Fukushima Ichimatsu was born in 1561, in Futatsudera, Kaitō, Owari Province (present-day Ama, Aichi Prefecture), as the eldest son of barrel merchant Fukushima Masanobu. His mother was the younger sister of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's mother, making Hideyoshi his first cousin.
His first foray into battle took place during the assault on Miki Castle in 1578-1580 in Harima Province. Following the Battle of Yamazaki in 1582, he was rewarded with a 500 koku stipend. In 1583, at the Battle of Shizugatake, he achieved a notable victory over the prominent samurai Haigo Gozaemon. During this battle, Masanori earned the distinction of taking the first head, that of the enemy general Ogasato Ieyoshi. This accomplishment led to a significant increase in his stipend by 5000 koku (while the other each received 3000 Koku). Subsequently, he entered into marriage with Omasa.
Masanori actively participated in many of Hideyoshi's campaigns. It wasn't until after the Kyūshū Expedition in 1587 that he was granted the title of daimyō. He was granted the fief of Imabari in Iyo Province, with an income assessed at 110,000 koku. Shortly thereafter, he played a key role in the Korean Campaign, particularly distinguishing himself by capturing Ch'ongju in 1592.
Following his involvement in the Korean campaign, Masanori took part in the pursuit of Toyotomi Hidetsugu. In 1595, he led a force of 10,000 men, surrounding Seiganji temple on Mount Kōya, and maintained his position until Hidetsugu's eventual suicide. With Hidetsugu's demise, Masanori's stipend saw a substantial increase of 90,000 koku. He also acquired Hidetsugu's former fief of Kiyosu in Owari Province.
In the pivotal year of 1600, Masanori aligned himself with Tokugawa Ieyasu's 'Eastern army' during the Battle of Sekigahara. Later in September, he played a significant role in the Battle of Gifu Castle against Oda Hidenobu of the Ishida Mitsunari western forces, which served as a prelude to the Battle of Sekigahara the following month.
During the main Battle of Sekigahara, Masanori led the Tokugawa advance guard. He initiated the battle, charging north from the Eastern Army's left flank along the Fuji River, directly attacking the Western Army's right center. Masanori's forces engaged in a fierce and bloody confrontation with Ukita Hideie's army, which initially gained the upper hand, pushing back Masanori's troops. However, the pivotal defection of Kobayakawa Hideaki to support the Eastern army forced other units into betrayal. Subsequently, Masanori's forces turned the tide and secured victory for the Eastern Army.
Post-Sekigahara, Masanori took measures to safeguard his domain. Although he later experienced the loss of his holdings, his descendants went on to become hatamoto in the service of the Tokugawa shōgun.
Shortly after the passing of Ieyasu in 1619, Masanori faced accusations of violating the Buke Shohatto by undertaking repairs on a small section of Hiroshima Castle, which had been damaged in a typhoon-induced flood, without official authorization. Despite having submitted a request for permission two months prior, he had not received formal approval from the bakufu. It is believed that he only repaired the leaky section out of necessity. While the matter was initially resolved with the condition that Masanori, who was fulfilling his duty in Edo, would apologize and remove the repaired parts of the castle, the bakufu later accused him of inadequate removal of those parts. Consequently, his territories in Aki and Bingo Provinces, valued at 500,000 koku, were confiscated. In lieu of this, he was granted Takaino Domain, one of four counties in Kawanakajima, Shinano Province, and Uonuma County, Echigo Province, with an assessed value of 45,000 koku. He passed away at the age of 63 in 1624. His descendants continued to serve as Hatamoto in the employ of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
See also
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Hosokawa Sumimoto
Sumimoto came from the Hosokawa clan: he was the biological son of Hosokawa Yoshiharu and at the same time the adopted son of Hosokawa Masamoto, the heir of Hosokawa Katsumoto, one of the principal instigators of the Ōnin War. Masamoto was homosexual, never married, and had no children of his own. At first he adopted Sumiyuki, a scion of the aristocratic Kujō family, but this choice provoked dissatisfaction and sharp criticism from the senior vassals of the Hosokawa house. As a result, Masamoto changed his decision and proclaimed Sumimoto as his heir, a representative of a collateral branch of the Hosokawa clan that had long been based in Awa Province on the island of Shikoku. Almost immediately after this, the boy became entangled in a complex and bitter web of political intrigue.
-
Honda Masanobu
Masanobu initially belonged to the retinue of Tokugawa Ieyasu, but later entered the service of Sakai Shōgen, a daimyo and priest from Ueno. This shift automatically made him an enemy of Ieyasu, who was engaged in conflict with the Ikkō-ikki movement in Mikawa Province. After the Ikkō-ikki were defeated in 1564, Masanobu was forced to flee, but in time he returned and once again entered Ieyasu’s service. He did not gain fame as a military commander due to a wound sustained in his youth; nevertheless, over the following fifty years he consistently remained loyal to Ieyasu.
-
Honda Masazumi
Masazumi was the eldest son of Honda Masanobu. From a young age, he served Tokugawa Ieyasu alongside his father, taking part in the affairs of the Tokugawa house and gradually gaining experience in both military and administrative matters. At the decisive Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Masazumi was part of the core Tokugawa forces, a clear sign of the high level of trust Ieyasu placed in him. After the campaign ended, he was given a highly sensitive assignment—serving in the guard of the defeated Ishida Mitsunari, one of Tokugawa’s principal enemies—an obligation that required exceptional reliability and caution.
-
Hojo Shigetoki
Hōjō Shigetoki, the third son of Hōjō Yoshitoki, was still very young—only five years old—when his grandfather Tokimasa became the first member of the Hōjō clan to assume the position of shogunal regent.
