* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Rokkaku Yoshikata
六角義賢
Governor-Daimyo of Southern Omi, Lord of Kannonji Castle
Description
Life and Origins
Rokkaku Yoshikata (1521–1598) was born as the eldest son of Rokkaku Sadayori, the guardian-daimyo of southern Omi Province. The Rokkaku were a branch of the Ashikaga family and hereditary governors of Omi. Yoshikata succeeded to the clan headship in 1552 upon his father's death, receiving the character "Yoshi" from Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiharu, and later took the Buddhist name Jotei.
The Rokkaku Code of 1556
Yoshikata's most lasting legacy is the Rokkaku-shi Shikimoku (1556), a domain law code notable for being drafted with the participation of senior retainers. It codified litigation procedures, land rights, and the duties of vassals — a progressive document that historians regard as among the most significant of the Sengoku-era domain laws.
Decline and Resistance
Defeated by Asai Nagamasa at the Battle of Norata in 1560, Yoshikata's authority over his own retainers began to erode. When Oda Nobunaga marched on Kyoto in 1568, Yoshikata and his son Yoshiharu abandoned Kannonji Castle without a fight. He later waged guerrilla resistance as part of the anti-Nobunaga coalition until the fall of the Asakura and Asai clans in 1573. He eventually served the Toyotomi as a cultural advisor and died in 1598 at age 78.
Notable Swords
- Omi-tradition tachi (Rokkaku clan daimyo heirloom)