Matsudaira Nagachika (1473–1544?) was a daimyō of Japan’s Sengoku period and the third son of Matsudaira Chikatada. He was also the great-grandfather of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
In 1496, Nagachika succeeded his father as the head of the main branch of the Matsudaira clan. At the time, the Matsudaira clan was locked in a bitter conflict with the neighboring Imagawa clan over control of Mikawa Province. Shortly after assuming leadership, Nagachika was attacked by Imagawa Ujichika but emerged victorious after a hard-fought battle.
Beyond his military achievements, Nagachika was also skilled in the art of renga poetry. His decade-long leadership was marked by the consolidation of the Matsudaira family's power in Mikawa—a foundation that would later prove crucial for the rise of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
In 1508, conflict with the Imagawa reignited, and Nagachika once again successfully repelled their forces. That same year, he formally passed leadership of the clan to his eldest son, Nobutada, then 28 years old, and retired. However, despite stepping down, Nagachika continued to fight alongside Nobutada and later served as guardian to his grandson, Kiyoyasu.
Nobutada struggled with leadership and alienated many of the Matsudaira clan's vassals. Under pressure and fearing for his life, he relinquished power to his son, Kiyoyasu, and withdrew from public affairs. Nagachika then took on the role of mentor to his grandson, just as he had with his son.
Under Nagachika’s guidance in the early 1530s, Kiyoyasu pressed forward against the Imagawa, particularly in eastern Mikawa. However, internal clan tensions remained. Kiyoyasu faced rivalry from his uncle, Matsudaira Nobusada, and animosity from vassal Abe Masatoyo. On December 5, 1535, Abe Masatoyo assassinated Kiyoyasu, who was just 24 years old at the time.
Following Kiyoyasu’s death, a power struggle over leadership of the Matsudaira clan erupted between Nobusada and Kiyoyasu’s nine-year-old son, Matsudaira Hirotada. Hirotada, who would later become the father of Tokugawa Ieyasu, sought support by aligning himself with the Imagawa clan.Though briefly ousted from Mikawa by Nobusada, Hirotada managed to rally enough support to reclaim leadership. However, Nobusada remained a persistent source of trouble.
Over time, Hirotada solidified his authority, while his great-grandfather, Matsudaira Nagachika, withdrew completely from clan affairs. Nagachika died on August 22, 1544, at the age of 72.
See also
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Oishi Yoshio
Oishi Yoshio (April 24, 1659 – March 20, 1703) served as the chamberlain of the Ako Domain in Harima Province, now part of modern-day Hyogo Prefecture, from 1679 to 1701. He is best known as the leader of the Forty-seven Rōnin in their 1703 vendetta and is honored as the central figure in the legendary tale of Chūshingura.
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Asano Nagaakira
Asano Nagaakira (March 18, 1586 – October 16, 1632) was a Japanese samurai and daimyō of the early Edo period. He initially ruled Wakayama Domain before being transferred to the Hiroshima Domain, where his family would remain until the Meiji Restoration.
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Takigawa Kazumasu
Takigawa Kazumasu (1525 – October 21, 1586), also known as Takikawa Sakon or Sakonshogen, was a prominent samurai and daimyō of the Sengoku period. He served as a loyal retainer and military commander under Oda Nobunaga and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His biological son, Toshimasu, was adopted by Maeda Toshihisa, the elder brother of Maeda Toshiie, and Kazumasu served alongside Toshiie in Nobunaga’s campaigns.
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Sanada Yukitaka
Sanada Yukitaka (c. 1512 – June 8, 1574) was a renowned samurai warrior of the Sengoku period, best known as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen." He was the father of Sanada Nobutsuna and Sanada Masayuki, as well as the grandfather of the legendary Sanada Yukimura, who later served the Toyotomi clan.
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Torii Mototada
Torii Mototada (1539 – September 8, 1600) was a Japanese samurai and daimyo who lived through the Sengoku and late Azuchi–Momoyama periods. A loyal retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu, he is best remembered for his heroic last stand at the Siege of Fushimi, an event that played a crucial role in shaping Japanese history.
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Toyotomi Hideyori
Toyotomi Hideyori (August 28, 1593 – June 4, 1615) was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first unified Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was Oda Nobunaga's niece.
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Okubo Tadanori
Okubo Tadanori (January 13, 1842 – August 10, 1897) was the 9th daimyo of Odawara Domain in Sagami Province (modern-day Kanagawa Prefecture) during the late Edo period. Before the Meiji Restoration, he held the courtesy title of Kaga no Kami.
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Okubo Tadayo
Okubo Tadayo (1532 – October 28, 1594) was a samurai general who served Tokugawa Ieyasu during the Azuchi–Momoyama period and later became the daimyo of Odawara Domain in the early Edo period.
