Ikeda Tsuneoki (1536 – May 18, 1584), also known as Ikeda Nobuteru, was a prominent daimyo of the Ikeda clan and a distinguished military commander during Japan's Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He served under the influential warlords Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Tsuneoki’s connection to Nobunaga began early, as his mother, Yotokuin, was Nobunaga’s wet nurse and later became a concubine to Oda Nobuhide, Nobunaga's father.
Early Life and Background
Tsuneoki’s childhood name is unknown, but he was commonly called Katsuzaburo. His father, Ikeda Tsunetoshi, served Oda Nobuhide. Born in one of several debated provinces (Owari, Mino, Settsu, or Omi), Tsuneoki rose to prominence as one of the four karo (senior retainers) at Kiyosu Castle. He held the title of Kii-no-kami ("Governor of Kii Province") and adopted the courtesy name Shozaburo. Later in life, after becoming a priest, he referred to himself as Shonyū.
Military Achievements
1556–1570: Early Campaigns
- In 1556, Tsuneoki played a key role in suppressing the treasonous Oda Nobuyuki, Nobunaga’s younger brother.
- In 1560, he led forces in the historic Battle of Okehazama against Imagawa Yoshimoto.
- By 1570, he commanded troops at the Battle of Anegawa, contributing to Nobunaga’s victory over the Azai-Asakura alliance.
1571–1577: Consolidation of Power
- Tsuneoki participated in the Siege of Mount Hiei, a campaign to neutralize the militant Buddhist monks of Ishiyama Honganji, and the attacks on Nagashima Ikko-ikki.
- He fought at the Siege of Makishima Castle in 1573, securing the surrender of Ashikaga Yoshiaki, the last Ashikaga shogun.
- Tsuneoki’s victories continued at the Battles of Nagashino (1575) and Tedorigawa (1577), where he fought the Takeda and Uesugi clans, respectively.
1580–1582: Rising Influence
- In 1580, Tsuneoki captured Hanakuma Castle, defeating Araki Murashige, and was rewarded with domains in Settsu Province.
- Following the Incident at Honnō-ji in 1582, Tsuneoki led 4,000 troops under Hashiba Hideyoshi’s command at the Battle of Yamazaki, defeating Akechi Mitsuhide. He also participated in the Kiyosu Castle conference, which determined Nobunaga’s successor.
1583–1584: Final Campaigns
- In 1583, Tsuneoki supported Hideyoshi at the Battle of Shizugatake against Shibata Katsuie, earning 130,000 koku in Mino Province and becoming lord of Ogaki Castle.
- In 1584, during the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute, he captured Inuyama Castle but was ultimately defeated in a decisive engagement at Nagakute. Tsuneoki, along with his eldest son Ikeda Motosuke and son-in-law Mori Nagayoshi, was killed by Tokugawa Ieyasu’s forces.
Legacy
Despite his tragic death, Tsuneoki’s legacy endured through his children. His daughter Ikeda Sen survived the battle, and his second son, Ikeda Terumasa, succeeded him as head of the Ikeda clan. Terumasa later became a prominent daimyo under the Tokugawa shogunate. Tsuneoki is remembered as a loyal and skilled commander who played a crucial role in shaping the political and military landscape of his era.
See also
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
