Amakasu (Kagemochi) Omi-no-kami – Article 22
?–1604; one of the best retainers to Uesugi Kenshin and famous for his bravery, he moved to Yonezawa, accompanying the Lord of the Uesugi clan and died there of natural causes.
Amago Haruhisa – Article 41
1514–1561; the grandson of Amago Tsunehisa – who was the Shugo daimyo of Izumo province – Haruhisa led this influential family from the age of 23. He competed with the Ouchi clan for a prolonged period but he died suddenly at the age of 47.
Amago Katsuhisa – Article 41
1553–1578; After the Amago family was ruined by Mouri Motonari in 1568, the retainers tried to restore the clan by helping Katsuhisa retake the clan. They were defeated by Mouri and their attempt failed. Therefore, they served under Oda Nobunaga’s control and as part of Hideyoshi’s campaign over west Honshu, when Amago took Kozuki Castle against the Mouri clan. However, Oda’s support collapsed and the castle surrendered in the end. Amago killed himself at the age of 26 after the surrender.
Ando Chosaburo – Articles 35 and 56
Unknown dates; a retainer of Ii Naotaka. Due to him taking the head of Kimura Nagato-no-kami, he was a given 500 koku salary, however, he was not happy with this amount and left the Ii clan and consulted with his influential relative, Ando Tatewaki. Tatewaki in anger forced the Ii clan to rehire Chosaburo at the salary of 1,000 koku.
Ando Tatewaki – Article 56
1555–1635; a close retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu, trusted by Ieyasu so much so that he was assigned as a senior counsellor of Kishu in 1610 with a 38,000 koku salary. He died of natural causes.
Asahina Sozaemon – Article 56
Unknown dates; was a retainer to Imagawa Ujizane.
Asai Kii-no-kami Yoshinaga – Article 61
1576–1613; retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, his father was Hideyoshi’s brother-in-law. Took the East side (Ieyasu side) in the Battle of Sekigahara and after the victory was given 378,000 koku of Kishu domain and died in Wakayama from disease. The family then moved, in the early seventeenth century, to Hiroshima Domain.
Ashikaga Takauji – Article 21
1305–1358; he was a vassal of the Kamakura shogunate and ordered to gain supremacy over the Emperor Godaigo, who had raised an army against the shogunate with the help of Kusunoki Masashige. Takauji settled this dispute, however, two years later, he decided to take sides with the Emperor Godaigo and drove the shogunate to collapse in 1333. However, the restoration to full power made by the Emperor Godaigo totally failed and Takauji raised an army against the emperor and founded the Ashikaga shogunate in 1338.
Ashina Yoshihiro (also: Morishige) – Article 48
1575–1631; second son of Satake Yoshishige, who was a very powerful daimyo in north Honshu. Adopted by and inherited the Ashina clan, which was also a very powerful daimyo family, at the age of 12. He was defeated by Date Masamune in the Battle of Suriagehara and fled home, to Satake. His land was confiscated by Hideyoshi but later 16,000 koku was given back in the Edo period. He died from disease at the age of 57.
Atsumi Gengo – Article 47
Unknown dates; a retainer to Tokugawa Ieyasu, he features in a poem alongside Hattori Hanzo and Watanabe Hanzo as a great retainer, his nickname was ‘Headhunter Gengo’.
Baba Mino-no-kami Nobufusa – Article 56
1514–1575; one of the twenty-four generals for Takeda Shingen and served the Takeda clan for more than forty years. He fought more than seventy battles and is said to have never received a single injury.
Ban Dan’emon Naoyuki – Articles 56 and 60
1567–1615; retainer of Kato Yoshiaki. In the Korean Campaigns, he performed great deeds and for this was assigned as the head of 200 musketeers at the Battle of Sekigahara. However, when the battle began, he himself charged into the enemy with a spear, leaving his men behind. He was accused of this misdeed later and left the clan. He served various different lords but it did not work because of his former lord’s intervening in the matter. He joined the Osaka side in the famous sieges and was killed in the Summer Siege of 1615.
