Oda Nobutaka (1558–1583) was a samurai of the Oda clan, also known as Kanbe Nobutaka after being adopted as the head of the Kanbe clan, which governed the central region of Ise Province. He was the third son of Oda Nobunaga, born to a concubine named Sakashi. Nobutaka was referred to as "San Shichi," possibly because he was born on the seventh day of the third month in the Japanese lunar calendar. However, there is a theory suggesting he was born twenty days earlier than his elder brother, Oda Nobukatsu, but due to delays in reporting and the low status of his mother’s family, he was acknowledged as Nobunaga’s third son.
In 1568, after Nobunaga secured control of Ise Province, Nobutaka became the head of the Kanbe clan, ruling from Kanbe Castle near present-day Suzuka, Mie. In contrast, his brother Nobukatsu was adopted into the powerful Kitabatake clan and governed a much larger territory in southern Ise. Missionaries of the time noted that Nobutaka had a better character than Nobukatsu, despite holding a smaller domain.
In 1577, Nobutaka led a successful siege of Ota Castle (near modern Wakayama Castle) and suppressed the Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist uprising (Saika Ikki) in Kii Province. By 1582, Nobutaka was tasked with leading an army against Shikoku, commanding notable retainers such as Niwa Nagahide and Tsuda Nobuzumi, the son of Nobunaga’s younger brother, Nobuyuki.
Before the campaign began, Nobunaga was assassinated by Akechi Mitsuhide at Honnō-ji. Upon learning of his father’s death, Nobutaka returned to Osaka and executed Nobuzumi, who was married to Mitsuhide’s daughter, suspecting him of collusion with Mitsuhide. Though there was no evidence to support this, Nobutaka’s actions underscored the chaos of the period. He then allied with Hashiba Hideyoshi (later Toyotomi Hideyoshi), and together they defeated Mitsuhide’s forces at the Battle of Yamazaki.
After Nobunaga's death, disputes over succession arose. Nobutaka and Nobukatsu clashed during a council at Kiyosu Castle. Ultimately, Oda Hidenobu was declared Nobunaga’s heir. Nobutaka was granted Mino Province, previously ruled by his eldest brother, Oda Nobutada, who had been killed by Mitsuhide. However, this reward fell short of Nobutaka's expectations.
In 1583, Nobutaka allied with Shibata Katsuie and Takigawa Kazumasu in a rebellion against Hideyoshi. The alliance faltered when Nobutaka was besieged at Gifu Castle by Nobukatsu, Katsuie was defeated at the Battle of Shizugatake, and Kazumasu suffered defeat at Kameyama. Nobutaka ultimately surrendered.
Following his defeat, Nobutaka was confined to Daimidoji at Noma in Owari Province, the site where Minamoto no Yoshitomo had been assassinated centuries earlier. Under pressure from Hideyoshi and Nobukatsu, Nobutaka committed suicide in 1583. Historical records cite either June 19 or June 21 as the date of his death.
See also
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Watanabe (Hanzo) Moritsuna
Moritsuna was the son of Watanabe Takatsuna, a vassal of the Matsudaira clan. He was the same age as Tokugawa Ieyasu and was held hostage with him by the Imagawa clan. In 1557, Moritsuna joined Ieyasu.
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Ban Naoyuki
He was also known as Ban Danemon. In the early stages of his military career, he served under Kato Yoshiaki, one of the so-called “Seven Spears of Shizugatake,” who later became the ruler of the Aizu region in Mutsu Province. Naoyuki held the position of commander of the arquebusiers (teppo taishō).
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Asakura Toshikage
The Asakura family, who claimed kinship with several emperors, lived in the province of Echizen. Its representatives were considered hereditary vassals of the Shiba clan. From the mid-15th century until their defeat by Oda Nobunaga's army in 1573, which resulted in the final destruction of the Asakura clan, they were a significant military and economic force.
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Asakura Yoshikage
Yoshikage was the eldest son of Asakura Takakage. He began ruling in 1548 at the age of fifteen, and during his reign he twice defeated the Ikko-ikki forces, in 1555 and 1564. Yoshikage supported the Saito family in their struggle against Oda Nobunaga in 1561–1567. When Ashikaga Yoshiaki fled Kyoto in 1565 after the assassination of his older brother, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru, Yoshikage gave him refuge. However, he was unable to provide sufficient support for Yoshiaki's claim to the title of shogun, and Yoshiaki had to seek help from Oda Nobunaga.
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Asakura Norikage
Norikage came from the ancient samurai clan of Asakura, whose members considered themselves descendants of Prince Kusakabe, son of Emperor Tenmu (631–686). He was the eighth son of daimyo Asakura Takakage and was named Kotaro in childhood. Over time, Asakura Norikage became the pillar of the Asakura clan and was undoubtedly its most talented commander during that difficult period when the clan was experiencing internal difficulties, uprisings by the Ikko-ikki sect, and instability in the lands surrounding the capital. Although Norikage himself was never a daimyo, he served as an advisor to three generations of Asakura clan leaders. He spent his entire life on military campaigns. After his father's death in 1481, Norikage entered the service of his brother, Asakura Ujikage.
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Asai (Azai) Nagamasa
Asai Nagamasa inherited power from his father, Asai Hisamasa, when he was only fifteen years old. Both brave and impulsive, he proved himself a capable commander, managing to regain lands from the Rokkaku clan that had previously been lost by his father. After a territorial dispute with Oda Nobunaga over the province of Mino, Nagamasa formed an alliance with Nobunaga and married his sister Oichi, who was famous for her beauty. In 1570, when Oda Nobunaga declared war on the Asakura family, Nagamasa sided with the Asakura because he had long-standing ties with them. This unexpected move threatened Nobunaga's invasion of the Asakura lands by threatening him from the rear. Oda managed to save his army, not without the help of Tokugawa Ieyasu, but relations between Nobunaga and Asai were permanently damaged.
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Amano Yasukage
Yasukage was born into the family of the samurai Amano Kagetaka and was given the name Matagoro at birth. He later changed his name to Kageyoshi, and then to Yasukage. From an early age, Yasukage served Tokugawa Ieyasu and accompanied him when he was held hostage by Imagawa Yoshimoto. His loyalty and devotion to Ieyasu from a young age laid the foundation for Yasukage's future military and administrative career.
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Amago Tsunekisa
The Amago clan (also spelled Amako) was founded in 1392, when Sasaki Takahisa, who was orphaned at the age of three, took the new surname Amago, meaning “son of a nun,” in honor of the nun who raised him. Since the Sasaki family descended from Emperor Uda (866–931), the Amago clan traced its lineage back to this emperor. From around 1396, the Amago clan's headquarters was the mountain castle of Gassan-Toda in Izumo Province. Until the start of the Onin War, the Amago clan remained a minor clan in the service of the Kyogoku clan, which was also a descendant of the Sasaki clan. The Amago clan historically held the position of vice-governor of Izumo Province.
