Kobayakawa Hidekane Explained

Mōri Hidekane
Native Name:毛利秀包
Native Name Lang:jpn 毛利秀包
Birth Date:1567
Death Date:April 24, 1601 (aged 33 or 34)
Birth Place:Aki Province
Death Place:Nagato Province
Nickname:Kinoshita Tatsunosuke
(才菊丸)
Ōda Mototsuna
(大田元綱)
Kobayakawa Motofusa
(小早川元総)
Mōri Hidekane
(毛利秀兼)
Allegiance: Mōri clan
Toyotomi clan
Relations:Father: Mōri Motonari
Mother: Nomi no Ōkata
Rank:Daimyō (Lord)
Chikugo no Kami (筑後守)
Grand Chamberlain (侍従)
Commands:Chikugo province
Unit: Mōri clan
Battles:Korean Campaign (1592–1598)
Siege of Ōtsu (1600)

was a Japanese samurai, the ninth son of Mōri Motonari. His mother was Motonari's concubine, Nomi no Ōkata (乃美の方).

Originally he was named Mototsuna and given to Ōta Hidetsuna but later his childless half-brother Kobayakawa Takakage took him as his adopted son. After this he changed his name to Motofusa. When he became one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's hostages for some years and granted to use a kanji from Hideyoshi's name, he changed his name again to Hidekane. He married Ōtomo Sōrin's daughter Maxentia (Katsurahime) and converted to Catholic Christianity with the baptized name Simao Findenao (シマオ・フィンデナオ).

After the Sekigahara Campaign, Hidekane changed his family name back to Mōri, to avoid shame caused by his stepbrother Kobayakawa Hideaki. He died young at 35 years old.

Hidekane was known of his gunnery skill, and Tachibana Muneshige's sworn brother. Together with him and other Toyotomi loyalists, Hidekane participated in Siege of Ōtsu Castle.