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.
After Ujikage's death, he was succeeded by his thirteen-year-old son Sadakage, Norikage's nephew. However, not all members of the clan agreed with this appointment, which by 1503 had resulted in the preparation of a conspiracy to change the clan leader. Asakura Kagefusa became the leader of the conspirators and asked Norikage to join the rebellion. Norikage pretended to agree, but only to expose the conspiracy. Thanks to his actions, the rebellion was thwarted, and the rebels' headquarters, located in Tsuruga Castle, was attacked by loyal daimyo. Kagefusa turned to the Hosokawa clan for help, but their detachment was intercepted near Lake Biwa on its way to the province of Etzen. Kagefusa managed to escape to Etzen, where he soon died of illness.
In 1506, Norikage defeated the Ikko-ikki forces at the Battle of Kujuryugawa. In 1517, he commanded an expedition to the Tango province. In 1526, Norikage led the Asakura army sent to aid the Asai clan in their fight against the Rokkaku clan, which strengthened the alliance between the Asai and Asakura clans. In 1527, at the request of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiharu, he fought on the side of the shogunate in the Battle of Sensōjiguchi. In 1531, Norikage again fought against the Ikko-ikki, this time in Kaga Province.
In 1548, Norikage took monastic vows and took the name Soteki. However, neither age nor religion distracted him from his duty as a warrior. In 1555, at the age of seventy-nine, he once again led an army and went to Kaga Province, where he participated in his last campaign against the Ikko-ikki sectarians. After the assault on Daishōji-motete, he felt unwell, handed over command to Asakura Kagetaka, and returned to Itijōnodani, where he died on September 23.
Following his monastic vows, Norikage never married and had no children of his own, but he adopted his nephew Kagetoshi.
Norikage left behind a unique literary legacy, the Asakura Soteki Waki. This is a collection of Norikage's sayings, recorded by one of his closest vassals several years before his death. It includes eighty-three instructions written in the kanamajiri style. This work can be considered Norikage's spiritual testament, reflecting his practical experience and outlook on life. It is completely devoid of the idealism characteristic of previous and subsequent eras. “No matter what a warrior is called — a dog or a wild beast — the main thing for him is to win,” said Norikage. He argued that the fates of the lord and his vassals are one, so there must be harmony between them. Almost all of his teachings are aimed at achieving success in battle, although on the surface they may seem to be devoted to completely different things—morality, horse care, and so on. Undoubtedly, Norikage's advice is not theoretical musings, but ideas tested by personal experience and confirmed by his own life.
See also
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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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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.
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Abe Masakatsu
Masakatsu came from the ancient Abe clan, whose progenitor, according to the Nihon Shoki chronicle, is considered to be Prince Ohiko-no-mikoto (2nd century BC), son of Emperor Kogen. From the Nara period (710–784), members of the Abe clan held high positions in the government, including at the ministerial level, and from the Heian period (794–1185) onwards, the clan gained widespread fame, which continued until the Edo period.
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Toyotomi Hidenaga
Toyotomi Hidenaga was an outstanding military commander and strategist of his time, who was unjustly overshadowed by his half-brother, the great Toyotomi Hideyoshi. At different stages of his life, he was known by the names Kinoshita Koichiro, Hashiba Nagahide, and Hashiba. Despite his relative obscurity among the general public, Hidenaga was considered one of the best minds of his time, on par with the renowned Kuroda Kanbei.
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Matsudaira Nagachika
Matsudaira Nagachika (1473–1544?) was a daimyō of Japan’s Sengoku period and the third son of Matsudaira Chikatada. He was also the great-grandfather of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
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Oishi Yoshio
Oishi Yoshio (April 24, 1659 – March 20, 1703) served as the chamberlain of the Ako Domain in Harima Province, now part of modern-day Hyogo Prefecture, from 1679 to 1701. He is best known as the leader of the Forty-seven Rōnin in their 1703 vendetta and is honored as the central figure in the legendary tale of Chūshingura.
