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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Uesugi Kagetora
Uesugi Kagetora (1552 – April 19, 1579) was the seventh son of Hojo Ujiyasu and was originally known as Hojo Saburo. He was adopted by Uesugi Kenshin and intended to be Kenshin's heir. However, in 1578, he was attacked in his Otate Castle by Uesugi Kagekatsu, his brother-in-law, and was ultimately defeated. Kagetora committed suicide the following year at Samegao Castle.
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Hojo Ujinao
Hojo Ujinao (1562 – December 19, 1591) was a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku period and the last leader of the Later Hojo clan. An important figure in Azuchi-Momoyama politics, he lost his entire domain following the Siege of Odawara (1590). Despite this, he survived, and his family continued as minor daimyo during the Edo period.
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Takeda Katsuyori
Takeda Katsuyori (1546 – April 3, 1582) was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period, renowned as the head of the Takeda clan and successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was also the son-in-law of Hojo Ujiyasu. Katsuyori was born to Shingen and the daughter of Suwa Yorishige, known posthumously as Suwa-goryonin and by her real name, Koihime. His children included Takeda Nobukatsu and Takeda Katsuchika.
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Yasuke
Yasuke, an African page, arrived in Japan in 1579 as the attendant of the Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano. Before the arrival of the Englishman William Adams, it is thought that Yasuke was possibly the inaugural non-Japanese samurai, arriving about twenty years earlier.
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Yamanami Keisuke
Yamanami Keisuke, the second in command of the Shinsengumi, a special police force during the late Edo period, shocked many when he performed seppuku on March 20, 1865, at the age of 32.
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Yamamoto Kansuke
Yamamoto Kansuke, renowned as a samurai strategist and one of Takeda Shingen's esteemed 24 Generals, hailed from the Mikawa region, known for breeding formidable warriors. Despite physical challenges—blindness in one eye, lameness in one leg, and a malformed hand—Kansuke embarked on a warrior's pilgrimage in his twenties. Traveling across the land, he honed his skills in strategy, tactics, castle construction, and warfare, engaging in various swordsmanship schools and forms.
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Yamaga Soko
Yamaga Soko was a multifaceted figure in Japanese history, renowned as a strategist, philosopher, and scholar. Later in life, he became a ronin, leaving a significant mark on the understanding of the Tokugawa period samurai.
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William Adams - Miura Anjin
William Adams, also known as Miura Anjin, holds the distinction of being one of the few non-Japanese individuals granted samurai status. Born in Gillingham, Kent, England in 1564, Adams embarked on a remarkable journey that led him to become an influential figure in Japanese history.
