for unification. It remains unclear if they were named as such or if the title is fictional.
 * 1) Miyada Mitsuhide
 * 2) Makoda Masaharu
 * 3) Bitō Tomonobu
 * 4) Toda Katsukata

Wakae Eight
The Wakae Eight (若江八人衆) refers to eight generals who once served Hidetsugu. After their lord committed suicide on Hideyoshi's orders, each went their separate ways and fought at Sekigahara.
 * 1) Ōba Tosa - cavalry captain for Hidetsugu at Shizugatake and Komaki-Nagakute. Protected Mitsunari's main camp and lived past the battle. Served Hachisuka Yoshishige afterwards.
 * 2) Ōyama Hōki - cavalry captain for Hidetsugu. Served under Mitsunari at Sekigahara. Could have either died or escaped during the battle.
 * 3) Takano Echu (Hiraoka Gyubu) - first a vassal under Miyoshi Yasunaga but served Hidetsugu after he was adopted as the latter's child. Served as one of Mitsunari's generals and survived the conflict. Changed his name and served Asano Yoshinaga.
 * 4) Tōdō Yoshimasa (Tōdō Genba) - served Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, Hidetsugu, and then Tōdō Takatora. Charged Mitsunari's camp under the Tōdō banner. Killed by Shima Kiyooki's fourth son, Kiyomasa.
 * 5) Maeno Tadayasu (Maino Hyōgonosuke or Mai Hyōgo) - fought in the Korean campaign and returned with high honors. Joined Western army during Sekigahara and fought beside Shima Kiyooki in battle. Endured until Kobayakawa's defection, dying with his heir in battle. A few stories say that he escaped.
 * 6) Makino Shigesato - first served Takigawa Kazumasu then Oda Nobukatsu after his first master's death. Went to Hasegawa Hidekazu after Nobukatsu fell into ruin. Eventually was made a vassal under Mitsunari. Was his master's guard at Sekigahara but he escaped Ikeda Terumasa's capture after his master's defeat. Eventually served the Tokugawa family as a hatamoto.
 * 7) Mori Kuhei - first a vassal under Miyoshi Yasunaga but served Hidetsugu after he was adopted as the latter's child. Known as one of Hidetsugu's elite generals. Ordered to aid Gamō Hideyuki yet became Mitsunari's vassal due to the Gamō's inner house strife. Tried to aid Oda Hidenobu before Sekigahara but was repulsed by Fukushima Masanori. Died fighting in the main battle of Sekigahara.
 * 8) Yasui Kinai - same prior history as Kuhei and Echu except he served Maeda Gen'i, Asano Yoshinaga and Asano Nagaakira after Hidetsugu's death. Continued to be a part of the Asano army at the Siege of Osaka, but his whereabouts after that are unknown.

Other Vassals
This is not a complete list of vassals but it lists a portion of the dominant ones.
 * Sanada Nobushige
 * Naoe Kanetsugu
 * Nabeshima Naoshige
 * Maeda Toshinaga
 * Kinoshita Iesada
 * Kōriki Kiyonaga
 * Date Masamune
 * Ukita Hidetaka
 * Utsunomiya Kunitsuna
 * Ōtomo Yoshimune
 * Niwa Nagashige
 * Ōkubo Tadachika
 * Matsuno Shigemoto
 * Suda Mitsuchika
 * Mori Tadamasa
 * Rokkaku Yoshisato
 * Miyabe Nagafusa
 * Mōri Hideyori
 * Katada Motoyoshi
 * Mizuno Tadashige
 * Ikoma Naokatsu
 * Inaba Michitō
 * Ueda Shigeyasu
 * Gotō Sumiharu
 * Miura Shigenari
 * Saitō Tokugen

Retainer Families

 * Asano
 * Inō
 * Ikoma
 * Ishida
 * Hitosuyanagi
 * Kakiya
 * Katagiri
 * Katō (three different branches)
 * Kamei
 * Kuroda
 * Takenaka
 * Tomida
 * Hachisuka
 * Fukushima
 * Hotta
 * Maeno
 * Wakisaka