Hosokawa Nobuyoshi (細川信良)
Nobuyoshi HOSOKAWA (1548 - 1592) was a busho (Japanese military commander) and feudal lord over the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring States, Japan) and the Azuchi-Momoyama period. He was a direct descent of 'the Keicho family,' the main lineage of Hosokawa clan which was prosperous during the Muromachi period. His child name was Rokuro or Someimaru.
He had other names, 'Akimoto' and 'Nobumoto.'
His father was Harumoto HOSOKAWA of kanrei (shogunal deputy) and his mother was Sadayori ROKKAKU's daughter. His legal wife was Oinu no kata, Nobunaga ODA's younger sister. His son was Motokatsu (Yorinori) HOSOKAWA, and his daughter became Sanesue AKITA's wife. Haruyuki HOSOKAWA was his younger brother.
When his father, Harumoto, temporarily made peace with Nagayoshi MIYOSHI, Nobuyoshi was taken hostage by Nagayoshi. Afterward, when Harumoto became hostile to Nagayoshi, Nobuyoshi was placed under house arrest, together with Ujitsuna HOSOKAWA, a kanrei, in Yodo-kojo Castle and in 1558 celebrated his attainment of manhood under Nagayoshi's guidance. When Harumoto made peace with Nagayoshi again, Nobuyoshi met his father after a long interval. Although Nobuyoshi succeeded to the position of his father, who retired and then died of disease, he could not become influential, and he was not appointed to the position of kanrei after the death of Ujitsuna, who used to be a kanrei. After Eiroku Incident, Nobuyoshi was treated as a nominal kanrei by the Miyoshi clan, who backed up Yoshihide ASHIKAGA. When Nobunaga ODA came to Kyoto, accompanying Yoshiaki ASHIKAGA, Nobuyoshi at first confronted the Oda army at the Battle of Noda-jo Castle and Fukushima-jo Castle, but then he came to serve for Yoshiaki ASHIKAGA, who became the Shogun. Around that time, since Yoshiaki gave one character of his name, 'Aki' to Nobuyoshi, Nobuyoshi changed his name into 'Akimoto HOSOKAWA,' a suitable name for the family head of Keicho family. He was regarded as a nominal leader of Settsu Province.
Under Nobunaga's control, Akimoto didn't render distinguished service as he defeated in 1572 at the battle with Rairyu SHIMOTSUMA and Raijun SHIMOZUMA of Hongan-ji Temple in Settsu Province. Yet, he was used to deal with Shogun's retainers of Muromachi bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun).
After Yoshiaki was expelled, Akimoto remained in Kyoto because he had to be in charge of Yoshiaki's Makishima-jo Castle. Fujikata HOSOKAWA, who belonged to the same clan, was in charge of Sakamoto-jo Castle in Omi Province.
In 1575, Akimoto was appointed Ukyo no daibu (Master of the Western Capital Offices).
In the following year, he married Nobunaga's younger sister, and was given Kitakuwata County and Funai County of Tanba, which had been owned by the Hosokawa clan. Akimoto, as the family head of Keicho family, became a puppet of the Oda administration.
When Yoshimichi ISSHIKI in Tango Province came to meet Nobunaga to gain his affection, Akimoto accompanied him, and then went sightseeing in Sakai together. Soon after the Honnoji Incident, his wife Oinu no kata, Nobunaga's younger sister passed away.
It was recorded that after the Honnoji Incident through the Conquest of Shikoku, Akimoto kept contacts with the Chosokabe clan in Awa Province, to whom the Hosokawa clan had close ties, and put up a resistance against Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI but that in due course, Akimoto yield to Hideyoshi. In 1592, he died of disease. His offspring became Karo (chief retainer) of the Akita clan of Miharu Domain.