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December 22, 1546 – March 20, 1604, also known as or Kuroda Kambē, was a Japanese daimyō of the late Sengoku period through the early Edo period. Renowned as a man of great ambition, he succeeded Takenaka Hanbei as a chief strategist and adviser to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Kuroda became a Christian when he was 38, and received "Simeon Josui" as a baptismal name ( rekishijin). His quick wit, bravery, and loyalty were respected by his warriors."Samurai File 17; Kuroda Kanbei". Editorial. Japan World 15 January 2014: 1. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
Shigetaka served as a senior retainer of Kodera Masamoto, the lord of Himeji, and was so highly praised that Shigetaka's son Mototaka was allowed to marry Masamoto's adopted daughter (Akashi Masakaze's daughter) and use the Kodera name. Yoshitaka became the head of the Kuroda family at the age of 21 when his father, Mototaka, retired.Miura, Akihiko. Kuroda Jhosui. Fukuoka: Nishi Nihon Jinbutsu shi, 1996. Print.
In 1578, Arioka/Itami Castle's lord, Araki Murashige, concluded an alliance with the Mōri to revolt against the Oda. An allied Kodera Masamoto also hatched a plot to cooperate with Araki. Then, Kuroda went to Arioka castle to prevail on Araki not to defect. "The Reason Why Kanbei was Imprisoned". Editorial. Itami n.d. PDF. Araki chose to imprison Yoshitaka instead. As a result, Nobunaga thought that Yoshitaka had defected to Araki's side and was furious. Yoshitaka's son, Shōjumaru (later Kuroda Nagamasa) was sentenced to death by Nobunaga, but was saved by Takenaka Hanbei.
Araki's revolt eventually concluded in 1579 at the Siege of Itami, culminating in Yoshitaka's rescue. Due to his long imprisonment (with lack of space for sleeping and sitting), Yoshitaka suffered a leg disorder and lost his eyesight in one eye for the rest of his life.
In 1582, he fought in the Siege of Takamatsu against the Mōri clan.
He participated in the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583 and the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute in 1584. He also led Toyotomi forces in the campaign to conquer Shikoku in 1585.
Shortly before 1587, Yoshitaka was ordered by Hideyoshi to lead an attack into Siege of Kagoshima at Kyushu. (1998). 9781854095237, Cassell & Co. ISBN 9781854095237 Along with him was the Christian daimyō Takayama Ukon. After seeing the thriving Christian population of Kyushu, under Ukon's influence, Yoshitaka was baptized with the name ドン・シメオン (Dom Simeão = Don Simeon). After a visit to the Jesuit-controlled port of Nagasaki, Hideyoshi became fearful of the powerful influence that Jesuits and the Christian daimyōs wielded.
In 1587, he made his famous edict that expelled foreign missionaries and ordered all the Christian samurai under his rule to abandon their faith. While Ukon resisted the edict and lost his status, Yoshitaka gave up his new religion and adopted a monk's habit, calling himself Josui (如水). Like Naitō Joan (who took his name from Portuguese João), it is believed that Yoshitaka chose his new name from "Josué", the Portuguese version of "Joshua". His most prominent act during his short time as a Christian was his arrangement to save a Jesuit mission from Bungo Province when the Christian daimyō of that province, Ōtomo Sōrin, was under attack from the Shimazu clan.
In 1600, Yoshitaka was seemingly on the Tokugawa side during the Sekigahara campaign, having clashed against Ōtomo Yoshimune at the Battle of Ishigakibaru and also, having participated at the Siege of Yanagawa. It was recorded that the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi participated in Ishigakibaru battle under the command of Yoshitaka.
There is theory that Yoshitaka instead aimed to conquer the entire region of Kyūshū for his own during the major commotion of the Sekigahara campaign, even momentarily conquering seven of the island's provinces, a feat which ended in failure, however, due to Tokugawa Ieyasu's victory in the Battle of Sekigahara.
After his son Kuroda Nagamasa succeeded him, Yoshitaka died on April 19, 1604. His grave is in the Namazuta area of Iizuka, Fukuoka, near the original site of Namazuta Castle.
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