生平

商人出仕

小西行长幼名弥九郎，是商人小西隆佐的义子，娶了隆佐亲女茱斯塔(Justa)。本来跟随父亲在堺经营药草生意，但后被委派至冈山鱼服屋处与备前大名宇喜多直家进行贸易，有一次正逢直家外出时，遇到三浦家遗臣的袭击，当时直家身边并没有带护卫，只有几名小厮，此时弥九郎挺身而出击退了刺客，令直家安全脱困，此事之后弥九郎受到直家赏识，将他由商人破格拔擢为武士。

归入宇喜多家的小西行长向家中武将远藤又次郎学习火枪及水军战法。在横行濑户内海的海贼村上武吉宣告依附严岛海战后势力大增的安艺毛利家后，为了应付毛利家逐渐逼近的威胁，直家起用远藤又次郎和小西行长组织宇喜多家的水军以巩固冈山城的安全。

在小寺家家老黑田官兵卫的引导下，织田家以羽柴秀吉为总大将出兵山阳道，夹在织田与毛利两大强豪之间，据有备前、美作两国的宇喜多直家虽在第二次上月城之战时，借毛利家的兵力夺回被秀吉两大军师黑田官兵卫和竹中半兵卫所攻下的上月城。但是第一次上月城之战时，不论是小西行长与远藤又次郎，又或者是一代奸雄宇喜多直家，都被织田家强大的武威所慑，所以在第二次上月城之战时直家故意称病不出，并且在战后派能言善道的行长为使与秀吉进行交涉，令人意想不到的是这项任务竟是小西行长一生的转折点。

归入丰臣

为了完成这项任务，小西行长彻底发挥商人这个角色的外交天赋。他让义父小西隆佐借出大笔金钱予秀吉资助军费，并换得日后播磨和但马的优先经商权，使隆佐大大获利，然后以「药商小西隆佐义子」的名份晋见秀吉，转达直家的心意，顺利和织田方达到一定的协议同时也避免毛利家查觉直家的二心。行长圆融的手法令直家十分满意，慢慢地将小西行长提升到与三家老相当的地位。

天正七年，小西行长奉宇喜多直家之命令，到三木城支援羽柴秀吉扫荡别所家军团长荒木村重的行动。而当时荒木村重有所向无敌的毛利村上水军作海援。小西行长在加古川冲之役中使用当时未曾于海战使用过的夜袭策略，成功击退了毛利村上水军。此役后毛利军一半荷船被烧毁，小西行长瓦解了毛利村上水军对三木城的增援，亦协助秀吉完成了对别所家三木城的包围战。此战使小西行长之名第一次在军中出现，亦使行长完成了由海商到海将的转型。

当织田家扫荡了三木城荒木村重的反叛后，直家正式投入织田家阵营，在羽柴秀吉的努力下宇喜多家保住全部领土。天正十年直家重病去世，他逝世前，秀吉带了成为人质的宇喜多秀家到冈山城在直家面前替他元服，并让小西行长担任他的太傅。随著秀家质于姬路城，小西行长也与秀吉接近频繁，从另一角度来看，小西行长已等若秀吉的家臣。天正八年时秀吉命小西行长乔装商人以三倍价钱买去鸟取城中的米粮，而天正九年时于秀吉攻打播磨宝津时被任命为水上兵站奉行，即水军后方补给司令官，负责维持和增进水军参战部队的战斗力和支援作战的工作。

受封肥后

1582年4月，备中高松城之战中秀吉水攻成功，即命小西行长与浅野长政率领船队载著大炮对城池进行轰击，却在秀吉攻略备中高松城途中发生本能寺之变。天正十年织田信长死后，秀吉击败柴田胜家登上天下人的宝座，小西行长在他麾下担任水军将领。

1585年3月21日，小西行长奉命率领水军从海陆两面攻击纪州连合军的泉南防卫线。24日，泉南防卫线被攻陷后，行长以总大将(船奉行)率领九鬼嘉隆和仙石秀久的别働队从水路攻入杂贺庄。别働队开始向纪南制压，「盟主」畠山贞政与汤河直春败走，10月23日高野山降伏，武装解除。4月21日，水攻太田城时，羽柴秀吉发动安宅船攻势。行长的水军船导入堤内，动员安宅船里的大炮动员，使秀吉军占领太田城大半城域。

