Katakura Kagetsuna
Encyclopedia
Katakura clan
The is a Japanese family which claims its descent from Fujiwara no Toshihito by way of Katō Kagekado. The family entered Mutsu Province in the 14th century as subordinates of the Ōsaki clan. However, in 1532, they became retainers of the Date clan, and remained so until 1872. In the Sengoku era,...
during the late Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
. Also known by his court title, Bichū no Kami (備中守), or more commonly, as Katakura Kojūrō
Katakura Kojuro
was the common name of the head of the Japanese Katakura clan, who served as senior retainers to the Date clan. Following the Date clan's move into Sendai han, they were granted holdings at Shiroishi Castle , which they held through the start of the Meiji Era...
. Together with Oniniwa Tsunamoto
Oniniwa Tsunamoto
' was a Japanese samurai of the late Sengoku era through early Edo era. The son of Oniniwa Yoshinao, Tsunamoto served the Date clan, and by the end of his life was the only Date retainer who was both older than and outlived Date Masamune. Tsunamoto succeeded to the family headship following the...
and Date Shigezane
Date Shigezane
was a Japanese samurai of the late Sengoku through early Edo eras. Founder of the Watari-Date clan. A senior retainer of the Date clan of Sendai, he was a cousin of Date Masamune on his mother's side, and a cousin of Masamune's father Date Terumune on his father's side. Together with Oniniwa...
, Kagetsuna was known as one of the "Three Great Men of the Date Clan". The son of Yonezawa native Katakura Kagenaga (a Shinto priest turned samurai), he was famed for his role as a senior retainer under Date Masamune
Date Masamune
was a regional strongman of Japan's Azuchi-Momoyama period through early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful daimyo in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai...
. He first served the Date clan as a junior page under Date Masamune
Date Masamune
was a regional strongman of Japan's Azuchi-Momoyama period through early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful daimyo in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai...
's father Terumune
Date Terumune
was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period. He succeeded his father Harumune and became the sixteenth head of the Date clan of Mutsu Province. Date Masamune, the founder of the Sendai Domain, was his son....
. Then, on Endō Motonobu's recommendation, he became Masamune's personal attendant, and was heavily relied upon as a strategist. Kagetsuna would soon become deeply trusted by his lord, as the following anecdote illustrates: Masamune, in his first battle, suddenly found himself surrounded; he was only saved when Kagetsuna arrived on the scene shouting "I am Masamune!" (われこそが政宗なり; Ware koso ga Masamune nari), distracting the enemy long enough for Masamune to escape.
Kagetsuna fought in most of Masamune's major battles, including the Battle of Hitodoribashi in 1585, Kōriyama in 1588, Suriage ga Hara in 1589, Odawara
Siege of Odawara (1590)
The third ' occurred in 1590, and was the primary action in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign to eliminate the Hōjō clan as a threat to his power. The months leading up to it saw hasty but major improvements in the defense of the castle, as Hideyoshi's intentions became clear...
in 1590, the Korean campaign in 1590, and Sekigahara
Battle of Sekigahara
The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...
in 1600. He also assisted in the Date clan's administrative duties, serving as castle warden of Nihonmatsu Castle
Nihonmatsu Castle
is a Japanese castle in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima-ken, Japan.- Literature :...
, lord of Ōmori Castle, Watari Castle, and others. Kagetsuna played a key role in the survival of the Date clan in 1590, by recommending that Masamune submit to Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
during the Odawara Campaign
Siege of Odawara (1590)
The third ' occurred in 1590, and was the primary action in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign to eliminate the Hōjō clan as a threat to his power. The months leading up to it saw hasty but major improvements in the defense of the castle, as Hideyoshi's intentions became clear...
. Following the Odawara Campaign, Hideyoshi granted Kagetsuna with the 50,000 koku fief of Tamura. This made Kagetsuna a daimyo in his own right; however, soon after taking possession of the fief, he returned it, in a show of loyalty to his master.
Two years after Sekigahara
Battle of Sekigahara
The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...
, when Masamune was made lord of Sendai, Kagetsuna was granted Shiroishi Castle
Shiroishi Castle
is a Japanese castle in Shiroishi, Miyagi, within what was Mutsu Province. It was the castle of the Katakura clan, which was a family of retainers serving the Date clan of Sendai...
(白石城 Shiroishi-jō), and a stipend of 13,000 koku. This was a special exception to the Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
's newly passed ikkoku ichijō (一国一城; "One Castle per Territory") rule. The Katakura clan, as senior retainers of the Sendai domain, would remain in Shiroishi as local lords for the next two centuries, spanning over 11 generations.
As Kagetsuna was ill, he was unable to join Masamune at the Osaka Winter Campaign of 1614, choosing to send his son Shigenaga
Katakura Shigenaga
was a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi-Momoyama period through early Edo period. The son of Katakura Kagetsuna, Shigenaga was the 2nd man to bear the common name Kojūrō. His name was originally Shigetsuna; however, to avoid conflict with the 4th shogun Ietsuna's name, he changed it to Shigenaga...
in his stead. Kagetsuna died the following year at age 60, and was buried with the posthumous name of Sanzan Jōei (傑山常英). Upon Kagetsuna's death, six of his retainers were so deeply grieved that they committed junshi (殉死; suicide to follow one's lord in death).
Kagetsuna's son Shigenaga, taking part in the fierce fighting against Gotō Mototsugu
Goto Mototsugu
, also known as , was a samurai of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods. He served Kuroda Yoshitaka but retired from the Kuroda clan after Kuroda Yoshitaku had died...
at the Osaka Summer Campaign, earned the nickname Oni Kojūrō (鬼小十郎; "Ogre Kojūrō").
In fiction
In the game Sengoku Basara 2Sengoku Basara 2
Sengoku Basara 2 is a sequel to the video game Sengoku Basara , released in Japan on July 27, 2006 for the PlayStation 2. A revision with additional features named Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes was released on November 29, 2007...
, he's known as Katakura Kojūrō, and is an NPC, voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa
Toshiyuki Morikawa
is a prolific Japanese male voice actor from Yokohama, Kanagawa, was affiliated with Arts Vision. Lately, however, he has become the head of that a voice actor company he founded in Apr 2011. His name is also sometimes mistranslated as Tomoyuki...
. In Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes, he is a starter playable character.
External links
- "TEN-CHI-JIN" General of UESUGI Clan NAOE KANETSUGU - (Japanese)-Kabuto(Samurai Helmet) Papercraft