Biography of Hideyoshi Toyotomi Hideyoshi Toyotomi is a renowned Japanese military and political figure who played a crucial role in the unification of Japan. He was born in a peasant family in the Owar province (modern-day Aichi prefecture) in As a young man, Hideyoshi aspired to become a samurai and served several military leaders before joining the future ruler of Owar, Oda Nobunaga.