Sue Harukata (陶 晴賢, 1521 – October 16, 1555) was a daimyō of the Chūgoku region during Sengoku Period Japan. A high-ranking retainer of the Ōuchi Clan under Ōuchi Yoshitaka, Harukata is most famous for betraying Yoshitaka during the Tainei-ji Incident and usurping power of the clan. He is sometimes also known by his earlier name Sue Takafusa (陶 隆房) and occasionally erroneously as Sue Harutaka.
Biography[]
Harukata was the son of Sue Okifusa, a senior retainer of the Ōuchi clan who served as shugodai of Suō Province, a position of great power. As a child, he served Ōuchi Yoshitaka, the two growing up as friends and possibly lovers. After his genpuku (coming of age), he was granted the name Takafusa. In 1539, his father died of illness, leaving the 18 year old Takafusa as head of the clan. A highly capable general, Takafusa was named "Samurai General Without Peer in the Western Provinces" (Saigoku-musō no Samuraidaishō) and lead Ōuchi forces against the Amako clan in the north-west. However, after a defeat at the siege of Toda Castle in 1543, Yoshitaka's interest in conflict began to dwindle and he withdrew from military matters to focus on cultural pursuits.
During this time a retainer from Higo Province, Sagara Taketō became the new favourite of Yoshitaka, drawing the ire of Takafusa. Whilst Taketō proposed a more defensive war against the Amako, Takafusa insisted upon the continued offensive, which alienated him from Yoshitaka. Taketō attempted to appease Takafusa by marrying his daughter to Harukata's son but this had little effect.
In September 1551, as opposition towards Yoshitaka's plan to resettle the Imperial Court from Kyoto (then under the control of Miyoshi Nagayoshi) to Yamaguchi grew, Takafusa and his followers launched a coup against the Ōuchi daimyō. Expecting the support of the Sugi and Naitō, Yoshitaka was surprised when the two clans instead deserted to join Takafusa. After failed negotiations and a failed escape attempt, Yoshitaka and his twenty followers committed seppuku at Tainei-ji temple.
Following this, Takafusa invited Ōtomo Haruhide, the half-brother of Ōtomo Sōrin and adopted son of Yoshitaka to become head of the Ōuchi under the name Yoshinaga. In line with the change of leadership, Takafusa changed his name to Harukata. Effectively a puppet, under Harukata's advice Yoshinaga enaged in a large military expansion much to the discontent of his other retainers. In 1554, Yoshimi Masayori of Iwami Province, Yoshitaka's brother-in-law, allied himself with Mōri Motonari and rebelled against Yoshinaga. Harukata sent his retainer Miyagawa Fusanaga to deal with Motonari but he was defeated at the battle of Oshikibata. In the follow up encounter on Miyajima, Motonari inflicted a decisive defeat upon Harukata, who committed seppuku after fleeing from the battle.