He is also known as a warrior who participated in many wars from his first battle with his older brother Yoshihiro and younger brother Iehisa, followed by well-known contributions he made to the Siege of Yokokawa-jo castle attack (called Yokokawa-jo seme or Yokokawa kuzure), Yoshihiro's rescue mission, the Siege of Obama-jo castle in the Osumi Province, the Siege of Ito clan, the Battle of the Mimikawa, the Siege of the second Minamata-jo castle, and vice-shogun in the war force of the Higoguchi side led by Yoshihiro in the Bungo Province.
また初陣での奮戦から、兄義弘・弟家久と並び島津家の多くの合戦に参加し、横川城攻め(横川崩れ)、大口市堂ヶ崎における義弘救出戦、大隅国小浜城(大隅国)攻め、伊東氏攻め、耳川の戦い、第二次水俣城攻め、豊後国入りでの義弘が指揮した肥後口側の軍勢の副将などが主な功績として挙げられる。