Sakuma Morishige, also known as Daigaku, served as a samurai and held mastery over Gokiso Nishi Castle, which is now known as Biyo Shrine in Nagoya City, during the Sengoku (Warring States) period. Initially, he served under Oda Nobunaga’s younger brother, Nobuyuki, and later directly under Nobunaga himself. His presence is documented in the Shincho-Koki, the Chronicles of Lord Nobunaga, where he is noted to have attended the funeral of Oda Nobuhide, Nobunaga’s father, in 1552.
Before the Battle of Ino in 1556, where Nobunaga clashed with his brother, Nobunaga erected Fort Nazuka in Nishi-ku, Nazuka, Nagoya City, placing Sakuma Morishige in charge. During this conflict, Sakuma notably claimed the head of Hashimoto Juzo, a general under Oda Nobuyuki, earning him significant rewards.
Prior to the pivotal Battle of Okehazama in 1560, Morishige was appointed as the castellan of Marune Castle, located in Nagoya City’s Midori Ward. This castle served as a crucial border post in the defense against the forces of the Imagawa clan. It was Sakuma who first alerted Nobunaga to the fortress being under attack.
Marune Castle found itself besieged by the forces commanded by Matsudaira Motoyasu, who would later gain renown as Tokugawa Ieyasu. At the time, Ieyasu was still a hostage of the Imagawa clan until his liberation following the demise of Imagawa Yoshimoto. Employing the newly introduced matchlock guns, which had swiftly gained favor among the samurai class, Ieyasu launched repeated attacks on the small castle. Tragically, on June 11, 1560, Morishige was struck by a bullet and killed instantly. The castle subsequently fell to Ieyasu and the advancing Imagawa forces. Shortly after this event, Oda Nobunaga and his troops would defeat Imagawa Yoshimoto, granting Ieyasu the freedom to return to his hometown of Okazaki.
See also
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Oda Nobutada
Oda Nobutada (1557 – June 21, 1582) was a samurai and the eldest son of Oda Nobunaga, known for his active role in several battles during Japan's Sengoku period. He led armies under his father's command in campaigns against Matsunaga Hisahide and the Takeda clan.
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Imagawa Ujizane
Imagawa Ujizane (1538 – January 27, 1615) was a Japanese daimyō who lived through the Sengoku and early Edo periods. He became the tenth head of the Imagawa clan, following in the footsteps of his father, Imagawa Yoshimoto. Ujizane was the father of Imagawa Norimochi and Shinagawa Takahisa.
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Hojo Ujiyasu
Hojo Ujiyasu (1515 – October 21, 1571), the third head of the Odawara Hojo clan, was a formidable daimyo known as the "Lion of Sagami." Revered as a fearsome samurai and brilliant strategist, he became famous for successfully breaking sieges by renowned warlords Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. Ujiyasu was the son of Hojo Ujitsuna, and his only known wife was Zuikei-in, sister of Imagawa Yoshimoto. Among his children were Hojo Ujimasa and Uesugi Kagetora.
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Hojo Ujimasa
Hojo Ujimasa (1538 – August 10, 1590) was the fourth leader of the later Hojo clan and the daimyo of Odawara. He continued his father Hojo Ujiyasu's policy of territorial expansion, achieving the largest territorial holdings in the clan's history.
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Uesugi Kagetora
Uesugi Kagetora (1552 – April 19, 1579) was the seventh son of Hojo Ujiyasu and was originally known as Hojo Saburo. He was adopted by Uesugi Kenshin and intended to be Kenshin's heir. However, in 1578, he was attacked in his Otate Castle by Uesugi Kagekatsu, his brother-in-law, and was ultimately defeated. Kagetora committed suicide the following year at Samegao Castle.
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Hojo Ujinao
Hojo Ujinao (1562 – December 19, 1591) was a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku period and the last leader of the Later Hojo clan. An important figure in Azuchi-Momoyama politics, he lost his entire domain following the Siege of Odawara (1590). Despite this, he survived, and his family continued as minor daimyo during the Edo period.
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Takeda Katsuyori
Takeda Katsuyori (1546 – April 3, 1582) was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period, renowned as the head of the Takeda clan and successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was also the son-in-law of Hojo Ujiyasu. Katsuyori was born to Shingen and the daughter of Suwa Yorishige, known posthumously as Suwa-goryonin and by her real name, Koihime. His children included Takeda Nobukatsu and Takeda Katsuchika.
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Yasuke
Yasuke, an African page, arrived in Japan in 1579 as the attendant of the Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano. Before the arrival of the Englishman William Adams, it is thought that Yasuke was possibly the inaugural non-Japanese samurai, arriving about twenty years earlier.