Cho Kurozaemon-no-jo Tsuratatsu – Article 30
1546–1619; he was from the Cho clan who served the Hatakeyama clan in Noto. In 1577, his family were all killed by Yusa Tsugumitsu and Nukui Kagetora, who were also retainers of the Hatakeyama and only Tsuratatsu survived. He moved to serve Oda Nobunaga and after years of fighting both Yusa and Nukuui, he finally succeeded in killing Yusa Tsugumitsu and his son in 1581. After Nobunaga’s death he became a key vassal of the Maeda clan of Kaga province.
Date Awa-no-kami Shigezane – Article 48
1568–1646; cousin and retainer of Date Masamune, given approximately a 38,000 koku salary by Masamune, but left the clan for some reason unknown. Returned to the clan five years later and served as a senior councillor under Masamune’s son. Died in 1646 of natural causes.
Date Masamune – Articles 21, 34, 48 and 52
1567–1636; a Sengoku period daimyo of the Dewa and Mutsu provinces. Through battles against those clans in north Honshu, he took hold of the entire area. He barely survived conflicts with Hideyoshi and Ieyasu, and became the first lord of Sendai province, which was the third biggest economic power at that time. Died from disease at the age of 70. He liked gorgeous and magnificent clothing so ‘Date’ came to mean ‘fashionable’. Darth Vader’s mask was allegedly created based on images of this helmet.
Date Terumune – Article 34
1544–1585; father of the above Date Masamune, according to the story, he was killed by his son or his son’s troops as they tried to rescue him from Nihonmatsu, who had kidnapped him in 1585.
Echizen Shosho Tadanao – Article 14
1595–1650; his father, Yuki Hideyasu, was the second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was the daimyo of Fukui.
Eguchi Saburozaemon – Article 8
Unknown dates; a retainer of Niwa Nagashige of Kaga province, he later served Yuki Hideyasu with the fief of 10,000 koku.
Fukushima Saemon-dayu Masanori – Article 17, 39 and 55
1561–1624; retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, then Tokugawa Ieyasu and Okugawa Hidetada. Given a very high fief and position by Hideyoshi, but after the latter’s death, and due to the conflicts with Ishida Mitsunari, he took the Tokugawa side. Because of his great feats in the Battle of Sekigahara, he was given 490,000 koku. However, in 1619 he was punished for his infringement of the laws (which may have been a political issue) and deprived of most of his fief.
Fukushima Tanba-no-kami Harushige – Article 39
1557–1630; a retainer to the Fukushima clan and on a salary of 30,000 koku, he became a ronin after Fukushima Masanori lost his position, and died in Kyoto.
Fuwa Mokubei – Article 30
?–1600; retainer of Niwa Nagashige, died in the Battle of Asai Nawate.
Gamo Shimotsukeno-kami Tadasato – Article 37
1602–1628; grandson to Gamo Ujisato, he inherited Aizu province of 600,000 koku at the age of 10 but died from smallpox at the age of 26.
Gamo Ujisato – Articles 17 and 45
1556–1595; a retainer of Oda Nobunaga and afterwards, of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was Nobunaga’s son-in-law and was given Aizu province of 420,000 koku by Hideyoshi. He died from disease at the age of 40.
Genzanmi (also, Minamoto-no) Nyudo Yorimasa – Article 2
1104–1180; he was the primary warrior of the Minamoto clan. After decades of clashes between Minamoto and the Taira clans, Yorimasa raised an army and defended Byodoin temple. He killed himself at Byodoin and legend says that his retainers took his head away so that the enemy could not get it. He was also famous as an excellent poet.
Goto Matabei Mototsugu – Article 35
1560–1615; retainer of KurodaYoshitaka. After Yoshitaka’s death, he left the Kuroda clan due to the conflicts with Yoshitaka’s son. Though he had several offers to serve powerful daimyo, he became ronin because of interference from Yoshitaka’s son. At the Sieges of Osaka, he joined the Toyotomi sid
e and was killed in 1615.
Hachisuka Awa-no-kami – Articles Yoshishige 46 and 60
1586–1620; served Toyotomi Hideyoshi but at the Battle of Sekigahara, took the side of Tokugawa. Given 257,000 koku as an income but died from disease at the age of 35.
Haiga Jidayu – Article 30
Unknown dates; a retainer to Niwa Nagashige, he died in the Battle of Asai Nawate.
Hajikano Den’emon – Article 7
1545–1624; a retainer of the Takeda clan, after the Takeda clan was ruined he served the Tokugawa clan and died from disease.