此外，行长亦负责管理小豆岛及濑户内海一带水上输送的职务，之后官拜从五位下摄津守，得到两万石的领地，被赐丰臣姓。同时在高山重友的劝说下改信天主教。丰臣政权成立之初多以小西行长与大谷吉继等人做行政奉行工作。

小西行长于1587年跟随秀吉进行九州征伐，翌年由于肥后国主佐佐成政治理不力，领内引发一揆动乱，秀吉派出小西行长与加藤清正共同前往镇压，因功得到肥后南半国宇土郡、益城郡、八代郡二十四万石领地，随后又与加藤清正合力平定肥后的天草之乱。平定后小西行长于1588年在中世宇土古城之东筑起了宇土城作为据点。

小西行长的宇土城作为水城具有优秀的功能，而受到秀吉的指示，从相良氏统治时代开始，这个地区的海外贸易中心八代也筑城了麦岛城，强化了水利，将重臣作为城代配置。而行长亦废除了原本位于山顶的古麓城，将麦岛城建在面向球磨川和八代海的河口岛上，从护城河中拉出外水作为浮城，所以可以直接乘船出入。除此之外，隈庄城、木山城、矢部城、爱藤寺城为支城，隈庄城任命弟弟小西主殿介、爱藤寺城任命结城弥平次等一族重臣为城代。另外高山右近的旧臣（基督教徒）多数被提拔为家臣。

小西行长由一介商人之子跃为官拜从五位下二十四万石的大名。由于在信奉天主教的大名小西行长影响下，传教活动旺盛，他的领地一带估计有十万基督徒，例如据说此时天草的人口的三分之二，约二万五千是基督教徒。而天草亦有六十多名神父，三十个教会。志岐氏派遣了作为画家的意大利修士乔万尼·尼古拉奥的指导下经营圣像学校，教授油画、水彩画、铜版画，制作圣画、圣像、管风琴和钟表等的西洋物。学校在后来的文禄3年(1594年)与有马半岛八良尾的研讨会合并，扩大了规模，而行长对这些耶稣会的活动给予了援助和保护。

而行长更指挥著由一万五千天主教徒组成的军队。由于天主教的迅速扩张，引起了传统的佛教和神道教的反对。

文禄之役

统一日本后的丰臣秀吉对中国产生野心，遣使命令朝鲜借道让他进军中国，但却被朝鲜国王李昖严词拒绝，秀吉大怒发兵攻打朝鲜。在文禄之战中，秀吉将先锋分为三队，而第一队小西行长担任水军兼先锋部队，领一万八千人。由于小西行长和女婿宗义智都常年与朝鲜贸易对朝鲜的地理、人文有相当认识，更通晓中朝语言，所以能得到先锋第一队的总大将一职。

五月二十四日清晨五点，小西行长率军在釜山登陆，翌日二番队的加藤清正也中午紧接与小西行长会师，然后加藤清正向蔚山一进发，小西行长则沿洛东江直上，率领一万八千人，商人出身且长期担任后备兵站奉行的小西行长深知补给线的重要，在完成兵站的调度后，一路延忠清道逐步北上尚州、忠州，势如破竹地穿过250公里的路程与加藤清正于六月十二日会师中州进据汉城，本来加藤清正一向就瞧不起商家出身的小西行长，所以两人素来不睦，更在汉城为了战利品和战功发生争吵，加藤清正还一刀劈碎了小西视若神明的天主圣像，两人大起争端。

随后行长与三番队的黑田长政由黄海道北上攻下平安道上的平壤，得到秀吉的赞赏。此时人在义州的朝鲜王李昖急速向明廷告急，明东征总督李如松部队抵达鸭绿江，与小西行长部于平壤交战，史称平壤会战。李如松诱降小西行长未遂，中朝联军发动总攻，佯攻东南将日军兵力调走，然后猛攻平壤城西，并以埋伏的虎蹲炮、射程较远的大将军炮及佛朗机炮轰日军，日军火力不如联军，伤亡惨重，加上弹药库为明军炮火催毁，七星门被炸开，于是小西行长撤出平壤，是役歼灭日军一万二千馀人，随后并恢复了朝鲜北部四道，小西行长铺陈的兵站线全被毁坏。

