Kanji Press

A year had passed since Hideyoshi left home. During that time his mother heard nothing of him and worried about him. She constantly asked her husband about him, but Masayoshi completely ignored her concern and did nothing.

Meanwhile Genzaemon of Kiyosu heard of the mother's anxiety, and feeling sorry for her he searched for her son. One day, thanks to his efforts, Genzaemon happened to see Hideyoshi on his way to the Atsuta Shrine. This pleased Genzaemon very much, and he told the boy about his anxious mother. Then Genzaemon nearly had to force him to accept an invitation to come to his home. Learning that Hideyoshi had been working for Koroku, the notorious thief, Genzaemon forbade him to return to the thief and made him stay at his place.

The good news reached his parents, and they were most pleased and relieved. Soon they asked Genzaemon to find their son a new job. But knowing the boy would never stay at one place for a long time, Genzaemon decided to ignore the parents' request and kept the boy with him for a while.

Meanwhile the monk Junkobo came to the town on his way to distribute the Kannon talismans of the Taga Shrine to local lords in various provinces. While there the monk's servant fell ill and could travel no further with his master. Thinking this a good opportunity for Hideyoshi, Genzaemon went to see the monk, who willingly agreed to take the boy along as his servant.

Soon they left for the north. During the journey Hideyoshi diligently served the monk, who was very pleased with his clever new servant. Finally they arrived at Hamana in Tōtomi province and stayed at the mansion of Matsushita Yukitsuna.¹ Matsushita, a celebrated expert in the Way of Kendō, was serving as a master of martial arts for Lord Imagawa Yoshimoto, receiving a salary of fifteen thousand kan.

Watching the hard-working Hideyoshi, who looked like a monkey but had sparkling eyes and a spirited voice, Matsushita became curious about the boy and took an interest in him. When he spoke with him, Matsushita found him quick and smart, so he asked the monk to leave Hideyoshi with him as his servant. The monk readily agreed and left for Nakamura to report the news to Hideyoshi's parents.

Lord Imagawa's young samurai gathered daily at the Matsushita mansion to practice various martial arts using swords, lances, bows and arrows, and guns. As he performed his daily chores, Hideyoshi watched attentively as they practiced, and at night he listened to lectures on military arts behind the doors of the lecture hall.

After a while Hideyoshi learned and remembered everything he saw and heard, being bright enough to absorb one thing and grasp a thousand other things. In this way he stayed at the Matsushita mansion until the age of eighteen, content and happy. After his Coming of Age ceremony in the second year of Tenbun [1533], Hideyoshi changed his name to Nakamura Tōkichirō Takayoshi and continued to serve Master Matsushita.