Toyotomi Hideyoshi was a feudal lord (daimyō). During his ascent to power in the 16th century, he was accomplished in battle, banned arms among nobility and persecuted Christians. Before his death in 1598, he ordered the construction of a Buddhist library in honor of soldiers killed in war. The wooden structure was called Senjokaku meaning Pavilion of 1000 Mats. The Irimoya style hall was never finished although it remains the island’s largest building. Senjō-kaku was later converted into the Toyokuni Shrine and is reserved for Shinto rituals.
