Kuroda Nagamasa

was a Japanese samurai and daimyō of the late Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods. He was the son of Kuroda Kanbei, who served as a chief strategist and adviser to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Nagamasa is best known for his role as the first lord of Fukuoka Domain in Chikuzen Province and for his participation in major military campaigns, including the Battle of Sekigahara, where he supported Tokugawa Ieyasu, contributing to the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Biography Nagamasa's childhood name was Shojumaru (松寿丸). In 1577 his father was tried and sentenced as a spy by Oda Nobunaga. Nagamasa was kidnapped and nearly killed as a hostage, but was rescued by Takenaka Hanbei. After Nobunaga was killed in the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582, Nagamasa served Toyotomi Hideyoshi along with his father and participated in the invasion of Chūgoku.

In 1583 Nagamasa participated in the Battle of Shizugatake.

In 1587, Nagamasa subdued Takarabe castle in Hyuga during Kyūshū campaign. During the campaign Ki Shigefusa, a local daimyo, responded to Hideyoshi's orders ambivalently, incurring Hideyoshi's anger.

On April 20, 1588, Nagamasa invited Shigefusa to Nakatsu Castle with the pretence of hospitality. Shigefusa entered Nakatsu Castle with a few companions and was assassinated by Nagamasa's order while drinking. Nagamasa then dispatched soldiers to Gogen-ji Temple, ordering them to kill the Ki clan's vassals. Nagamasa's forces captured the Ki clan's castle, and killing Shigefusa's father, Ki Nagafusa. Following this, Nagamasa executed his hostage, Tsuruhime, along with 13 maids by crucifixion at Senbonmatsukawara in Hirotsu, on the banks of the Yamakuni River.

In 1589, Kuroda Yoshitaka retired as head of Kuroda clan, and Nagamasa inherited the family lordship. During this time, Hideyoshi expelled Christian missionaries, and Nagamasa, who was a Christian like his father, renounced his faith.

Korean campaign Nagamasa participated in Hideyoshi's Korean campaign, commanding the army's 3rd Division of 5,000 men during the first invasion (1592–1593). On 15 July, following the Battle of Imjin River, Nagamasa led his forces west into Hwanghae Province, participating in the first Siege of Pyongyang. After a sally from Korean forces inflicted heavy losses, Nagamasa launched counterattacks to push the Koreans into a river that protected the city. As the Korean forces retreated upstream where the river was shallow enough to cross, Japanese forces followed their trail, discovering a way to reach the city without crossing the deep river. Before entering the city, Nagamasa and Konishi Yukinaga sent scouts ahead. Confirming the city had been abandoned by the defenders, Nagamasa and Japanese forces entered the city, securing food supplies from the warehouses. On 16 October 1597, Nagamasa arrived at Jiksan, clashing against 6,000 Ming soldiers in the Battle of Jiksan. After dusk, the battle ended without a clear result. Later, Nagamasa launched a night raid using a crane formation pincer attack to crush enemy forces from each end. However, this raid failed and resulted in a rout that was joined by 2,000 Ming cavalry. During the first Korean campaign, Nagamasa, along with other Japanese generals, mounted a genocidal operation called Nadegiri in Jeolla Province, systematically mutilating victims and collecting noses of Koreans they killed.

In the second part of the campaign (1597–1598), he held command in The Army of the Right. At this time, Nagamasa participated in the first defense of Ulsan, leading reinforcements for Katō Kiyomasa with 600 men.

During his tenure in the Korean campaign, a famous anecdote attributed to Katō Kiyomasa recounts Nagamasa hunting a tiger during his free time. Recent research revealed that this was falsely attributed to Kiyomasa, while it actually applied to Nagamasa.

The generals gathered at Kiyomasa's mansion in Osaka Castle. From there, they moved into Mitsunari's mansion. When Mitsunari learned of this from Jiemon Kuwajima, a servant of Toyotomi Hideyori, he fled to hide in Satake Yoshinobu's mansion with Shima Sakon and others. When the generals found that Mitsunari had fled, they searched the mansions of other feudal lords in Osaka Castle, while Kato's army approached the Satake residence. During this time, Mitsunari and his party escaped the Satake residence, barricading themselves at Fushimi Castle. Learning of Mitsunari's location the following day, the generals surrounded Fushimi Castle. Tokugawa Ieyasu, responsible for political affairs in Fushimi Castle, attempted to arbitrate the situation. The generals demanded Ieyasu hand over Mitsunari, which Ieyasu refused. Ieyasu then negotiated a compromise to allow Mitsunari retire, and for a review of the assessment of the Battle of Ulsan Castle. He had his second son, Yūki Hideyasu, escort Mitsunari to Sawayama Castle. This was a legal conflict between the generals and Mitsunari, rather than a conspiracy to murder him. Ieyasu's role to mediate complaints, rather than physically protect Mitsunari from harm.

