Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598), Imperial Regent, 1585-1591; Chancellor of the Realm. 1587-1598. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (February 2, 1536 or March 26, 1537  September 18, 1598) was a daimyo in the Sengoku period who 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. He is noted for a number of cultural legacies, including the restriction that only members of the samurai class could bear arms. Hideyoshi is regarded as Japan's second 'great unifier'.