Niwa Nagahide, born in 1535 in Aichi, Owari Province (present-day Nishi-ku in Nagoya City), played a crucial role in the historical landscape of feudal Japan. Directly serving Oda Nobunaga, he earned a distinguished position as one of Nobunaga's most esteemed senior vassals.
Throughout his career, Nagahide actively participated in numerous significant battles, showcasing his unwavering loyalty. The Battle of Nagakute in 1584 stands as an exception, as illness prevented his direct involvement in the fighting during that campaign.
Nobunaga held Nagahide in high regard, exemplified by Nagahide's marriage to Nobunaga's adopted daughter. Additionally, his son, Nagashige, wed Nobunaga's fourth daughter. In recognition of his leadership prowess, Nagahide was granted Wakasa Province (currently southern Fukui Prefecture) and Sawayama Castle in Omi (Shiga Prefecture). Nobunaga entrusted him with the construction of Azuchi Castle, showcasing the deep trust between lord and vassal.
A significant honor came in 1581 when Niwa Nagahide was selected to lead a grand military parade orchestrated by Nobunaga. This spectacle served both as a demonstration of authority and as public entertainment for the Emperor, the Imperial Court, foreign missionaries, and the people of Kyoto.
Tragedy struck in 1582 when Nagahide accompanied Oda Nobutaka on a campaign to quell Shikoku, following Nobunaga's orders. However, the campaign was abruptly halted by the Honno-ji Incident, where Akechi Mitsuhide betrayed and felled Nobunaga. Promptly abandoning the campaign, Nagahide joined forces with Toyotomi Hideyoshi to avenge their fallen master. He continued to support Hideyoshi during the Kiyosu Kaigi, a pivotal meeting held at Kiyosu Castle to determine the future of the Oda clan.
Nagahide played a crucial role in the conflict against Shibata Katsuie at Shizugatake under Hideyoshi's leadership. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded Echizen and Kaga Provinces (present-day Fukui and Ishikawa Prefectures), attaining daimyo status with an income of 1,230,000 koku.
Regrettably, Niwa Nagahide passed away on May 15, 1585. While some records attribute his death to illness, others suggest that he committed seppuku, driven by a sense of guilt for inadvertently playing a significant role in Hideyoshi's rise to power within the Oda clan.
See also
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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.
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Araki Murashige
Araki Murashige (1535 – June 20, 1586) was a samurai and retainer of Ikeda Katsumasa, the head of the powerful Settsu-Ikeda clan in Settsu Province. Initially serving under Katsumasa, he aligned himself with Oda Nobunaga after Nobunaga’s successful campaign to establish control over Kyoto.
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Yuki Hideyasu
Yuki Hideyasu (March 1, 1574 – June 2, 1607) was a Japanese samurai who lived during the Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods, serving as the daimyō of Fukui Domain in Echizen Province. Born Tokugawa Ogimaru, he was the second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Lady Oman (also known as Lady Kogō), a handmaiden to Ieyasu’s wife, Lady Tsukiyama. Due to Ieyasu’s fears of his wife’s reaction to Oman’s pregnancy, Ogimaru and his twin brother were born in secrecy at the home of Honda Shigetsugu, one of Ieyasu’s retainers. Oman’s other son eventually became a priest, while Ogimaru was raised apart from Ieyasu, whom he only met at the age of three, in a meeting arranged by his older half-brother, Matsudaira Nobuyasu.