庆长之役

眼见战事逐渐不利，秀吉兴起和谈之意，命小西行长负责再次与明使沈惟敬进行讲和及斡旋的事务，提出了日明贸易再开、跟割让朝鲜四道等条件，但随著明神宗一纸"册封丰臣秀吉为日本王"的圣旨，谈判宣告破裂。秀吉再遣十二万兵马进攻朝鲜，小西行长率二番队一万四千人出阵，连夺梁山、三浪、庆州，和宇喜多秀家、加藤清正、岛津义弘等日军参与攻略南原城，后驻军朝鲜西南部的顺天倭城。但期后遭受明军刘綎的包围苦守城池，小西行长的左路军只好也随同撤退，于是两军在东南部沿海布阵固守。

丰臣秀吉病殁后，接掌政权的德川家康和前田利家等五大老下命征朝军回国，在顺天的小西行长连忙领兵脱出明、朝联军的刘綎、陈璘及李舜臣的围攻。在撤退至蔚山时受阻求援于岛津义弘，为此岛津义弘连同立花宗茂和高桥统增、小早川秀包、宗义智、寺泽广高等由海路前往救援，行长则趁陈璘、李舜臣前往截击日军援军于露梁海战时成功脱出顺天城，于十一月。露梁海峡战事结束后撤退。由于岛津义弘的力战，小西行长才顺利归国。

关原之战

秀吉死后，小西行长与挚友石田三成结为同盟，与德川家康及武斗派家臣对抗。为了拉拢摇摆的小早川秀秋，小西行长与大谷吉继、石田三成、长束正家、安国寺惠琼五人连署誓书，安抚小早川秀秋，并许诺在丰臣秀赖十五岁成年之前，关白一职由小早川秀秋担当，同时以播磨一国相赠以为条件。战前西军于大垣城召开作战会议，岛津义弘及宇喜多秀家认为德川家康军队经过长途的行军后，会感觉疲倦，应趁机夜袭，但石田三成及小西行长却认为这方法太冒险，而决定坚守大垣城。

关原位于美浓西面，为北面伊吹山脉，东南面南宫山，西南面松尾山，西面山中村及南天满山，西北面的北天满山及笀尾山包围住，乃是一个马蹄形的盆地。小西行长军分成两段布阵于笀尾山南面的北天满山，而笀尾山与北天满山之间的街道则是由岛津义弘及岛津丰久两叔侄防守，与小西军相对的南天满山则是宇喜多秀家的阵地。

在井伊直政突袭宇喜多秀家部队引发战火后，形成全面混战，小西行长同时与织田有乐、古田重胜、寺泽广高及金森长近的部队交锋，之后寺泽广高部队亦转来支援金森长近等人，虽是以寡敌众小西行长在与织田有乐等的激战中保持不分高下的局面。开战后四小时，日正中天，已是晌午时分，扎于松尾山的小早川秀秋部队和赤座直保等人发动叛变，对大谷吉继发动攻击。到下午一时，大谷吉继部队被消灭，小西行长部队引起严重混乱，任凭小西行长又鼓励又厉叱，仍无法消除手下兵士不安的心理，最后在东军部队围剿下，小西行长兵败逃往伊吹山。

兵败身死

战败后，逃往伊吹山东面的糟贺村的小西行长与当地农民林藏主会面，他深知自己绝无成功逃走的希望，林藏主便劝小西行长切腹以彰武士精神，但是小西行长以基督宗教教义不许自裁为由而拒绝，反劝林藏主缚捕他以获奖赏。九月十九日林藏主将小西行长交至其领主竹中重门手中，竹中重门立即将小西行长送交至德川家康在草津的阵地，林藏主则获赏赐黄金十枚。最后与石田三成和安国寺惠琼一起在大阪街上游街，十月初一于六条河原斩首，在三条河原枭首示众，享年四十三岁。

逸话

银子

小西行长在宇土建设修道院和神父馆，设立神父五人和修道师七人，同时在各地建造了教会。行长更在各地设置了孤儿院和施疗院。还有，行长持续为堺市和大阪市等各地的施疗院和为孤儿院提供永久的财政援助。

