Azai Nagamasa

was a Japanese daimyō of the Sengoku period known as the brother-in-law and enemy of Oda Nobunaga. Nagamasa was head of the Azai clan seated at Odani Castle in northern Ōmi Province and married Nobunaga's sister Oichi in 1564, fathering her three daughters – Yodo-dono, Ohatsu, and Oeyo – who became prominent figures in their own right.

Conflict with Oda Nobunaga In 1570, Oda Nobunaga declared war on the Asakura family of Echizen and besieged Kanegasaki castle. The Asakura and Azai had been allies since the time of Nagamasa's grandfather. This sudden war between two Azai clan allies is reported to have divided the clan. Many retainers wished to honor the alliance with the Asakura, while Nagamasa himself is reported to have favoured staying neutral, essentially siding with Nobunaga. In the end, the Azai clan chose to honor the generations-old alliance with the Asakura and came to their aid. Initially, this decision caused Nobunaga's army, which was marching upon the Asakura's lands, to retreat back to Kyoto. However, within a few months the forces of Nobunaga were again on the march, but this time they marched on Azai lands.

Nobunaga later convinced Oichi to tell him where she had sent her infant son and Nagamasa's male heir, Manpukumaru, saying that he wanted the boy to live with and raise him. However, Nobunaga had Hideyoshi execute Manpukumaru, and the head was displayed on a stake. Nobunaga ensured that his sister, Oichi, was uninformed of this but she eventually came to that suspicion. There are reports that Nobunaga bore a strong grudge against Nagamasa for his perceived betrayal of their alliance even though it was he who broke the agreement first. It has also been reported that Nobunaga had the skulls of Nagamasa, Hisamasa, and the Asakura leader lacquered so that they could be used as cups, but whether this is historically accurate or merely fabricated to heighten Nobunaga's reputation is debatable.

Family Father: Azai Hisamasa (1526–1573) Mother: Ono-dono (1527–1573) Consorts and their issue(s): Wife (Seishitsu): Daughter of Hirai Sadatake (平井定武) Wife (Seishitsu): Oichi no Kata (小谷殿), sister of Oda Nobunaga Lady Chacha (茶々, 1569– June 4, 1615), 1st daughter Married the Kampaku Toyotomi Hideyoshi and had issue (two sons) Lady Hatsu (お初, 1570 – 30 September 1633), 2nd daughter Married daimyō Kyōgoku Takatsugu Lady Oeyo (於江与, 1573 – 15 September 1626), 3rd daughter Married Saji Kazunari (佐治一成, d. 1634) in 1583 Married Toyotomi Hidekatsu (豊臣 秀勝, d.1592) in 1591 and had issue (one daughter) Married shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada (徳川 秀忠, d.1632) in 1595 and had issue (five daughters and two sons) Concubine (Sokuhitsu): Yae no Kata (八重の方) Azai Nagaakira (浅井井頼, d.1661), 3rd son Unknown Azai Manpukumaru (浅井万福丸, 1564 – 1573), 1st son Azai Manjumaru (万寿丸), 2nd son Enjumaru (円寿丸), 4th son

In popular culture

Azai Nagamasa is an antagonist in the Action/RPG PS4/PC game Nioh 2, with a whole region being based about him and his battles against Oda Nobunaga. Nagamasa makes appearances as a general in the Main Campaign and in various Historical Battles and Historical Campaigns in the PC game Shogun: Total War. Additionally, Nagamasa returns as an Heir to the Azai Clan in the fan created Samurai Warlords Mod (aka the Shogun Mod) for the PC game Medieval Total War. Nagamasa is a playable character in the video game series Samurai Warriors, where he is depicted as an extremely honourable man who will stop at nothing to enforce his notions of justice. As in real life, Nagamasa is allied with the Asakura against Nobunaga at Anegawa; his expression of love for Oichi is however more dramatised, showing him as caring deeply for her welfare. He is depicted with his traditional kabuto helmet and uses a lance as his weapon. This version of Nagamasa also appears in the spin-off series Warriors Orochi as an unlockable character for the Cao Wei storyline. Nagamasa is an NPC in Sengoku Basara 2, along with Oichi, but becomes playable in the expansion Sengoku Basara 2: Heroes. He wields a long sword and carries a shield with him and is portrayed as a justice loving man, whose words and actions invokes a lot of the tokusatsu genre. He returns as a playable character in Sengoku Basara 4. Nagamasa serves as the basis for the protagonist character in the video game Pokémon Conquest.