Kuki Yoshitaka’s Final Resting Place
The death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1598 led to a conflict between two opposing forces: a western army made up of Toyotomi loyalists, and the eastern army of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Historians believe that in order to ensure the legacy of the Kuki family, father and son fought on opposite sides. Yoshitaka joined the western army, while his son Moritaka sided with Ieyasu. In the end, the Tokugawa army emerged victorious.
Yoshitaka fled Toba Castle to the nearby island of Toshijima. Although his son was able to successfully petition the new shogun to spare his father’s life, Yoshitaka committed seppuku (ritual suicide by disembowelment) on the grounds of Dosenan Temple before being informed of his pardon.
Yoshitaka’s remains are contained in two burial mounds on Toshijima. His body is interred near the site of his death, in the dozuka burial mound at the bottom of a hill. His head rests in the kubizuka burial mound on the hilltop, overlooking the ruins of Toba Castle and Toba Bay.