Nevertheless, historians view this incident as an extension of political rivalries between the Tokugawa faction and the anti-Tokugawa faction led by Mitsunari. Since this incident, those military figures who were on bad terms with Mitsunari would later support Ieyasu during the conflict of Sekigahara between the Eastern army led by Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Western army led by Ishida Mitsunari. Muramatsu Shunkichi, writer of "The Surprising Colors and Desires of the Heroes of Japanese History and Violent Women", assessed that Mitsunari's failure against Ieyasu was due to unpopularity among major political figures.

Battle Of Sekigahara

As the Sekigahara Campaign broke out, Nagamasa sided with the Eastern Army led by Ieyasu.

On August 21, The Eastern Army Alliance attacked Takegahana castle, which was defended by Oda Hidenobu, a Mitsunari faction ally. The Eastern Army split into two groups, with 18,000 soldiers led by Ikeda Terumasa and Asano Yoshinaga dispatched to the river crossing, while 16,000 soldiers led by Nagamasa, Fukushima Masanori, Hosokawa Tadaoki, Kyogoku Kochi, Ii Naomasa, Katō Yoshiaki, Tōdō Takatora, Tanaka Yoshimasa, and Honda Tadakatsu headed downstream at Ichinomiya. The group led by Terumasa crossed Kiso River and battled at Yoneno, routing Hidenobu forces. Elsewhere, Takegahana castle was reinforced by Sugiura Shigekatsu, a Western Army faction general. The Eastern Army group led by Nagamasa and others crossed the river and directly attacked Takegahana Castle at 9:00 AM on August 22. As a final act of defiance, Shigekatsu himself set the castle on fire and committed suicide.

On October 21, Nagamasa participated in the Battle of Sekigahara on Tokugawa Ieyasu's side. At the final phase of the battle, with the Eastern Army victorious, Nagamasa directed his attention towards Shima Sakon. As a result, Sakon was fatally wounded by a round from an arquebus; securing part of the Eastern Army's eventual victory. As a reward for his performance in the battle, Ieyasu granted Nagamasa Chikuzen – 520.000 koku – in exchange for his previous fief of Nakatsu in Buzen.

In 1612, Nagamasa went to Kyoto with his eldest son Kuroda Tadayuki, and Tadayuki was given the surname Matsudaira by Tokugawa Hidetada, the second shogun of the Edo shogunate.

Later in 1614–1615, he participated in the Osaka Castle campaigns.

Personal life Kuroda Nagamasa possessed Dō (Japanese armor), traditionally simple on its body pieces. However, Nagamasa's armor is notable for two Kabuto helmets. One has a unique wave-like ornament named ichi-no-tani. The other features buffalo horn shaped ornaments.

Family

Father: Kuroda Yoshitaka Mother: Kushihashi Teru (1553–1627) Wives: Itohime (1571–1645) Eihime (1585–1635) Concubine: Choshu'in Children: Kikuhime married Inoue Yukifusa's son by Itohime Kuroda Tadayuki (1602–1654) by Eihime Tokuko married Sakakibara Tadatsugu by Eihime Kameko married Ikeda Teruoki by Eihime Kuroda Nagaoki (1610–1665) by Eihime Kuroda Masafuyu by Choshu'in Kuroda Takamasa (1612–1639) by Eihime

In popular culture

Nagamasa is a playable character from the Eastern Army in the original Kessen.

Kuroda is also a popular historical figure. His life, and his relationship to Tokugawa, has been dramatized many times in the annual NHK Taiga Drama series.

Taikoki (1965) Hara no Sakamichi (1971) Ougon no Hibi (1978) Onna Taikoki (1981) Tokugawa Ieyasu (1983) Kasuga no Tsunobe (1989) Hideyoshi (1996) Aoi Tokugawa Sandai (2000) Komyo ga Tsuji (2006) Gunshi Kanbei (2014)