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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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.
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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.
