Baba Nobuharu (1514-15 – June 29, 1575), also known as Baba Nobufusa, was a renowned Japanese samurai during the Sengoku period. He gained fame as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen." When Takeda Shingen captured Fukashi castle (now Matsumoto Castle) in 1550, he entrusted its guardianship to Baba.
Historical records indicate that from around 1553, Baba was tasked with overseeing the Suwa region in Shinano. This area served as a borderland with the northern Daimyo and played a crucial defensive role in monitoring potential invasions from the north. Additionally, he acted as an intermediary for the Shiina family of Etchu.
In 1557, Baba took part in the Kawanakajima campaigns, leading the Takeda forces in the siege and eventual destruction of Katsurayama, a significant stronghold of the Uesugi clan.
In 1562, he received the honor of assuming the title "Mino no Kami," a position previously held by Hara Toratane, who had retired the year before and changed his name to Baba Mino no Kami Nobuharu. The Kōyō Gunkan records that Shingen frequently sought Nobuharu's counsel on matters of importance. In 1572, he played a crucial role in the Siege of Iwamura Castle against the Oda clan garrison.
During the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1573, the troops under Nobuharu's command pursued Tokugawa Ieyasu's army back to Hamamatsu fortress. However, upon seeing the gates open and braziers lit, Baba mistakenly suspected a trap and chose not to further engage the fleeing army.
Following Takeda Shingen's passing, Baba continued to serve his successor, Takeda Katsuyori. In 1575, aware of Nobunaga's involvement in the Battle of Nagashino, he advised Katsuyori to withdraw. Unfortunately, Katsuyori disregarded this counsel.
Leading the right-wing of the Takeda army in the battle, Baba met his end in combat. It is believed that he sacrificed himself to cover the retreat, allowing Katsuyori to escape the battlefield. The deaths of Baba Nobuharu, along with other valiant warriors such as Sanada Nobutsuna, Naito Masayo, and Yamagata Masakage, during the Battle of Nagashino contributed to the weakening and eventual downfall of the Takeda family in 1582.
Prior to Nagashino, Nobuharu had earned a reputation for fighting in 70 battles without sustaining a single injury. This remarkable feat has immortalized him as "Baba Mino the Immortal" or "Oni Mino the Immortal" in modern memory.
See also
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Takeda Nobuyoshi
Takeda Nobuyoshi (1128–1186 or later) was a prominent Japanese samurai lord of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods and the founder of the Takeda clan.
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Tokugawa Iemochi
Tokugawa Iemochi (1846–1866) was the fourteenth shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate and ruled from 1858 until his death. His reign came during the turbulent final years of the shogunate, when Japan faced growing Western pressure and serious internal political conflict.
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Tokugawa Ienari
Tokugawa Ienari (1773–1841) was the eleventh shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate and ruled from 1787 to 1837, making him the longest-serving Tokugawa shōgun. He was a great-grandson of the eighth shōgun, Tokugawa Yoshimune.
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Matsudaira Nobuyasu
Matsudaira Nobuyasu was only twenty years old when his father ordered him to commit seppuku. The reason was not a defeat in battle, but a crisis inside the Tokugawa family that had become too dangerous to ignore.
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Yamagata Masakage
Masakage was one of Takeda Shingen’s most loyal and capable commanders. He was included in the famous list of the “Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen” and also belonged to the inner circle of four especially trusted warlords known as the Shitennō.
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Yagyu Munenori
Yagyū Munenori began his service under Tokugawa Ieyasu while his father, Yagyū Muneyoshi, was still at his side. In 1600, Munenori took part in the decisive Battle of Sekigahara. As early as 1601, he was appointed a kenjutsu instructor to Tokugawa Hidetada, Ieyasu’s son, who later became the second shogun of the Tokugawa clan.
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Yagyu Muneyoshi
A samurai from Yamato Province, he was born into a family that had been defeated in its struggle against the Tsutsui clan. Muneyoshi first took part in battle at the age of sixteen. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he was forced to enter the service of the Tsutsui house and later served Miyoshi Tōkei. He subsequently came under the command of Matsunaga Hisahide and in time became a vassal first of Oda and later of Toyotomi.
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Endo Naozune
Naozune served under Azai Nagamasa and was one of the clan’s leading vassals, renowned for his bravery and determination. He accompanied Nagamasa during his first meeting with Oda Nobunaga and at that time asked for permission to kill Nobunaga, fearing him as an extremely dangerous man; however, Nagamasa did not grant this request.
