▁part ▁of ▁the ▁campaign s ▁of ▁Toy ot omi ▁H ide y oshi ▁who ▁sought ▁to ▁domin ate ▁Japan ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁S eng oku ▁period . ▁Having ▁sub j ug ated ▁much ▁of ▁H ons h ū ▁and ▁Sh ik oku , ▁H ide y oshi ▁turned ▁his ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁southern most ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁Japanese ▁islands , ▁Ky ū sh ū , ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 7 . ▁ ▁Cour se ▁of ▁events ▁▁ ▁Batt les ▁had ▁ra ged ▁for ▁the ▁previous ▁few ▁years ▁between ▁the ▁da im y ō ▁of ▁Ky ū sh ū , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 5 8 7 ▁the ▁Sh im azu ▁family ▁of ▁S ats uma ▁were ▁the ▁primary ▁power ▁on ▁the ▁island . ▁In ▁ 1 5 8 6 , ▁they ▁heard ▁of ▁H ide y oshi ' s ▁plans ▁for ▁invasion , ▁and ▁lifted ▁their ▁sie ge ▁of ▁T ach ib ana ▁castle , ▁withdraw ing ▁a ▁great ▁portion ▁of ▁their ▁forces ▁back ▁to ▁H igo ▁province , ▁while ▁the ▁rest ▁stayed ▁in ▁B ung o ▁province . ▁There , ▁they ▁seized ▁Fun ai ▁Castle ▁from ▁the ▁ Ō t omo ▁cl an ▁and ▁prepared ▁for ▁the ▁invasion . ▁ ▁The ▁ Ō t omo ▁were ▁supported ▁by ▁arm ies ▁under ▁S eng oku ▁H ide h isa ▁and ▁Ch ō s ok abe ▁Mot och ika , ▁a ▁major ▁Sh ik oku ▁lord ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁defeated ▁by ▁H ide y oshi ▁the ▁previous ▁year , ▁and ▁had