但堺之商人们取笑行长：「小西摄津守，肥后知行30万石，银子全都不见了，连一贯也没有存下来！」虽然是揶揄行长，但是能推测商人们暗喻并赞扬行长除了士兵和海军的维持费以及修建和扶困的财政援助以外没有花费在私人欲望之事上。

遗书

小西行长在京都市内游街示众，然后到六条河滩处刑，在三条大桥挂起了他的头颅。不过，行长的遗体被耶稣会修道院领回了。检查遗体的时候，从和服中发现了给妻子写上的遗书，妻子看了后没有任何表示，只是心灵相通，心领神会了。

直至公元1601（庆长6）年（行长死后1年），遗书的内容被耶稣会的总会长翻译并报告。遗书最后被这样被总结：「汝今后的所有热忱和紧张，待天神与吾留意和感动。理由是，世界上的一切是善变的，唯独真心是永恒而不变的。」小西临刑前索杯水，给他一水果他不要，且遗言，武士临终前，仍需顾好自己健康之名言，且以自是教徒，不可切腹自尽。

教廷

据说上述的信被耶稣会报告后，罗马教皇克莱孟八世知道小西行长之死的时候都感到叹息。当行长已死的事实在罗马扩散的时候，全罗马市民把哀悼的祈祷都献给了行长，冀望他能在天国安息。

在公元1607（庆长十二）年（行长死后七年），以行长为题材的音乐剧「ARGOMENTO DELLA TRAGEDIA INTITOLATA AGOSTINO TZVNICAMINDONO」在热那亚共和国（今意大利热那亚）上演，演出内容为行长和内府（德川家康）的纠纷，最后行长战胜内府的魔鬼得到胜利。

