Kato Kiyomasa

Katō Kiyomasa was a Japanese daimyō of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. His court title was Higo-no-kami. His name as a child was Yashamaru, and first name was Toranosuke. He was one of Hideyoshi's Seven Spears of Shizugatake. He was a cousin of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's mother and entered his service at a young age. He distinguished himself in many battles, such as the Battle of Yamazaki, the Battle of Shizugatake, the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute, and the Kyūshū campaign. He was granted 250,000 koku of land in Higo Province and built Kumamoto Castle as his residence. He was one of the three senior commanders during the Seven-Year War against Korea, where he captured many cities and hunted tigers for sport. He was known for his ferocity and bravery, earning him the nickname "Devil Kiyomasa" by the Koreans. He also led the struggle to ban Christianity from Japan and persecuted the converts. He was loyal to both Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, and tried to mediate between them after Hideyoshi's death. He died in 1611, possibly poisoned, after an attempt to reconcile the two parties. He was buried at Honmyō-ji temple in Kumamoto, but also has graves in Yamagata Prefecture and Tokyo. He is also enshrined in many Shinto shrines in Japan, including Katō Shrine in Kumamoto. He is regarded as a hero and a symbol of Kumamoto.