Born a peasant with no surname, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598) clawed his way up from sandal-bearer to supreme ruler of Japan through nerve, charm, and brilliant opportunism. As Oda Nobunaga’s foremost lieutenant—renamed Hashiba Hideyoshi—he outpaced rivals on forced marches, seized castles with guile, and, after Nobunaga’s death at Honnō-ji (1582), avenged his lord and outmaneuvered every contender. By the 1590s he had unified the warring provinces, raised Osaka Castle like a mountain of stone, and ruled as kampaku (regent) then taikō, reshaping society with land surveys and the famous “sword hunt.” A patron of culture who sparred—politically and philosophically—with tea master Sen no Rikyū, he also cast his gaze abroad, launching the dramatic but ruinous invasions of Korea. Hideyoshi died in 1598, leaving a child heir and a fragile peace that Tokugawa Ieyasu would soon claim, but his meteoric rise—from commoner to maker of emperors—remains the defining legend of ambition in the samurai age.
Original Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) Japanese Woodblock Print Hideyoshi Cuts a Melon 1881 LS#166
Original Yoshitoshi (1839-1892) Japanese Woodblock Print Hideyoshi Cuts a Melon 1881 LS#166
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Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年 / 月岡芳次郎) — Hashiba Chikuzen no Kami Hideyoshi Cutting a Melon (1887)
From the series Twenty-four Accomplishments in Imperial Japan (皇國二十四功). The scene shows Hashiba Hideyoshi (later Toyotomi Hideyoshi) slicing a melon offered by a peasant just before his campaign against Akechi Mitsuhide. According to legend, Hideyoshi vowed that Mitsuhide would meet the melon’s fate—an emblem of sworn revenge. Late-Meiji storytelling and color harmonize with Yoshitoshi’s mature draftsmanship.
Details
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Artist: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年 / 月岡芳次郎, 1839–1892)
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Title/Subject: Hashiba Chikuzen no Kami Hideyoshi Cutting a Melon
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Series: Twenty-four Accomplishments in Imperial Japan (皇國二十四功)
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Medium: Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
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Date: 1887 (Meiji period)
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Dimensions (H × W): Framed 18 x 14.25 in
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Signature/Block info: 画工 根岸宮永町五番地 月岡芳次郎 (artist/design credit with residence)
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Notes: Legendary moment preceding Hideyoshi’s move against Akechi Mitsuhide; symbolic oath of vengeance.
LS#166
Item Label
Hashiba Chikuzen no Kami Hideyoshi Cutting a Melon
皇國二十四功
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年 / 月岡芳次郎, 1839–1892)
Japan, 1887
Woodblock print
Dimensions: Framed 18 x 14.25 in
LS#166
Museum Card
Hashiba Chikuzen no Kami Hideyoshi Cutting a Melon
皇國二十四功
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年 / 月岡芳次郎, 1839–1892), Japan, 1887
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Dimensions: Framed 18 x 14.25 in
This ukiyo-e design portrays Hashiba Hideyoshi (later Toyotomi Hideyoshi) cutting a melon presented by a peasant on the eve of his campaign against Akechi Mitsuhide. Tradition holds that Hideyoshi vowed Mitsuhide would share the melon’s fate, a vivid emblem of revenge and resolve. Part of Twenty-four Accomplishments in Imperial Japan (皇國二十四功), the print exemplifies Yoshitoshi’s late mastery blending history, legend, and dynamic narrative imagery. Signature block reads: 画工 根岸宮永町五番地 月岡芳次郎.
LS#166
