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.
Initially known as Suwa Shiro Katsuyori, he succeeded to his mother's Suwa clan and established Takato Castle as his domain's seat. After the death of his elder brother Takeda Yoshinobu, Katsuyori's son Nobukatsu became the heir to the Takeda clan, making Katsuyori the de facto ruler. In 1581, Katsuyori built Shinpu Castle at Nirasaki and transferred his residence there.
Katsuyori's military career was marked by several significant battles:
- In 1569, he defeated Hojo Ujinobu during the Siege of Kanbara.
- In 1572, he captured a Tokugawa clan possession in the Siege of Futamata and participated in the Battle of Mikatagahara against the Oda-Tokugawa alliance.
- In 1573, following Shingen's death, Katsuyori led the Takeda family and continued to confront the Tokugawa clan.
- In 1574, he captured Takatenjin Castle, earning substantial support from the Takeda clan.
- In 1575, he suffered a severe defeat at the Battle of Nagashino, where Oda Nobunaga's innovative use of volley fire by 3,000 guns decimated Katsuyori's forces and killed many Takeda generals.
- In 1578, Katsuyori angered the Hojo family by supporting Uesugi Kagekatsu against Uesugi Kagetora, leading to the Battle of Omosu in 1580 against Hojo Ujimasa.
- In 1581, Katsuyori lost Takatenjin fortress to Tokugawa Ieyasu, resulting in the deaths of 680 men of the Okabe Motonobu garrison.
In 1582, Katsuyori faced further setbacks:
He lost Takato Castle to Oda Nobutada, marking the only Takeda stronghold in Shinano province to resist Nobunaga's final invasion.
Following these defeats, support from many clans, such as Kiso and Anayama, dwindled.
As the Oda-Tokugawa alliance advanced into Kai Province and laid siege to Shinpu Castle, Katsuyori, unable to hold the castle with his remaining men, set it ablaze and fled to Tenmoku Mountain. His forces were ultimately defeated at the Battle of Tenmokuzan. Katsuyori, his wife, and his son then committed ritual suicide (seppuku), marking the end of the Takeda clan. The nun Rikei documented his wife's suicide and composed several verses in their honor.
Katsuyori's personal life included two marriages. He first married Toyoma Fujin, the adopted daughter of Oda Nobunaga, who died giving birth to their son Nobukatsu in 1567. Katsuyori later married Keirin'in, the daughter of Hojo Ujiyasu, with whom he had a son and two daughters. In 1582, during their escape following Katsuyori's defeat by Oda Nobunaga, Keirin'in chose to die alongside Katsuyori rather than flee, committing jigai during the Battle of Tenmokuzan. Both of Katsuyori's sons also perished in the battle.
See also
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Tsutsui Sadatsugu
Tsutsui Sadatsugu (June 6, 1562 – April 2, 1615) was a prominent figure in the Sengoku and early Edo periods, known as the cousin and adopted heir of Tsutsui Junkei, the feudal lord of Yamato Province. Following Junkei's death in 1584, Toyotomi Hideyoshi relocated Sadatsugu to Iga Province, where he oversaw the construction of Iga Ueno Castle, marking the height of his prominence.
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Matsudaira Kiyoyasu
Matsudaira Kiyoyasu (September 28, 1511 – November 29, 1535) served as the 7th lord of the Matsudaira clan during Japan's tumultuous Sengoku period. Renowned as the paternal grandfather of Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of Japan's "great unifiers," Kiyoyasu expanded his clan’s influence, bringing all of northern Mikawa Province under his control after subduing the Saigo clan. His power was further symbolized by the construction of Okazaki Castle, a testament to the Matsudaira’s growing dominance.
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Matsudaira Hirotada
Matsudaira Hirotada (June 9, 1526 – April 3, 1549) was a daimyo and lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa Province during Japan’s turbulent Sengoku Period. He is best known as the father of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate.
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Ikeda Tsuneoki
Ikeda Tsuneoki (1536 – May 18, 1584), also known as Ikeda Nobuteru, was a prominent daimyo of the Ikeda clan and a distinguished military commander during Japan's Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He served under the influential warlords Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Tsuneoki’s connection to Nobunaga began early, as his mother, Yotokuin, was Nobunaga’s wet nurse and later became a concubine to Oda Nobuhide, Nobunaga's father.
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Oda Nobutaka
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.
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Yamauchi Kazutoyo
Yamauchi Kazutoyo (also spelled Yamanouchi; 1545/1546? – November 1, 1605) was a prominent samurai and retainer who served Oda Nobunaga and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi during Japan's Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. His father, Yamauchi Moritoyo, was a descendant of Fujiwara no Hidesato and a senior retainer of the Iwakura Oda clan, which opposed Oda Nobunaga. Moritoyo was also the lord of Kuroda Castle in Owari Province. Kazutoyo is especially renowned for his marriage to Yamauchi Chiyo, whose wisdom and resourcefulness played a key role in his rise to prominence.
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Saito Tatsuoki
Saito Tatsuoki (6 September 1548 - 1573) was a daimyo of Mino Province during Japan's Sengoku period and the third-generation lord of the Saito clan. He was the son of Saito Yoshitatsu and grandson of Saito Dosan. His mother was a daughter of Azai Hisamasa, making him a nephew of Azai Nagamasa and a relative of Oda Nobunaga's first wife, Nohime, who was also a daughter of Saito Dosan.
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Kyogoku Tadataka
Kyogoku Tadataka (1593–1637) was a Japanese nobleman and the head of the Kyogoku clan during the early 17th century, a pivotal time marked by the Tokugawa consolidation of power. His childhood name was Kumamaro, and he hailed from a lineage claiming descent from Emperor Uda (868–897). Tadataka was the son of Kyogoku Takatsugu and one of his concubines, with his paternal grandfather being Kyogoku Takayoshi.
