Born in modern-day Ibaragi City, Osaka, in 1542, the daimyo Nakagawa Kiyohide, also known as Nakagawa Toranosuke in his childhood and commonly referred to as Nakagawa Sebe, began his journey in the service of Ikeda Katsumasa, the daimyo of Settsu (now spanning Osaka and Hyogo Prefectures). However, he later sought independence.
In 1568, when Oda Nobunaga seized Kyoto under the pretext of aiding the Ashikaga Shogunate, the Ikeda clan, and Nakagawa Kiyohide's forces opposed him. Overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of Oda forces, both Kiyohide and Ikeda Katsumasa surrendered. Another encounter with Nobunaga occurred in 1578 when Araki Murashige of Itami Castle rebelled. Kiyohide followed suit, prompting Nobunaga to amass a formidable attack force. Once again, Kiyohide surrendered and, in an effort to reconcile with Nobunaga, turned his forces against the Araki clan. Pardoned by Nobunaga, Kiyohide subsequently served under Niwa Nagashige and Ikeda Tsuneoki, participating in several battles.
After Nobunaga's death in 1582, Kiyohide remained loyal to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, contributing to the Battle of Yamazaki. However, in the following year, during the Battle of Shizugatake, Nakagawa Kiyohide met his end while defending Oiwayama Toride, a small fort, falling to the forces led by Shibata Katsuie's general, Sakuma Morimasa.
Kiyohide's younger sister married Furuta Shigenari (Furuta Oribe), and his sons included Hidemasa, who married Oda Nobunaga's daughter, Tsuruhime, and Hidenari, who became the Daimyo of Oka (Oita in Kyushu).
See also
-
Mashita Nagamori
Nagamori possessed remarkable diplomatic and administrative talent while remaining a brave warrior. He is believed to have come from the village of Mashita in the province of Owari, which today is part of Aichi Prefecture. He was a vassal of Oda Nobunaga and later served Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In the Battle of Komaki–Nagakute in 1584, Nagamori took at least two enemy heads. Later, he was entrusted with overseeing major public construction projects, including the reconstruction of Fushimi Castle and the building of the large Sanjō and Gojō bridges in Kyoto.
-
Magara Jurōzaemon Naotaka
Magara Jurōzaemon Naotaka was a vassal of Asakura Yoshikage from the province of Echizen, and very little is known about his life, including even the exact year of his birth. Magara gained his renown through his heroic death at the Battle of Anegawa in 1570. In this battle, the combined forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu confronted the armies of Asai and Asakura, with Ieyasu taking command of the left flank and fighting against the Asakura forces. After crossing the shallow Anegawa River, which separated the two armies, Tokugawa’s finest generals — Honda Tadakatsu and Sakakibara Yasumasa — launched an assault on the headquarters of Asakura Kagetake, the commander-in-chief of the Echizen army. The attack by Honda Tadakatsu was so swift that Kagetake found himself almost completely surrounded by enemy troops.
-
Kusunoki Masashige
Kusunoki Masashige was, without exaggeration, a genius of guerrilla warfare. If not for this talented commander, Emperor Go-Daigo would likely have failed not only to ascend the throne, but even to put up any real resistance against the powerful Hojo clan.
-
Kobayakawa Takakage
Kobayakawa Takakage was rightfully considered one of the most intelligent men of his era. Even Kuroda Kanbei, the celebrated strategist famed for his cunning—about whom people said he could outwit even a fox—admitted that Takakage was his equal in intellect, and at times even surpassed him. After the death of his father, Mōri Motonari, Takakage effectively governed the Mōri clan for many years while serving as advisor to his nephew, Mōri Terumoto.
-
Kira Chikazane
Chikazane, the son of Kira Chikasada and the nephew of the famous daimyō Chōsokabe Motochika, was married to his cousin, Motochika’s daughter. From a young age he showed great talent and promise, but his character was marked by a quick temper and a tendency toward sharp, sometimes aggressive behavior.
-
Kyōgoku Takatsugu
From the very beginning of his career, Takatsugu served under Oda Nobunaga and was married to Nobunaga’s niece, which secured him a strong position at court and close ties to one of the most powerful clans of the era. However, the events of 1582 drastically changed his fate. When Akechi Mitsuhide rebelled against Nobunaga and treacherously killed him at the Honnō-ji Temple, Takatsugu sought to take advantage of the ensuing chaos to strengthen his own standing. He launched an attack on Nagahama Castle in Ōmi Province, hoping to expand his territories. The assault, however, was repelled, and soon after, Mitsuhide was defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s forces at the Battle of Yamazaki, leaving Takatsugu without allies or support.
-
Kato Yoshiaki
Yoshiaki, a loyal vassal of the Oda clan, first distinguished himself as a talented warrior during the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583. For his bravery and outstanding military achievements, he was included in the famous group known as the “Seven Spears of Shizugatake” — an elite band of samurai celebrated for their exceptional courage in that battle. Later, Yoshiaki became one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s naval admirals and took an active part in his subsequent military campaigns. He commanded warships during the expeditions to Kyushu and the siege of Odawara, demonstrating not only valor but also exceptional leadership and strategic skill. For his loyal service and effective command, Yoshiaki was granted an estate in Matsuzaki with an annual income of 100,000 koku of rice — a symbol of significant rank and prosperity.
-
Katagiri Katsumoto
Katsumoto was born into the family of Katagiri Naomasa, who came from an ancient and noble lineage. The Katagiri clan had served the early shoguns of the Minamoto house for over five centuries and held lands in the northern part of Shinano Province.
