Kuki Yoshitaka entered the world in Shima, along the southern coast of Mie Prefecture, in 1542. Hailing from a family that once held mastery over two castles, Yoshitaka faced adversity early on. At the tender age of nine, his father's demise plunged the family into hardship, resulting in the loss of their territories and a life on the run.
When Oda Nobunaga launched an invasion into the neighboring Ise province, targeting Kitabatake Tomonori and the Kitabatake clan in 1569, Kuki pledged loyalty to Nobunaga. He played a pivotal role by providing naval support for the annexation of Mie. Kuki showcased his maritime prowess during the naval blockade of the Nagashima Ikko-Ikki uprising, aiding Nobunaga in overcoming the militant followers of the Hongan-ji Temple.
In the Battle of Kizugawaguchi in 1576, where Kuki faced superior naval forces from the Mori clan, his ships were set ablaze at sea. Enraged by the defeat, Nobunaga tasked Kuki Yoshitaka with devising a strategy to conquer the Mori fleet. In response, Yoshitaka created what is believed to be the world's first ironclad warships in 1578. Deploying six of these formidable vessels, accompanied by a fleet of smaller ships, Kuki confronted a Mori armada comprising 600 vessels.
The ensuing Second Battle of Kizugawaguchi resulted in victory for Yoshitaka, earning him additional territories and a promotion to daimyo status.
In 1582, Kuki Yoshitaka served Nobunaga's son, Nobukatsu, during the tumultuous Honno-ji Incident orchestrated by Akechi Mitsuhide. Two years later, he aligned with former Oda clan statesman Takigawa Kazumasu in the service of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, participating in the Battle of Komaki Nagakute against the Tokugawa. Remaining a loyal vassal of the Toyotomi clan, he received the Toshi-gun in the Toba region, where he constructed Toba Castle in 1585.
As the Battle of Sekigahara unfolded in 1600, Yoshitaka sided with the Toyotomi loyalists of the Western forces led by Ishida Mitsunari. However, strategically, his son Moritaka fought for the Eastern side with the Tokugawa clan. This tactical move aimed to secure the family name's preservation, ensuring a family member's presence among the victors. Following the defeat of the Western forces, Yoshitaka abandoned Toba Castle and retreated to Toshijima, the largest island off Toba's coast.
Simultaneously, his son Moritaka sought clemency for his father from Tokugawa Ieyasu, securing an amnesty. Unfortunately, news of the pardon reached Yoshitaka on Toshijima after he had already performed seppuku.
He passed away at the age of 58, in close proximity to the foundation of his cherished naval fleet. Per his wishes, his head rests atop a hill overlooking Toba Castle, while his body finds its final resting place at the hill's base.
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.
