The 1587 siege of Ganjaku was part of Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...

's campaign to seize Kyūshū

Kyushu Campaign

The Kyūshū Campaign of 1586-1587 was part of the campaigns of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who sought to dominate Japan at the end of the Sengoku period...

 during Japan's Sengoku period

Sengoku period

The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...

. While his half-brother attacked Taka castle

Battle of Takajo

The 1587 Battle of Takajō, also known as the Battle of Takashiro, was the first battle in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaigns to seize control of Kyūshū during Japan's Sengoku period....

 on the island's east coast, Hideyoshi made his own initial landfall on the island's north coast, in Chikuzen province

Chikuzen Province

was an old province of Japan in the area that is today part of Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū. It was sometimes called , with Chikugo Province. Chikuzen bordered Buzen, Bungo, Chikugo, and Hizen Provinces....

, and made his way towards Ganjaku castle, held by a retainer of Akizuki Tanezane

Akizuki Tanezane

was a samurai warrior who was defeated by the Ōtomo clan. Later he joined the Shimazu clan and fought with them against Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Kyūshū, an island of Japan....

.

Hideyoshi intended to devote only a small party to the siege of the castle, while the rest of his army continued further. However, it is said that none of his generals wished to be left behind to head this siege, and so lots were drawn. Gamō Ujisato

Gamo Ujisato

was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. The heir and son of Gamō Katahide, lord of Hino Castle in Ōmi Province, he later held Matsusaka and finally Aizuwakamatsu Castle in Mutsu Province...

 ended up commanding the siege party; it is said that Hideyoshi sat and watched from a nearby hill, granting gold coins

Ryo

Ryo may refer to:* The Japanese kana digraph ryo, ryō, or ryoh * Ryō , a gold piece in pre-Meiji era Japan worth about sixty monme or four kan...

to samurai for each enemy head they brought him.