Tamaki Yoshiyasu (玉木吉保)
Yoshiyasu TAMAKI (August 8, 1552 - 1633) was the busho (Japanese military commander) of Aki Province during in the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring States). He was a retainer of Mori clan. He was also a well-known doctor. His father was Tadayoshi TAMAKI. His common name was Shojimaru, Matasaburo, and Tarozaemon-no-jo.
His name used as a doctor was Gishin
His official court rank was Tosa no kami (a governor of Tosa Province).
Biography
He was born as the child of Tadayoshi TAMAKI in 1552. In 1564, when he was 13, he joined Shoraku-ji Temple of Shingon sect and trained there. After leaving the temple, he began to carry out important tasks as a retainer for the Mori clan; for example, he joined a troop to hunt down and kill Teruhiro OUCHI who had invaded Yamaguchi City in Suo Province, a former territory of the Mori clan, in 1569. Later, during the Tensho period, he joined a troop to hunt down and kill Katsuhisa AMAGO and Yukimori YAMANAKA, and he also joined the Battle of the Kozuki-jo Castle in 1578. He went to Kyoto and learned medicine according to the method of Dosan MANASE in June 1580 when the confrontation between Terumoto MORI and Nobunaga ODA was intensifying. After mastering medicine, he joined the troops to go on an expedition to Shikoku led by Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI in 1585. He conducted land survey of Aki, Bingo, Suo, Nagato, Iwami, Izumo, and Iyo Provinces in order for Mori clan to strengthen the control of to these provinces around 1587.
He went to Korea to join the Imjin war breaking out in 1592 as a retainer of Mori clan, and then he was appointed the post of Gungaiho (a chief magistrate in a foreign country) in the Korean Peninsula. He returned from Korea in 1593 and joined the construction project of the Fushimi-jo Castle led by Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI.
His involvement in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 is unknown; however, he followed the Mori clan and moved to Suo and Nagato Provinces after the Mori clan lost the battle. Then, he concentrated on learning medicine to maintain his health since he was over 50. He lived to be 82.
Doctor Yoshiyasu TAMAKI and His Book "Minokagami" (Biography of Yoshiyasu TAMAKI)
Yoshiyasu TAMAKI is rather known as a doctor than as a busho. He wrote many medical books, and techniques described in the books modern enough to apply now.
Books
"Kayakusho" (Pharmaceutical book which described natural drugs and their effects as poem).
"Kamyakusho" (Treatment book which described methods for measuring a pulse)
"Ijutsusharinsho" (Book which explained the course from disease development to disease treatment by likening disease as an enemy of the soldier to the drug, as if it was a military epic). Yoshiyasu TAMAKI wrote "Minokagami" in 1617 when the Period of Warring State was over. This book is the autobiography of himself who served three generations of the Mori family, Motonari MORI, Terumoto MORI, and Hidenari MORI, and who participated in many battles. This book became an important reference to understand the lives of bushoes in the Sengoku Period.
This book shows that Yoshiyasu was a highly educated person who was familiar not only with writings and medicine but also with Renga and cooking.