Sakuma Nobumori, one of Oda Nobunaga's most enduring and dedicated retainers, was born in 1528 in what is now Minami-Ku of Nagoya City. As a stalwart supporter of Nobunaga, six years his junior, Sakuma Nobumori played a pivotal role in every campaign led by his master.
Notable battles in which he participated include Okehazama in 1560, the Battle of Anegawa, and the sieges of Nagashima in 1571 and 1573. He commanded 3,000 Oda troops in support of Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Mikatagahara against Takeda Shingen, and also fought in the 1573 and 1575 Battle of Nagashino against Shingen’s son, Takeda Katsuyori. Additionally, he was present at Ichijodani, the burning of Mt. Hiei, and led the largest contingent of the Oda clan army during the 1576 siege of the Hongan-ji Temple in Osaka.
Despite his consistent service, Sakuma Nobumori faced criticism for his overly cautious tactics, earning him the nickname "Noki Sakuma," or "Retreating Sakuma." While other generals of Nobunaga, such as Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide, achieved victories, Sakuma Nobumori repeatedly failed to fulfill his assigned duties in battle. Eventually, Nobunaga, frustrated with Sakuma's performance, drafted a scathing 19-point document detailing his numerous shortcomings and banished him along with his son, Nobuhide, to Mt. Koya, where they lived out their days as priests. Sakuma Nobumori passed away five years after his banishment, at the age of 54, on February 18, 1581.
See also
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
