Kobayakawa Hidekane

Mōri Hidekane
Mori Hidekane
Native name
毛利秀包
Nickname(s)Kinoshita Tatsunosuke
(才菊丸)
Ōda Mototsuna
(大田元綱)
Kobayakawa Motofusa
(小早川元総)
Mōri Hidekane
(毛利秀兼)
Born1567
Aki Province
DiedApril 24, 1601 (aged 33 or 34)
Nagato Province
Allegiance Mōri clan
Toyotomi clan
RankDaimyō (Lord)
Chikugo no Kami (筑後守)
Grand Chamberlain (侍従)
Unit Mōri clan
CommandsChikugo province
Battles / warsKorean Campaign (1592–1598)
Siege of Ōtsu (1600)
RelationsFather: Mōri Motonari
Mother: Nomi no Ōkata

Mōri Hidekane/Kobayakawa Hidekane (毛利秀包/小早川秀包, 1567 – April 24, 1601) was a Japanese samurai, the ninth son of Mōri Motonari.[1] His mother was Motonari's concubine, Nomi no Ōkata (乃美の方).

Originally he was named Mototsuna and given to Ōta Hidetsuna but later his childless half-brother Kobayakawa Takakage took him as his adopted son. After this he changed his name to Motofusa. When he became one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's hostages for some years and granted to use a kanji from Hideyoshi's name, he changed his name again to Hidekane. He married Ōtomo Sōrin's daughter Maxentia (Katsurahime) and converted to Catholic Christianity with the baptized name Simao Findenao (シマオ・フィンデナオ).

After the Sekigahara Campaign, Hidekane changed his family name back to Mōri, to avoid shame caused by his stepbrother Kobayakawa Hideaki. He died young at 35 years old.

Hidekane was known of his gunnery skill, and Tachibana Muneshige's sworn brother. Together with him and other Toyotomi loyalists, Hidekane participated in Siege of Ōtsu Castle.

  1. ^ Oyler, Elizabeth; Saltzman-Li, Katherine (2022-02-15). Cultural Imprints: War and Memory in the Samurai Age. Cornell University Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-5017-6164-5.