Naoe Kanetsugu
Naoe Kanetsugu (直 江 兼 続, * 1560 ; † January 23, 1620 ) was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period . He was the eldest son of Higuchi Kanetoyo (樋 口 兼 豊) and close confidante of the daimyo Uesugi Kagekatsu . He is still known by his court title Yamashiro no Kami (山城 守).
Life
Kanetsugu was born in Sakato Castle (坂 戸 城) in Echigo Province and was given the name Yoroku (与 六). His father Higuchi Sōemon Kanetoyo was a vassal of the castle lord Nagao Masakage (長尾 政 景). Sentōin (仙桃 院), the sister of Uesugi Kenshin (上杉 謙信), the head of the Uesugi clan, became aware of Yoroku's intelligence early on. As a result, when he was around 4 years old , he moved to Kasugayama Castle , the headquarters of the Uesugi, as Uesugi Kagekatsu's page .
In 1581 Naoe Nobutsuna died with no offspring. In order to prevent the Naoe clan from becoming extinct, Kanetsugu married Kagekatsu O-Sen (お 船), the widow of Nobutsuna, at the request. He took the name Naoe and became the head of the clan. In 1583 he got the court title Yamashiro no Kami (山城 守). Kanetsugu began to befriend Toyotomi Hideyoshi during several visits to the capital in 1586 . Through his numerous military successes he distinguished himself as an excellent warrior and strategist.
Kanetsugu took part in the invasion of Korea in 1592 . He recognized the uselessness of war and forbade soldiers in his army from looting valuable goods. He also saved many ancient Chinese texts from war destruction and brought them back to Japan. Many of these are still preserved today.
When after Hideyoshi's death a dispute about his succession broke out, Kanetsugu joined the army of Ishida Mitsunari . The Uesugi forces did not arrive in time for the Battle of Sekigahara and were forced to retreat after the defeat of Ishida Mitsunari's army. Later there was peace with Tokugawa Ieyasu with great territorial losses.
Naoe Kanetsugu died in 1620 and was buried in the Tokushōji Temple.
Web links
- http://shungansho.fc2web.com/pure.htm - 直 江 兼 続 と は？ (Japanese)
- https://senjp.com/naoe/ - 直 江 兼 続 (Japanese)
Individual evidence
- ↑ 直 江 兼 続 ～ 戦 国 の 上杉 家 を 支 え た 智勇 兼備 の 名将 (詳細 年表). September 9, 2013, accessed February 5, 2019 .
- ↑ 直 江 兼 続 と は？ Retrieved February 5, 2019 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Naoe, Kanetsugu |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1560 |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 23, 1620 |