Akiyama Nobutomo (1527 – December 28, 1575) was a prominent samurai during Japan's Sengoku period. He is renowned as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen" and also served under Shingen's successor, Takeda Katsuyori.
Nobutomo was born in 1527 at Tsutsujigasaki Castle in Kai province. His father, Akiyama Nobutou, hailed from a cadet branch of the Takeda clan and was a descendant of Takeda Mitsutomo. When Nobutomo reached adulthood, he entered the service of Takeda Shingen, the leader of the clan and ruler of Kai province in central Japan's mountainous region. In 1547, during the campaign for the Ina district, Nobutomo distinguished himself in battle and was granted a fief in the northern half of Ina, which corresponds to present-day Kamiina District in Nagano prefecture. Nobutomo's military prowess earned him the nickname Takeda no Mogyu.
By 1568, Nobutomo had gained enough respect to be entrusted with diplomatic missions. In that year, he represented his lord, Takeda Shingen, at the wedding ceremony of Oda Nobutada, the eldest son of Nobunaga, and Matsuhime, the daughter of Shingen, held at Gifu Castle.
In 1571, as part of Takeda Shingen's campaign against Tokugawa Ieyasu, Nobutomo was called back from Iida Castle to lead an invasion of Mino province. His progress was halted by Saigo Yoshikatsu's forces from the Saigo clan. The Battle of Takehiro ensued, resulting in Yoshikatsu's death, but Nobutomo was compelled to retreat.
In 1572, as the Takeda clan launched another campaign, culminating in the Battle of Mikatagahara in January 1573, Nobutomo descended from the north to cut off escape routes and block reinforcements. He laid siege to Iwamura Castle, which eventually surrendered through negotiations with Lady Otsuya, widow of Toyama Kagetou. This strategic move secured Nobutomo's position and aligned Lady Otsuya with him, ultimately resulting in her marriage to Nobutomo.
After Takeda Shingen's passing in 1573, Nobutomo continued to support Shingen's son, Takeda Katsuyori, in his military endeavors.
In 1575, Katsuyori suffered a devastating loss at the Battle of Nagashino, leaving Nobutomo isolated at Iwamura Castle without reinforcement. Despite enduring repeated sieges by Oda Nobutada's forces, Nobutomo and his troops held out until November when Oda Nobunaga arrived with the main army. Realizing that further resistance was futile, Nobutomo signed a truce to surrender the castle. Tragically, Nobunaga violated the truce, resulting in the execution of Nobutomo, his wife (Nobunaga's aunt), and the garrison troops.
On December 28, 1575, Nobutomo and his wife, Lady Otsuya, met their end through crucifixion on the banks of the Nagara River. His holdings in Shinano were then inherited by his eldest son, Akiyama Katsuhisa.
See also
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Watanabe (Hanzo) Moritsuna
Moritsuna was the son of Watanabe Takatsuna, a vassal of the Matsudaira clan. He was the same age as Tokugawa Ieyasu and was held hostage with him by the Imagawa clan. In 1557, Moritsuna joined Ieyasu.
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Ban Naoyuki
He was also known as Ban Danemon. In the early stages of his military career, he served under Kato Yoshiaki, one of the so-called “Seven Spears of Shizugatake,” who later became the ruler of the Aizu region in Mutsu Province. Naoyuki held the position of commander of the arquebusiers (teppo taishō).
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Asakura Toshikage
The Asakura family, who claimed kinship with several emperors, lived in the province of Echizen. Its representatives were considered hereditary vassals of the Shiba clan. From the mid-15th century until their defeat by Oda Nobunaga's army in 1573, which resulted in the final destruction of the Asakura clan, they were a significant military and economic force.
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Asakura Yoshikage
Yoshikage was the eldest son of Asakura Takakage. He began ruling in 1548 at the age of fifteen, and during his reign he twice defeated the Ikko-ikki forces, in 1555 and 1564. Yoshikage supported the Saito family in their struggle against Oda Nobunaga in 1561–1567. When Ashikaga Yoshiaki fled Kyoto in 1565 after the assassination of his older brother, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Yoshikage gave him refuge. However, he was unable to provide sufficient support for Yoshiaki's claim to the title of shogun, and Yoshiaki had to seek help from Oda Nobunaga.
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Asakura Norikage
Norikage came from the ancient samurai clan of Asakura, whose members considered themselves descendants of Prince Kusakabe, son of Emperor Tenmu (631–686). He was the eighth son of daimyo Asakura Takakage and was named Kotaro in childhood. Over time, Asakura Norikage became the pillar of the Asakura clan and was undoubtedly its most talented commander during that difficult period when the clan was experiencing internal difficulties, uprisings by the Ikko-ikki sect, and instability in the lands surrounding the capital. Although Norikage himself was never a daimyo, he served as an advisor to three generations of Asakura clan leaders. He spent his entire life on military campaigns. After his father's death in 1481, Norikage entered the service of his brother, Asakura Ujikage.
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Asai (Azai) Nagamasa
Asai Nagamasa inherited power from his father, Asai Hisamasa, when he was only fifteen years old. Both brave and impulsive, he proved himself a capable commander, managing to regain lands from the Rokkaku clan that had previously been lost by his father. After a territorial dispute with Oda Nobunaga over the province of Mino, Nagamasa formed an alliance with Nobunaga and married his sister Oichi, who was famous for her beauty. In 1570, when Oda Nobunaga declared war on the Asakura family, Nagamasa sided with the Asakura because he had long-standing ties with them. This unexpected move threatened Nobunaga's invasion of the Asakura lands by threatening him from the rear. Oda managed to save his army, not without the help of Tokugawa Ieyasu, but relations between Nobunaga and Asai were permanently damaged.
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Amano Yasukage
Yasukage was born into the family of the samurai Amano Kagetaka and was given the name Matagoro at birth. He later changed his name to Kageyoshi, and then to Yasukage. From an early age, Yasukage served Tokugawa Ieyasu and accompanied him when he was held hostage by Imagawa Yoshimoto. His loyalty and devotion to Ieyasu from a young age laid the foundation for Yasukage's future military and administrative career.
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Amago Tsunekisa
The Amago clan (also spelled Amako) was founded in 1392, when Sasaki Takahisa, who was orphaned at the age of three, took the new surname Amago, meaning “son of a nun,” in honor of the nun who raised him. Since the Sasaki family descended from Emperor Uda (866–931), the Amago clan traced its lineage back to this emperor. From around 1396, the Amago clan's headquarters was the mountain castle of Gassan-Toda in Izumo Province. Until the start of the Onin War, the Amago clan remained a minor clan in the service of the Kyogoku clan, which was also a descendant of the Sasaki clan. The Amago clan historically held the position of vice-governor of Izumo Province.
