Born in 1562 in Nakamura, Owari (present-day Nagoya), a distant relative through Hideyoshi's mother. He served near Hideyoshi from youth and made his name as the foremost of the Seven Spears at the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583. He fought in both Korean campaigns (1592–93, 1597–98), battling Korean and Ming forces repeatedly; the "tiger-hunting" legend grew from exaggerated accounts of his feats there. After Hideyoshi's death, he became the leading voice of the military faction against Ishida Mitsunari. At Sekigahara in 1600, he fought as a vanguard commander of the Eastern army and contributed decisively to Ieyasu's victory, receiving Kumamoto domain at 540,000 koku. A master castle builder, he overhauled Kumamoto Castle from 1601 into a formidable stronghold and also had deep involvement in the construction of Nagoya Castle. He worked to reconcile the Toyotomi and Tokugawa and helped arrange a meeting between Hideyori and Ieyasu, but died of illness in 1611 at age 50.