Sue Harukata

Sue Harukata (陶 晴賢; 1521 - 1555) was a retainer of the Ouchi clan and later daimyo. He was the second son of Sue Okifusa, senior retainer of the Ouchi clan. His childhood name was Goro. Before Harukata he had the name of Takafusa. He is also erroneously known as Harutaka.

Harukata was born in the Sue clan, which was related to the Ouchi clan, and served Shugodai of Suo Province. As a handsome boy, he served Ouchi Yoshitaka as a childhood friend. After genpuku, he was given a name Takafusa after Ouchi Yoshitaka. In 1539, after his father Okifusa died of illness, he took over the Sue clan. Being an able retainer, he became known as Saigoku-muso no Samuraidaisho.

From 1540 to 1542, he worked as the general, replacing Ouchi Yoshitaka, in the war with Amago clan. However, when Ouchi's troops lost heavily in 1542, Yoshitaka's interest in war faded, and he began to incline to cultural activities. Because of this, a civil official Sagara Taketo became close to Yoshitaka, and Harukata's relationship with Yoshitaka declined.

In 1551, Harukata succeeded in the coup against Ouchi Yoshitaka, killing Sagara Taketo and leading Yoshitaka to commit suicide. The next year Harukata secured the control of Ouchi clan by making the adopted son of Yoshitaka, Ouchi Yoshinaga (who was Otomo Haruhide, the brother of Otomo Sorin), the head of the clan. At this time he renamed himself from Takafusa to Harutaka, as his master changed from Yoshitaka to Haruhide. Subsequently, he conducted a large military expansion, but this led to discontent among the retainers of the Ouchi clan. In 1554 Yoshimi Masayori of Iwami Province, Yoshitaka's brother-in-law, and Mori Motonari of Aki Province rebelled against the Ouchi clan.

In 1555 Harukata lost a battle with Mori Motonari in Itsukushima (Battle of Itsukushima), and committed suicide. After the loss of the battle, the Ouchi clan declined considerably and, two years later, Mori Motonari annihilated the clan.