Chōsokabe Motochika

Chōsokabe Motochika (長宗我部 元親, 1539 – July 11, 1599) was a Japanese Sengoku-period daimyō. His childhood name was Yasaburō (弥三郎).

Early life

He was the 21st chief of the Chōsokabe clan of Tosa Province (present-day Kōchi Prefecture). He was the son and heir of Chōsokabe Kunichika and his mother was a daughter of the Saitō clan of Mino Province. He is said to have been born in Okō Castle.

In the 1562 Battle of Asakura Chosakabe Motochika defeated Motoyama Shigetoki and gained control of Shikoku Island. He then went on to take Aki Castle in the 1569 Siege of Aki. In the 1575 Battle of Shimantogawa, he defeated the Ichijo family.

Battle of Watarigawa and Conflict with Hideyoshi

In 1575, Motochika was victorious at the Battle of Watarigawa, gaining control of Tosa Province. Over the ensuing decade, he extended his power to all of Shikoku.

This included the 1582 Battle of Nakatomigawa and the Battle of Hikita. However, in 1585, Hashiba (later Toyotomi) Hideyoshi invaded that island with a force of 100,000 men, led by Ukita Hideie, Kobayakawa Takakage, Kikkawa Motonaga, Hashiba Hidenaga, and Hashiba Hidetsugu. Motochika surrendered, and forfeited Awa, Sanuki, and Iyo Provinces; Hideyoshi permitted him to retain Tosa.

• Chosokabe Morichika hata-jirushi (right)

• Chosokabe Morichika hata-jirushi and uma-jirushi

Service under Hideyoshi

Under Hideyoshi, Motochika and his son Nobuchika participated in the invasion of neighboring Kyūshū, in which Nobuchika died. In 1590, Motochika led a fleet in the Siege of Odawara, the Siege of Shimoda, and also fought in the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592.

In 1596 the Spanish ship San Felipe was wrecked in Chōsokabe territory while en route from Manila to Acapulco. Motochika seized the cargo of the ship, and the incident escalated all the way up to Hideyoshi, leading to the crucifixion of 26 Christians in Nagasaki, the first lethal persecution of Christians by the state in Japan.

Death

Motochika died in 1599 at age 60 at his mansion in Fushimi. His successor was Chōsokabe Morichika.

Family

• Father: Chōsokabe Kunichika (1504–1560)
• Mother: Daughter of the Saitō clan
• Younger Brother
  • Kōsokabe Chikayasu (1543–1593)
  • Kira Chikasada (1541–1576)
• Wife: Lady Motochika (died 1583)
  • Concubine: Koshōshō, or Lady Ōgata
• Sons:
  • Chōsokabe Nobuchika (1565–1587) by Lady Motochika
  • Kagawa Chikakazu (1567–1587) by Lady Motochika
  • Tsuno Chikatada (1572–1600) by Lady Motochika
  • Chōsokabe Morichika (1575–1615) by Lady Motochika
  • Chōsokabe Ukondaifu (1583-1615) by Lady Ogata
  • Chōsokabe Yasutoyo (born 1599)
• Daughters:
  • Unknown daughter (wife of Ichijō Tadamasa) by Lady Motochika
  • Akohime (wife of Satake Chikanao) by Lady Motochika
  • Unknown daughter (wife of Kira Chikazane) by Lady Motochika
  • Unknown daughter (wife of Yoshimatsu Jūzaemon) by Lady Motochika

In popular culture

He is a playable character in Pokémon Conquest (Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition in Japan), with his partner Pokémon being Dewott and Samurott.

Motochika is a playable character from Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends onwards, where he wields a shamisen, he continuously calls himself as "The Bat King", due to Nobunaga historically referring to him as a "the bat who refuses to fly away from its home".

Motochika is also a playable character in the Sony PlayStation game, Sengoku Basara where he wields an anchor and appears as a pirate. He also appears in the anime adaptation of the game Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings.