Bessho Nagaharu (1558 – February 2, 1580) was a prominent Japanese daimyo during the Sengoku period. son of Bessho Yasuharu.
In 1578, Oda Nobunaga rallied his retainers for an assault on the Mori clan. Initially, Nagaharu contemplated forming an alliance with the Oda clan. However, upon learning that the less esteemed general Hashiba Hideyoshi, whom he held little regard for, was leading the troops, Nagaharu rebelled. Instead, he joined forces with Hatano Hideharu of Tanba province.
Nagaharu made a determined stand at Miki Castle, facing a siege orchestrated by Hideyoshi's forces under the orders of Nobunaga. The Siege of Miki proved to be a formidable challenge for Hideyoshi. Coupled with a rebellion led by Araki Murashige and the assistance of the Mori clan, Nagaharu effectively repelled the Oda force.
In 1579, Hideyoshi returned with a different strategy. Rather than launching a direct assault, he initiated multiple sieges against smaller castles like Kamiyoshi Castle and Sigata Castle to sever support from the Mori clan. This tactic led to a rapid depletion of food supplies. By 1580, with no prospects of further reinforcement from the Mori clan, Nagaharu chose to commit seppuku in exchange for the lives of the troops defending Miki Castle.
See also
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Oda Nobutada
Oda Nobutada (1557 – June 21, 1582) was a samurai and the eldest son of Oda Nobunaga, known for his active role in several battles during Japan's Sengoku period. He led armies under his father's command in campaigns against Matsunaga Hisahide and the Takeda clan.
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Imagawa Ujizane
Imagawa Ujizane (1538 – January 27, 1615) was a Japanese daimyō who lived through the Sengoku and early Edo periods. He became the tenth head of the Imagawa clan, following in the footsteps of his father, Imagawa Yoshimoto. Ujizane was the father of Imagawa Norimochi and Shinagawa Takahisa.
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Hojo Ujiyasu
Hojo Ujiyasu (1515 – October 21, 1571), the third head of the Odawara Hojo clan, was a formidable daimyo known as the "Lion of Sagami." Revered as a fearsome samurai and brilliant strategist, he became famous for successfully breaking sieges by renowned warlords Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. Ujiyasu was the son of Hojo Ujitsuna, and his only known wife was Zuikei-in, sister of Imagawa Yoshimoto. Among his children were Hojo Ujimasa and Uesugi Kagetora.
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Hojo Ujimasa
Hojo Ujimasa (1538 – August 10, 1590) was the fourth leader of the later Hojo clan and the daimyo of Odawara. He continued his father Hojo Ujiyasu's policy of territorial expansion, achieving the largest territorial holdings in the clan's history.
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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.