家族

• 祖父：小西行正

• 父：小西隆佐

• 母：ワクサ - 虔诚的基督教徒，有人说和高台院有关。

• 正室：菊姫 - 基督教徒，洗礼名是ジュスタ。

• 侧室：永俊尼 - 天正3年（1575年）～庆安2年（1649年）。法名永春。洗礼名カタリナ。

• 儿女

　• 小西兵库头 - 行长的嫡长子。关原之战时12岁。后被处决。

　• 小西秀贞

　• 浅山弥左卫门

　• 亲生女：小西·玛利亚，宗义智正室，洗礼名玛利亚。关原之战后被驱逐出对马岛，隐居在长崎的修道院，后遇大赦。庆长10年（1605年）病逝。

　• 养女：小西·茱莉亚，洗礼名茱莉亚，日本名おたあ。文禄之役之际到日本的朝鲜人女子。

• 孙：曼施欧·小西 - 小西·玛利亚之子。

又说天草四郎是小西行长次子之子。

• 兄

　• 小西如清 - 堺代官。洗礼名ペント。

　• 小西主殿介

• 弟

　• 小西行景 - 宇土城代、知行5千石。洗礼名ジョアン。

　• 小西与七郎洗礼名ルイス。知行2千石。

• 同族

　• 小西·安东尼奥 - 行长的从兄弟、同族。

　• 小西弥左卫门 - 灵名莱昂。行长的女婿。寛永4年（1627年）、被流放到澳门，同年去世。

家臣

小西三家老

　• 内藤忠俊 - 又名内藤如安，小西行长的重臣。明称小西飞，位居从五位下飞驒守。

　• 小西行重 - 原名木户作右卫门，知行2千石。

　• 加藤吉成 - 又名九郎太郎，加藤重德之子，位居内匠寮掌。

城代

　• 芦冢忠右卫门 - 又名平马。宇土城城代，知行2千石。

　• 日比屋了荷 - 志岐城城代。

　• 结城弥平次 - 爱藤寺城城代。美浓出身，基督徒，热衷兴建南蛮寺。

　• 太田市兵卫 - 爱藤寺城城代。

　• 伊藤与左卫门 - 木山城城代。

　• 竹内吉兵卫 - 麦岛城城代。

其他家臣

　• 小西长贞 - 小西若狭守，关原之战时代守麦岛城，后战败切腹。

　• 益田好次 - 原高山家臣，天草四郎之父，天草十七人众之一，知行6千石。

　• 森宗意轩 - 又名三左卫门，天草五人众之一。曾到南蛮数年，会妖术。

　• 水野胜成 - 原徳川家臣，徳川大名水野氏祖，知行1千石。

　• 宇佐美胜行 - 宇佐美定満之子，原上杉家臣。

　• 阿波鸣门之助 - 尼子十勇士其中一人，曾仕于三好家、佐佐家等。

　• 高松宪重 - 出身于讃岐高松的土豪，知行1万石。

　• 驹木根友房 - 通称八兵卫。出身于种子岛，擅于射击，曾参与岛原之战。

　• 伊智地文大夫 - 高山右近的义兄弟，死于肥后天草合战。

　• 千束善右卫门 - 天草五人众之一。

　• 大矢野松右卫门 - 天草五人众之一，原本多忠朝的剑术指南役。

　• 山善左卫门 - 天草五人众之一。

国人众

肥后天草之乱平定后，小西行长没有处决国人众将领，反而收为已用。

　• 甲斐秋政 - 肥后岩尾城主。

　• 天草久种 - 肥后河内浦城主。

　• 天草种元 - 肥后本渡城主。原天草久种的家臣。

　• 大矢野种基 - 肥后大矢野城主。朝鲜之役战死。

　• 大矢野种量 - 大矢野种基的次男。朝鲜之役战死。

　• 大矢野直重 - 肥后大矢野城主。种基的次男。

　• 上津浦种直 - 肥后上津浦城主。

　• 栖本亲高 - 肥后栖本城主。梅北一揆时战死。

　• 栖本通高 - 肥后栖本城主。栖本亲高的胞弟。朝鲜之役战死。

登场作品

;小说

• 海将：海之司令官・小西行长（新潮社、著）

• 铁之首枷：小西行长传（中央公论新社、远藤周作著）

• 宿敌（角川书店、远藤周作著）

• 小西行长：无悔的生存方式（PHP研究所、著）

• 小西行长（光文社、麻仓一矢著）

• 秀吉朝鲜之乱（光文社、金声翰著）

• 小西行长（学研、森本繁著）

• 高丽秘帖（祥传社、著）

• 魔风海峡（祥传社、荒山彻著）

• 秀吉的交涉人：吉利支丹大名小西行长（ASCII Media Works、著）

;影视剧

• （1931年、日活、演：濑川银潮）

• （1971年、NHK大河剧、演：）

• （1978年、NHK大河剧、演：）

• 女太閤记（1981年、NHK大河剧、演：佐久间崇）

• （1981年、TBS、演：）

• 德川家康（1983年、NHK大河剧、演：缨片达雄）

• （1985年、NHK水曜时代剧、演：）

• 信长KING OF ZIPANGU（1992年、NHK大河剧、演：伊藤秀）

• 秀吉（1996年、NHK大河剧、演：）

• 葵德川三代（2000年、NHK大河剧、演：菅生隆之）

• 不灭的李舜臣 (2004年、KBS、演：郑胜浩)

• 功名十字路（2006年、NHK大河剧、演：）

• 天地人（2009年、NHK大河剧、演：山田洋）

• 军师官兵卫 （2014年、NHK大河剧、演：忍成修吾）

• 关原（2017年、东宝、演：）

;漫画

• 水军之将：小西行长传（秋田书店、能田达规作）

Early life

Konishi Yukinaga was the second son of a wealthy Sakai merchant, Konishi Ryūsa. Ryūsa's wife was also baptised under the name of Magdalena. He was later adopted by an Okayama merchant called Totoya Kuroemon. It was unclear when he started to become a samurai. However, he caught the attention of the Okayama daimyo, Ukita Naoie.

There is a theory that his adoption by Okayama merchant was not a coincidence, but was set up by his father, Ryusa. Ryusa had been already in contact with the Oda clan which planned to take over Chūgoku region. The Ukita clan would be the key player in Oda's Chugoku campaign against the Mōri clan, which would be led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. However, the Ukita was by then the ally of the Mōri. Yukinaga, who had a connection with the Oda, served as the liaison between the Ukita clan and the Toyotomi clan, facilitating the Ukita's surrender. Without the help of the Ukita clan, Toyotomi Hideyoshi might be in a big trouble. Hideyoshi valued this help greatly since he considered this period to be the greatest crisis in his life.

The defection of Ukita Naoie allowed the Oda to have a smooth run in Chūgoku region. They could easily quell Araki Murashige's rebellion because the Ukita was preventing the Mōri from helping Araki. Araki Murashige would later get back at the Konishi father and son by accusing them of false crime. They were temporarily confined but managed to prove their innocence in the end.