Haneda Inaba-no-kami – Article 48
Unknown dates; a retainer to the Date clan.
Hattori Den’emon – Article 37 and 56
Unknown dates; no information is known on him bar the articles in this book.
Hattori Hanzo – Article 47
1542–1597; born in Mikawa province from an Iga background he served Tokugawa Ieyasu and was one of the sixteen Great Generals. Known as Devil Hanzo apparently for his outstanding tactics in warfare. He was awarded a spear for his battle achievements and led a force of 200 Iga-no-Mono (ninja) under the Tokugawa clan. Hanzomon, ‘the gate of Hanzo’ – a principle gate in Edo Castle – is named after him, as is the modern train line. He appears in the poem with ‘Spear Hanzo’ and ‘Head-Taker Gengo’.
Hojo Ujimasa – Articles 21 and 60
1538–1590; the fourth inheritor of the Go-Hojo clan, a Sengoku family in Kanto district. Together with Ujiyasu, his father, their territory became the largest in the clan’s history and approximated to 2,400,000 koku during the period of his lordship; but in 1590, at the Siege of Odawara by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, after months of defending Odawara Castle, he surrendered and killed himself.
Hojo Ujiyasu – Articles 15, 21, 25 and 60
1515-1571; the third inheritor of the Go-Hojo clan. While achieving a triple alliance with the Takeda and Imagawa clans, he successfully expanded his territory through battles against the Uesugi, Ashikaga and other clans. He died from disease at the age of 57.
Hojo Saemon-dayu Tsunashige – Article 15
1515–1587; a retainer of the Go-Hojo clan and son-in-law to Hojo Ujitsuna. On the night of the Battle of Kawagoe, a famous Go-Hojo victory, he achieved the greatest feat and was given Kawagoe Castle. He became a monk after Ujiyasu died in 1571.
Hojo Tango-no-kami Kagehiro – Article 56
1548–1579; a retainer to Uesugi Kenshin. In the war of Odate, which took place over the succession to the family headship after the death of Kenshin, he fought for Uesugi Kagetori and was killed by Ogino Shume.
Honda Hachizo Shigetsugu – Article 56
1529–1596; a retainer to the Tokugawa clan, he was famous for his great feats in battle and ability in the political arena. He died from disease at the age of 68.
Honda Heihachiro Tadakatsu – Article 10
1548–1610; a retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu, given 100,000 koku as salary, the second largest given to one of Ieyasu’s direct retainers. He died from disease at the age of 63.
Honda Sanya Masashige – Article 42
1545–1617; a retainer of the Tokugawa clan but left their service in 1575 and served Takigawa Kazumasa, Maeda Toshiie and Gamo Ujisato, but went back to Tokugawa in 1596. He became a daimyo and was given 10,000 koku and died at the age of 73.
Horio Tatewaki Yoshiharu – Article 50
1544–1611; used to be a close retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi but took the side of Tokugawa at the Battle of Sekigahara. He died at the age of 68.
Ikeda Musashi-no-kami Terunao – Article 11
1584–1616; the second inheritor of the Ikeda clan, which was a powerful daimyo family in Okayama. He died at the age of 33 – a popular belief says he was poisoned by his stepmother.
Ibano Todayu – Article 11
Unknown dates; a retainer to Ikeda Terunao, he was famous for his mastery in archery.
Ii Kamon-no-kami Naotaka – Article 35
1590–1659; a retainer to Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tokugawa Hidetada. He was the second daimyo of Hikone province and died at the age of 70.
Ikeda Shokuro Motosuke – Article 56
c.1559–1584; son of Ikeda Tsuneoki and first retainer of Oda Nobunaga. After Nobunaga’s death, he became a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. When his father was given Ogaki Castle in Mino province, he also was assigned as lord of Gifu Castle. They were both killed at the Battle of Nagakute.
Ikeda Shonyu Tsuneoki – Article 56
1536–1584; a retainer to Oda Nobunaga. After the death of Nobunaga, took sides with Hideyoshi. He was killed in the Battle of Nagakute against Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Imagawa Ujizane – Article 21
1538–1614; a Sengoku period daimyo of Suruga, Mikawa and Totoumi provinces. After his father was killed by Oda Nobunaga at the Battle of Okehazama, his territory grew smaller and smaller, and was attacked by Tokugawa Ieyasu and thus surrendered. Given refuge and harboured by the Go-Hojo and Tokugawa until he died in 1614.
