Shibata Katsuie, also called Gonroku, was born in Kamiyashiro village, Owari, now located in Meito-Ku, Nagoya City. Initially, he pledged allegiance to Oda Nobunaga's younger brother, Oda Nobukatsu, and participated in Nobukatsu's scheme to usurp his elder brother's power. Katsuie led the charge against Nobunaga in the Battle of Ino in 1556 but was defeated. While Nobunaga had his younger brother executed, Katsuie was spared. Despite their past conflict, Katsuie became one of Nobunaga's commanders, earning a reputation for bravery and loyalty.
Katsuie's military career was marked by notable victories, such as his escape from the besieged Chokoji Castle during the Battle of Anegawa in 1570, where he demonstrated exceptional leadership by destroying the remaining water urns to prevent retreat. After this, he was tasked with establishing himself in Echizen Province (modern-day Fukui Prefecture) and constructed Kitanosho Castle, boasting a nine-story keep, the largest in Japan at the time.
Following Nobunaga's assassination at Honnoji in Kyoto, Katsuie engaged in battles with Uesugi Kenshin's forces and participated in the siege of Matsukura. His involvement prevented him from joining the pursuit of Akechi Mitsuhide, Nobunaga's killer.
During the Battle of Shizugatake, Katsuie supported Oda Nobutaka, Nobunaga's third son, as heir against Hideyoshi's preferred successor, Samboshi. Snowed in and facing Hideyoshi's advancing armies, Katsuie retreated to Kitanosho Castle. In the face of imminent defeat and encircled by Hideyoshi's troops, Katsuie commanded his daughters and wife, Oichi (interestingly, Nobunaga's sister), to seek refuge under Hideyoshi's protection.However, Oichi refused, and in a tragic end, Katsuie and Oichi committed seppuku together, with Katsuie initiating a fire that consumed Kitanosho Castle along with their bodies.
See also
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Takeda Nobuyoshi
Takeda Nobuyoshi (1128–1186 or later) was a prominent Japanese samurai lord of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods and the founder of the Takeda clan.
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Tokugawa Iemochi
Tokugawa Iemochi (1846–1866) was the fourteenth shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate and ruled from 1858 until his death. His reign came during the turbulent final years of the shogunate, when Japan faced growing Western pressure and serious internal political conflict.
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Tokugawa Ienari
Tokugawa Ienari (1773–1841) was the eleventh shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate and ruled from 1787 to 1837, making him the longest-serving Tokugawa shōgun. He was a great-grandson of the eighth shōgun, Tokugawa Yoshimune.
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Matsudaira Nobuyasu
Matsudaira Nobuyasu was only twenty years old when his father ordered him to commit seppuku. The reason was not a defeat in battle, but a crisis inside the Tokugawa family that had become too dangerous to ignore.
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Yamagata Masakage
Masakage was one of Takeda Shingen’s most loyal and capable commanders. He was included in the famous list of the “Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen” and also belonged to the inner circle of four especially trusted warlords known as the Shitennō.
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Yagyu Munenori
Yagyū Munenori began his service under Tokugawa Ieyasu while his father, Yagyū Muneyoshi, was still at his side. In 1600, Munenori took part in the decisive Battle of Sekigahara. As early as 1601, he was appointed a kenjutsu instructor to Tokugawa Hidetada, Ieyasu’s son, who later became the second shogun of the Tokugawa clan.
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Yagyu Muneyoshi
A samurai from Yamato Province, he was born into a family that had been defeated in its struggle against the Tsutsui clan. Muneyoshi first took part in battle at the age of sixteen. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he was forced to enter the service of the Tsutsui house and later served Miyoshi Tōkei. He subsequently came under the command of Matsunaga Hisahide and in time became a vassal first of Oda and later of Toyotomi.
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Endo Naozune
Naozune served under Azai Nagamasa and was one of the clan’s leading vassals, renowned for his bravery and determination. He accompanied Nagamasa during his first meeting with Oda Nobunaga and at that time asked for permission to kill Nobunaga, fearing him as an extremely dangerous man; however, Nagamasa did not grant this request.