Service under Hideyoshi

Toyotomi Yukinaga's seal

Due to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's lowly background, he didn't have hereditary vassals. Many samurai also refused to serve under him. For this reason, Ryusa had his entire family serve Hideyoshi. Even Yukinaga's mother, Magdalena Wakusa, served Hideyoshi's wife as a senior lady in waiting. Yukinaga, himself, served as Hideyoshi's commander of the sea. Because very few Oda's vassals understood naval transportation and battle, his career advanced rapidly. He brought his fleets to join the flood attack during Siege of Takamatsu and Siege of Ōta Castle. He also commanded a navy during Invasion of Shikoku and Invasion of Kyushu. For his service, he was given the right to use the Toyotomi surname. After he quelled the local uprising in Higo Province, he was awarded a 250.000 koku fief in the southern half of that province.

Yukinaga was against invading other countries, but he participated in a delegation to the Spanish Philippines to offer help in a possible joint invasion of China, and later ended up leading the initial forces under Toyotomi Hideyoshi to invade Korea in the Seven-Year War. Feeling conquering China was impossible, Yukinaga ran a blitzkrieg in Korea to capture the king of Joseon and end the war through diplomacy before the Ming military came. He beat Kato Kiyomasa in the race to Seoul. However, when he arrived at the capital, the king had fled, so the chase continued to Pyongyang.

During his stay in Pyongyang, the Japanese army suffered from a logistics crisis. He sent his brother, Yoshichiro, to persuade Hideyoshi to abandon the Ming conquest and settled with 5 provinces of Joseon through diplomacy. Hideyoshi approved and told the other generals to watch over Yukinaga in Pyongyang.

However, Yukinaga got scammed by his negotiation partner, Shen Weijing (沈惟敬), who demanded 50 days truce. Shen said he would go back to Beijing to get the emperor to approve Yukinaga's request. In reality, he was buying time for the Ming military to settle Ningxia rebellion. To make it worse, the Chinese caught a Korean defector, who was a part of Yukinaga's intelligent network, and tortured him until he confessed. The network was exposed and destroyed. As the result, Yukinaga only knew the Ming military had entered Joseon a few days before the Siege of Pyongyang. In the end, Pyongyang fell and Yukinaga withdrew to Seoul.

Not long after, due to a logistics crisis on both sides, Ming dynasty and Japan agreed to negotiate with Yukinaga leading the negotiation process. Hideyoshi issued 7 demands, which were later softened to 3 demands (4 provinces of Joseon, a Korean prince as a hostage, and tributary trade with Ming). The objective of the negotiation was to put Japan above Korea within the Tributary system of China. However, the Chinese side failed to settle this issue because they thought they were winning. After all, it was Japan who demanded peace, the Ming side saw no reason why they should grant Hideyoshi's demand.

When he found out Ming dynasty ignored the 3 demands and was only willing to grant Hideyoshi an investiture, Yukinaga, who was unwilling to give up the peace treaties, made Hideyoshi go through the investiture ceremony without him knowing that his 3 demands were not granted by the emperor.

After the ceremony, Hideyoshi was in a good mood and sent some messengers to the Chinese envoys, telling them to ask anything they wanted. The Chinese asked when would Japan return the occupied Joseon territory. When Hideyoshi heard that, he was angry. Hideyoshi used the fact that the Korean side did not send a prince as a hostage as an excuse to break truce.

The failure almost led Yukinaga to commit seppuku. However, Mashita Nagamori persuaded him not to do so. He soon recovered and again tried to persuade Korea to send a prince to prevent the war from being restarted.

To win the trust of his opponents, he leaked military secrets to the Korean side through general Kim Ung-seo. He told the Korean side of Japan's mobilization plan. Kim Ung-seo partially believed this, but missed the most important part which was to harvest the field as to leave the Japanese army with no food and relocate civilians to remote areas.

He also told the Korean side Katō Kiyomasa's landing spot, asking the Korean navy to attack Kiyomasa. However, Admiral Yi Sun-sin thought this was a trap. As the result, the Korean king had Yi Sun-sin imprisoned and tortured. The Japanese used this opportunity to destroy most of the Korean ships in the Battle of Chilcheollyang.

