Hosokawa Fujitaka

In 1568, Fujitaka joined Oda clan after Oda Nobunaga captured Kyoto. In late 1568, Fujitaka along with Shibata Katsuie, Hachiya Yoritaka, Mori Yoshinari and Sakai Masahisa attacking Iwanari Tomomichi one of Miyoshi Sanninshu at Shōryūji Castle, Iwanari subsequently was killed in battle by Fujitaka.

In 1569, after Nobunaga and his followers returned from Kyoto, the Miyoshi clan attacked Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki at Honkokuji castle, Fujitaka along with Akechi Mitsuhide defend the shōgun and repulsed the Miyoshi clan.

In 1576, Fujitaka fought in the ten years campaign against Ikkō-ikki in the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War, along with Harada Naomasa, Akechi Mitsuhide and Araki Murashige.

In 1577, Fujitaka along with Akechi Mitsuhide and Tsutsui Junkei rendered distinguished services in the Siege of Shigisan against Matsunaga Hisahide, who had raised a standard of revolt against Nobunaga.

In 1579, Fujitaka build Tanabe castle under orders from Oda Nobunaga to conquer Tango province.

In 1580, he attacked Tango alone, failing due to a counterattack from the Isshiki clan, but he finally succeeded with the help of Akechi Mitsuhide.

In 1582, after the death of Oda Nobunaga on Incident at Honnō-ji, Fujitaka refused to join Akechi Mitsuhide for the Battle of Yamazaki, despite the fact that his son, Hosokawa Tadaoki, was married to Akechi's daughter, Hosokawa Gracia. Later, Fujitaka shaved his head in the Buddhist tonsure, changed his name to the priestly "Yūsai", and delegated his status as daimyō to Tadaoki. However, he remained an active force in politics as a cultural advisor, under both Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

In 1585, he joined at the Siege of Negoroji, Hideyoshi granted Fujitaka a retirement estate worth 3,000 koku in Yamashiro Province in 1586.

In 1587, he fought in the Kyushu Campaign as a general and Hideyoshi added another 3,000 koku at Osumi Province in 1595.

In 1600, Ishida Mitsunari had asked Fujitaka to join the Western Army, but Fujitaka refused due to one of Ishida's schemes which resulted in Gracia's and his granddaughter's death.

As a general in the Eastern Army, he garrisoned Tanabe castle with around 500 soldiers. When Tanabe Castle was besieged by the Western Army. The commanding general of the siege had great respect for Fujitaka, because of this, the attack lacked the usual spirit involved in a samurai siege: the attackers amused themselves by shooting the walls with cannons loaded only with gunpowder. Fujitaka laid down arms only after an imperial decree from Emperor Go-Yōzei. However, this was 19 days before Battle of Sekigahara, and neither he nor his attackers were able to join the battle.

Fujitaka died on October 6, 1610. He was buried in Kyoto but has a second grave in Kumamoto, where his grandson Hosokawa Tadatoshi ruled.

• Grandfather: Hosokawa Motoari (1459 - 1500)
• Father: Mitsubuchi Harukazu (1500-1570)
• Mother: Chisein
• Foster Father: Hosokawa Mototsune
• Wife: Numata Jako (1544-1618)
• Children:
  • Hosokawa Tadaoki
  • Hosokawa Okimoto (1566-1619)
  • Hosokawa Yukitaka (1571-1607)
  • Hosokawa Takayuki
  • Itohime
  • Senhime
  • Kurihime
  • Kagahime

• Hosokawa clan