Goto Matabei, also known as Mototsugu, was renowned for his innate combat prowess from the moment of his birth. Hailing from Yamada Village in Harima Province (now a part of Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture), he stood as a revered professional warrior of the Sengoku period. Matabei proudly bore 53 battle scars across his body, testament to his active involvement in numerous conflicts.
Initially aligned with the Kuroda clan under Kuroda Yoshitaka (Kanbei), he received a stipend of 100 koku until Kanbei's passing in 1604. Thereafter, Matabei served Toyotomi Hideyori at Osaka Castle.
Standing at an imposing height of 180cm, Goto Matabei distinguished himself with his fierce valor during Hideyoshi's Korean Campaigns. He was the first to breach the walls of Jinju Castle during the July 21-27 siege of Jinju in 1593. It's said he ingeniously devised an armored wagon to approach and undermine the fortress walls in Korea. Legends also speak of his solo combat with a tiger that had infiltrated the Japanese camp, claiming a horse's life.
He actively participated in the Battle of Sekigahara under Kuroda Nagamasa, commanding as a captain in the Eastern forces. Engaging in some of the most ferocious combat, Matabei led the Kuroda charge against the Western forces' headquarters on Mt. Sasao. Amidst the chaos, mounted on his steed, Matabei clashed with Ohashi Kanmon, a captain in the Western Forces, ultimately claiming the man's head. Matabei was among the samurai who fought under Tokugawa colors that day but later aligned with Hideyori in Osaka.
Goto Matabei earned a place as one of the "Five Heroes of Osaka Castle." His life met its end in the 1615 Siege of Osaka, specifically during the Battle of Domyo-ji against the numerically superior forces of Date Masamune. Despite awaiting reinforcements, an unusually dense mist delayed their arrival. To hold off the Date forces, Matabei and his men employed swift hit-and-run tactics, launching numerous decisive sorties against the enemy. According to accounts, Matabei personally dispatched some 70 to 80 enemies before succumbing to a musket ball. Unable to stand, he performed seppuku on the field. He was 56 years old.
See also
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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.
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Yamanami Keisuke
Yamanami Keisuke, the second in command of the Shinsengumi, a special police force during the late Edo period, shocked many when he performed seppuku on March 20, 1865, at the age of 32.
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Yamamoto Kansuke
Yamamoto Kansuke, renowned as a samurai strategist and one of Takeda Shingen's esteemed 24 Generals, hailed from the Mikawa region, known for breeding formidable warriors. Despite physical challenges—blindness in one eye, lameness in one leg, and a malformed hand—Kansuke embarked on a warrior's pilgrimage in his twenties. Traveling across the land, he honed his skills in strategy, tactics, castle construction, and warfare, engaging in various swordsmanship schools and forms.
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Yamaga Soko
Yamaga Soko was a multifaceted figure in Japanese history, renowned as a strategist, philosopher, and scholar. Later in life, he became a ronin, leaving a significant mark on the understanding of the Tokugawa period samurai.
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William Adams - Miura Anjin
William Adams, also known as Miura Anjin, holds the distinction of being one of the few non-Japanese individuals granted samurai status. Born in Gillingham, Kent, England in 1564, Adams embarked on a remarkable journey that led him to become an influential figure in Japanese history.