The war started again. Yukinaga acted as the vanguard of the Japanese Left Army during the Siege of Namwon. He defended Suncheon Castle, and repelled Ming (China) and Joseon allied forces.

Sekigahara Campaign

After Hideyoshi's death, Yukinaga returned to Japan. During the 7 years war, he had developed a deep friendship with Ishida Mitsunari, who also wanted to stop Hideyoshi's foreign invasion. The Jesuits wrote that Mitsunari was Yukinaga's special friend. In his own letter, Mitsunari also mentioned he was particularly close to Yukinaga.

Yukinaga defended Mitsunari during his dispute with 7 generals. When Mitsunari was put under house arrest, Yukinaga wanted to accompany him, but Mitsunari refused. Tokugawa Ieyasu was impressed by the devotion he showed to Mitsunari and openly praised him, "He risked his life and all his property to help his friend". After that, Ieyasu worked hard to win Yukinaga's friendship. He even suggested that Yukinaga's heir marry his granddaughter. Yukinaga was hesitant. He said he was willing to marry his son to Ieyasu's granddaughter if Ieyasu stopped undermining Hideyori's authority.

Later on, Yukinaga worked under Ieyasu to restore the diplomatic relations with Korea. During this period, he learned that Ieyasu was afraid of foreign power and would even sacrifice foreign trades if necessary. Without foreign trade, Christianity would be banned also. There was no place for Yukinaga in Tokugawa government. This reason made him determined to fight against Ieyasu.

He brought 2000 troops to join Ishida Mitsunari's side during the Battle of Sekigahara and left the rest of his troops in Uto. The number was small compared to the number he led in Korea. Being the vanguard of the Korean campaign had significantly damaged his military strength. Mitsunari and Ukita Hideie added at least 2000 more to that number.

Yukinaga fought bravely but was ultimately defeated due to the betrayal of various daimyo.

Death

He fled to Mount Ibuki, but knowing he could not escape, he told a farmer to sell him to Tokugawa. The farmer refused and recommended he commit seppuku. Yukinaga said he would not commit seppuku because he was a Christian. The farmer informed Takenaka Shigekado to escort him to the Eastern Army camp.

Kuroda Nagamasa wanted to plead an amnesty for him, but Yukinaga said there was no need for that. He only asked to meet a priest for his last confession. However, it was not granted by Ieyasu.

He was beheaded together with Ishida Mitsunari and Ankokuji Ekei.

Evaluation

Yukinaga is not properly evaluated in Japan. In Japanese pop culture, he is often portrayed as a weak bureaucrat similar to Ishida Mitsunari. However, this image does not hold when crosschecked with Chinese, Korean or European historical materials. This is because, unlike other military commanders, his descendants could not produce military myths to boast about his achievements due to his defeat at Sekigahara and him being a member of a once forbidden religion.

While his loss in Pyongyang is often cited as an example of his military incompetence, Hideyoshi did not blame him for this loss. Konishi's forces were outnumbered and out-armed, so the result was generally to be expected. The Japanese had no clue at the time as to how to defend a walled city like Pyongyang, as such an urban layout did not exist in Japan. Later on in the war in Korea, the Japanese forces built their own fortresses instead of relying on captured Korean fortifications.

As the only Japanese commander who faced the main Ming army alone (and without the protection of Japanese castles), Chinese generals held him in high regard, as it was not easy to retreat without being routed after being defeated by a clearly superior force. The Ming general Yang Yuan later begrudgingly praised him for being highly talented. When the Ming army attacked Kato Kiyomasa in Ulsan, arrangements were made to ensure that Yukinaga would not reinforce Kiyomasa's positions (though given the grudge between the two commanders this was unlikely) even though his forces were not as close to Ulsan as those of other Japanese commanders, suggesting that the Ming considered him to be a substantial threat.

Yukinaga was also praised by Oda Nobunaga for defending the Oda territory in Seto Inland Sea from the Mori navy, which was noticeably unusual as Nobunaga normally did not pay attention to Hideyoshi's protegés.

Appearance

There is no portrait left. However, Jesuits' reports described him as tall and pale, unlike ordinary people.

The Veritable Records of King Seonjo described him as dignified, someone who should not be taken lightly.