Honjō Shigenaga
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![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Honjo_Shigenaga_parriying_an_exploding_shell.jpg/220px-Honjo_Shigenaga_parriying_an_exploding_shell.jpg)
Honjō Shigenaga (
Biography
[edit]Shigenaga fought at the Battle of Kawanakajima as rear left wing commander, acting as Uesugi Kenshin's retainer.[1]
However, in 1568-1569 after the Kawanakajima campaign he briefly rebelled against Kenshin and allied himself to Takeda Shingen, Kenshin's nemesis, because Shigenaga felt dissatisfied by his small reward compared with his achievement. He first murdered Nagao Fujikage, Uesugi's vassal, and captured his castle.[2] This betrayal forced Kenshin to lay siege to Murakami castle held by Shigenaga Honjo. The conflict proved costly for Kenshin as Irobe Katsunaga, one of his generals, was slain in the battle and could not take the castle easily.[3] In spite of his rebellion against Kenshin, which lasted for one year, Takeda Shingen did not help him and Shigenaga was forced to surrender to Kenshin under the coordination of the Ashina clan. After the siege he was pardoned by Kenshin[4] and later fought at Battle of Tedorigawa against Oda Nobunaga Forces.
After the death of Kenshin in 1578 Shigenaga supported Uesugi Kagekatsu as successor during the Siege of Otate.
In 1588, when Mogami Yoshiaki began expanding his territory into the Shōnai region in Dewa province. Shigenaga once again entered conflict against the Mogami clan where he defeated a Mogami army at the battle of Jugorihara (
In 1598, Uesugi Kagekatsu was transferred to Aizu Wakamatsu castle (Fukushima prefecture) by the Toyotomi government, and Shigenaga was transferred to the Aizu region.[5]
Sekigahara Campaign
[edit]In 1600, during the conflict between the Toyotomi loyalists, Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shigenaga fought in a series of battles once again against Date Masamune and Mogami Yoshiaki at the Siege of Hasedō.
In April 1601, Shigenaga resisted an attack from Date Masamune's warriors at Battle of Matsukawa such as Katakura Kagetsuna, Oniniwa Tsunamoto and Yashiro Kageyori. Date's forces under Katakura Kagetsuna attacked several times including a defense against a rear attack, despite Date's attempt to attack from Mount Shinobu. Later on, His forces successfully killed several of Kagetsuna's famous soldiers, forcing Date Masamune to stop attacking and return whilst Shigenaga was successful in defending Fukushima Castle from the invading Ieyasu Eastern coalition.[6][7][8]
Honjo Masamune sword
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/A_Oshigata_of_the_Honjo_Masamune_drawn_by_17_century_swordsmith_Tsuguhira.jpg/220px-A_Oshigata_of_the_Honjo_Masamune_drawn_by_17_century_swordsmith_Tsuguhira.jpg)
Honjō Shigenaga was particularly known as the wielder of the famous sword Honjo Masamune, built by Gorō Nyūdō Masamune (
References
[edit]- ^ Kawanakajima 1553-64: Samurai Power Struggle; Stephen Turnbull, Wayne Reynolds; Osprey Publishing, 2013; ISBN 978-1472800220
- ^ "Takajo Castle Ruins - SANJO CITY". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-03-01.
- ^
戦国 期 上杉 ・武田 氏 の上野 支配 Kurihara Osamu, 2010 - ^ "Murakami Castle -Northern fortress-".
- ^
渡辺 三省 『本庄 氏 と色部 氏 』(中世 武士 選書 第 9巻 戎 光 祥 出版 2012年 )ISBN 4864030626 - ^ 『
伊達 町 史 』第 1巻 通史 編上 - ^
渡辺 三省 『本庄 氏 と色部 氏 』 - ^ 『
日本 戦史 「関原 役 」』第 7篇 第 5章 福島 「會津 攻 伐 ニ関 スル者 」 - ^ "Masamune".