大内義隆

Ōuchi Yoshitaka (1507–1551), the thirty-first head of the Ōuchi clan, ruled western Japan from his magnificent capital at Yamaguchi, which contemporaries called 'the Kyoto of the West.' The Ōuchi tally trade with Ming China brought immense wealth and made Japanese swords one of the country's primary export commodities — tens of thousands of blades shipped to China in a single voyage. Yoshitaka used this wealth to cultivate one of the great cultural centers of the Sengoku period, hosting nobles, monks, and artists. He received Francis Xavier in 1550 and granted permission for Christian missionary work. His turn away from military affairs led his powerful retainer Sue Harukata to rebel; Yoshitaka was cornered at Taimanji Temple in 1551 and took his own life, bringing the golden age of Yamaguchi culture to an end.