Imagawa Yoshimoto – Articles 56 and 57
1519–1560; father to the above and a Sengoku period daimyo of Suruga, Mikawa, Totoumi provinces. He was killed in the Battle of Okehazama. The Imagawa clan was ruined 9 years after this battle.
Inawashiro Moritane – Article 48
Unknown dates; a retainer of the Ashina clan.
Inoue Kanzaemon – Article 30
Unknown dates; a retainer to Ota Tajima-no-Kami.
Inoue Kurozaemon Yukifusa – Article 23
1554–1634; a chief vassal of the Kuroda clan, he was to serve over four generations of the lord’s family.
Ishida Jibunosho Mitsunari – Articles 20, 30 and 50
1560–1600; a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Hideyori. After the death of Hideyoshi, he confronted the then renegade Tokugawa Ieyasu and fought with him at the Battle of Sekigahara, splitting the country in half. He was defeated and captured alive, displayed in public and decapitated in Kyoto.
Iwata Denzaemon – Article 30
Unknown dates; a retainer to Ota Tajima-no-kami.
Izutsu On’na-no-suke – Article 16
Unknown dates; all that is known about him appears in Article 16.
Kaganoe Yahachiro – Article 50
1561–1600; a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and lord of Kaganoi Castle in Mino with 10,000 koku. He attacked Horie Yoshiharu and Mizuno Tadashige and was killed by Horie.
Kakizaki Izumi-no-kami – Kageie Article 22
?–1575; a close retainer of Uesugi Kenshin. Due to a suspicion that he was communicating secretly with Oda Nobunaga, he was killed by order of Kenshin.
Kanazawa Bicchu Tanemasa – Article 43
Unknown dates; father of Kanazawa Chubyoe, a retainer of Souma Yoshitane.
Kanazawa Chubyoe Masao – Article 43
?–1635; a close retainer of Souma Yoshitane. When his lord Yoshitane died, he killed himself to follow his lord to the grave and was buried alongside him.
Katakura Kojuro – Article 48
1557–1615; close retainer and tactician of Date Masamune, died from disease at the age of 59.
Kato Akinari – Article 53
1592–1661; son of Kato Sama-no-suke Yoshiaki, he inherited Aizu province which was worth 400,000 koku. Greedy and cruel as a person, in 1639 an incident took place where a senior councillor, Hori Mondo, left the clan and attacked positions as he left, firing muskets at the castle and breaking through checkpoints. Akinari sent off pursuers and from there Hori went up to Mt Koya and sent a petition asking the shogun for help. As a result, Hori Mondo was handed over to Akinari, and he was executed by being buried up to his neck while people sawed at his neck with a bamboo saw. This was followed by lots of criticism and the shogunate deprived him of his fief, with a 10,000 koku income saved for his son, which was issued in 1643. Akinari retired then and in 1661 he died at the age of 69.
Kato Sama-no-suke Yoshiakira – Articles 37 and 53
1563–1631; a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After
Hideyoshi’s death, he took the side of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Kawada Hachisuke – Article 4
?–1626; a retainer of Kobayakawa Takakage.
Kawai Sanjuro – Article 56
Unknown dates; a retainer of Ban Naomasa.
Kawajiri Yohyoe Hidetaka – Article 56
1527–1582; a retainer to the Oda clan. After the Incident of Honnoji, where Nobunaga died, he did not withdraw from Koshu – like other retainers – in an attempt to keep the territory, but he ended up being killed in a riot.
Kawamura Shinpachiro – Articles 46 and 56
Unknown date; a retainer of Mizuno Katsunari.
Kawagi Gorozaemon – Article 53
Unknown dates; a retainer of Kato Yoshiaki.
Kawaya Shinzaemon – Article 56
Unknown dates; a retainer of Mouri Terumoto.
Kimura Nagato-no-kami Shigenari – Articles 35 and 56
?–1615; a retainer to Toyotomi Hideyori. Shigenari’s mother was Hideyori’s nursemaid and he served Hideyori from a very young age. When he was killed in the Summer Siege of Osaka in 1615, his wife, whom he had been married to for five months, was pregnant and she became a nun after she delivered a son. She killed herself after she held the one-year anniversary of her husband’s death.
Samurai War Stories Page 14
