Okubo Tadachika
Encyclopedia
was daimyō
of Odawara Domain
in Sagami Province
in early Edo period
, Japan
.
Ōkubo Tadachika was the son of Ōkubo Tadayo
, a hereditary vassal to the Tokugawa clan
in what is now part of the city of Okazaki, Aichi
. He entered into service as a samurai
frm age 11, and took his first head in battle at the age of 16. He served in most of the campaigns of his father, including the Battle of Anegawa
(1570), Battle of Mikatagahara
(1573), Battle of Nagashino
(1575), Battle of Komaki and Nagakute
(1584), and Battle of Odawara (1590). He came to be regarded as one of Ieyasu's most experienced and trusted advisors, along with Honda Masanobu
. In 1593, he was assigned the post of Karō
to Tokugawa Hidetada
. Upon the death of his father in 1594, he became head of the Ōkubo clan
, and daimyō of Odawara Domain, whose revenues were raised to 65,000 koku
. During the Battle of Sekigahara
, his forces accompanied those of Tokugawa Hidetada along the Nakasendō
, and were late in arriving at the battle due to resistance by Sanada Masayuki
at Ueda Castle
in Shinano Province
. In 1610, after the foundation of the Tokugawa shogunate
, he became a rōjū
. This was a period of great political intrigue, as Tokugawa Ieyasu
had retired to Sunpu, but continued to manipulate politics from behind-the-scenes, much to the growing discontent of Hidedata and his retainers. Ōkubo Tadachika fell afoul of the shogunate in what was later termed the Ōkubo Nagayasu Incident of 1614. His domain was confiscated, and he was reassigned to a small 5,000 koku hatamoto
holding in Omi Province
. Shortly afterwards, he retired from public life, became a Buddhist monk by the name of Keian Dōhaku (渓庵道白).
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of Odawara Domain
Odawara Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in western Sagami Province. It was centered on Odawara Castle in what is now the city of Odawara.-History:...
in Sagami Province
Sagami Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central and western Kanagawa prefecture. It was sometimes called . Sagami bordered on Izu, Musashi, Suruga provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Sagami Bay...
in early Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Ōkubo Tadachika was the son of Ōkubo Tadayo
Okubo Tadayo
was a samurai general in the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Azuchi-Momoyama period, subsequently becoming a daimyō in early Edo period , Japan.Ōkubo Tadayo was the eldest son of Ōkubo Tadakazu, a hereditary retainer of the Tokugawa clan...
, a hereditary vassal to the Tokugawa clan
Tokugawa clan
The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
in what is now part of the city of Okazaki, Aichi
Okazaki, Aichi
is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2011, the city had an estimated population of 373,339 and a population density of 964 persons per km². The total area was 387.24 km².-Geography:...
. He entered into service as a samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
frm age 11, and took his first head in battle at the age of 16. He served in most of the campaigns of his father, including the Battle of Anegawa
Battle of Anegawa
The 1570 came as a reaction to Oda Nobunaga's sieges of the castles of Odani and Yokoyama, which belonged to the Azai and Asakura clans. It was also referred to as the Battle of Nomura by the Oda and Azai clans and the Battle of Mitamura by the Asakura clan.As warriors sallied forth from the...
(1570), Battle of Mikatagahara
Battle of Mikatagahara
The ' was one of the most famous battles of Takeda Shingen's campaigns, and one of the best demonstrations of his cavalry-based tactics.-Background:...
(1573), Battle of Nagashino
Battle of Nagashino
The ' took place in 1575 near Nagashino Castle on the plain of Shitaragahara in the Mikawa province of Japan. Forces under Takeda Katsuyori had besieged the castle since the 17th of June; Okudaira Sadamasa , a Tokugawa vassal, commanded the defending force...
(1575), Battle of Komaki and Nagakute
Battle of Komaki and Nagakute
The consisted of two battles in 1584 between the forces of Hashiba Hideyoshi and the forces of Oda Nobukatsu and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hideyoshi and Ieyasu had both served Oda Nobunaga and had not previously come into conflict; this would in fact be their only period of enmity...
(1584), and Battle of Odawara (1590). He came to be regarded as one of Ieyasu's most experienced and trusted advisors, along with Honda Masanobu
Honda Masanobu
was a commander and daimyo in the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu in Japan during the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods.In 1563, when an uprising against Ieyasu occurred in Mikawa Province, Masanobu took the side of the peasants against Ieyasu...
. In 1593, he was assigned the post of Karō
KARO
KARO is a radio station licensed to serve Nyssa, Oregon, USA. The station is owned by the Educational Media Foundation.It broadcasts a Contemporary Christian music format as part of the Air 1 network.-History:...
to Tokugawa Hidetada
Tokugawa Hidetada
was the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
. Upon the death of his father in 1594, he became head of the Ōkubo clan
Okubo clan
The were a samurai kin group which rose to prominence in the Sengoku period and the Edo periods. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, the Ōkubo, as hereditary vassels of the Tokugawa clan, were classified as one of the fudai daimyō clans....
, and daimyō of Odawara Domain, whose revenues were raised to 65,000 koku
Koku
The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...
. During the Battle of 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...
, his forces accompanied those of Tokugawa Hidetada along the Nakasendō
Nakasendo
The , also called the , was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 stations between Edo and Kyoto, crossing through Musashi, Kōzuke, Shinano, Mino and Ōmi provinces...
, and were late in arriving at the battle due to resistance by Sanada Masayuki
Sanada Masayuki
was a Japanese Sengoku period daimyo. He was the third son of Sanada Yukitaka, a vassal daimyo to the Takeda family in Shinano province. He is known as a master strategist. Sanada Nobuyuki and Sanada Yukimura were his sons.-Biography:...
at Ueda Castle
Ueda Castle
Ueda Castle was the original home of the Sanada clan, built by Sanada Masayuki.It was this castle that the Sanada defended twice from the Tokugawa, first in 1583 and again in 1600, putting up a very impressive defense both of those times....
in Shinano Province
Shinano Province
or is an old province of Japan that is now present day Nagano Prefecture.Shinano bordered on Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces...
. In 1610, after the foundation of 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...
, he became a rōjū
Roju
The ', usually translated as Elder, was one of the highest-ranking government posts in Tokugawa Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council as a whole; under the first two shoguns, there were only two Rōjū...
. This was a period of great political intrigue, as Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
had retired to Sunpu, but continued to manipulate politics from behind-the-scenes, much to the growing discontent of Hidedata and his retainers. Ōkubo Tadachika fell afoul of the shogunate in what was later termed the Ōkubo Nagayasu Incident of 1614. His domain was confiscated, and he was reassigned to a small 5,000 koku hatamoto
Hatamoto
A was a samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as gokenin. However, in the Edo period, hatamoto were the upper vassals of the Tokugawa...
holding in Omi Province
Omi Province
is an old province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. It is nicknamed as .Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located at the center of the province...
. Shortly afterwards, he retired from public life, became a Buddhist monk by the name of Keian Dōhaku (渓庵道白).
Further reading
- Mitsugi Kuniteru 三津木國輝 (1980). Odawara jōshu Ōkubo Tadayo - Tadachika 小田原城主大久保忠世・忠隣. Tokyo: Meichoshuppan 名著出版. (OCLC 62397087)