Ukita Naoie

was a Japanese daimyō of the Sengoku period. He was born in Bizen Province, to Ukita Okiie, a local samurai leader and head of the Ukita clan.

Biography Naoie's grandfather Yoshiie was killed by Shimamura clan in 1534, Naoie narrowly escaped from Toishi castle along with his father Ukita Okiie. Two years later after his father died, he become head of Ukita clan at the age of seven years old.

In 1543, he became a vassal of Uragami Munekage and made remarkable progress in his war service.

In 1551, under the orders of Urakami Munekage, Naoie married the daughter of Katsumasa, the governor of Nakayama-Bichu. The Nakayama clan was a local feudal lord based in Numa Castle (Higashi Ward, Okayama City).However, the Uragami clan tried to subjugate the Nakayama clan. It is said that the reason for this was that the Nakayama clan had neglected Uragami Munekage. The Uragami clan decided to subjugate the Nakayama clan because they suspected that Nakayama Bitchu no Kami and Morizane Shimamura (Nanami) were plotting a rebellion. At this time, Ukita Naoie took out a letter that served as evidence of Shimamura Bungo-no-kami's plot, and said that Bungo-no-kami was the enemy of his grandfather (Ukita Yoshiie), and that he would kill him immediately if ordered to do so. It is also said that Nakayama Bitchu-no-kami was his (Naoie's) father-in-law, but that he would kill him for the sake of his lord (Uragami Munekage). Naoie built a teahouse next to Numa Castle, invited Nakayama Bitchu-no-kami there, and killed him. Meanwhile, Shimamura rushed to attack Numa Castle, but was killed by the Ukita clan forces in battle on the castle gate. After that, Naoie was given Numa Castle and most of the territories of the Nakayama and Shimamura clans. Following this, many of Munekage's vassals deserted and joined the Ukita clan.

In 1559, he killed his father-in-law Nakayama Nobumasa by order of Uragami Munekage and restored their old territory. and moved Ukita clan's main bastion from Numa castle in 1573.

In March 1574, Naoie broke off relations with Uragami Munekage. The battle went against Munekage, and in October of the following year, Munekage's castle, Tenjinyama Castle, fell. Naoie attacked Tenjinyama castle successfully, effectively ending Uragami Munekage's rule.

Later in 1581, Naoie cut ties with the Mōri clan and submitted to Nobunaga. Thereafter, he engaged in battles across Mimasaka and Bizen against the Mōri.

Beliefs He was a man of deep faith. When the Matsuda clan—lords of Kanagawa Castle—pressured major temples and shrines within their domain to convert to the Nichiren sect (which the Matsuda themselves followed), he refused to comply and consequently saw his own temple burned down; however, he later provided financial support for the reconstruction of the destroyed halls and structures at Kanayama-ji Temple and Kibitsuhiko Shrine. As a result, these religious institutions hold him in high regard.

After establishing Okayama Castle as his base, he invited merchants to the area and worked to develop the castle town. Previously, the commercial hubs of Bizen Province had been concentrated in the east—in places like Saidaiji and Bizen-Fukuoka—but the development of the castle town under the successive leadership of Naoie and his son Hideie led to the growth of an urban center with Okayama Castle at its heart.

Death In February 1582, he died in Okayama Castle. But his strategic maneuver proved effective. Nobunaga confirmed his heir, Ukita Hideie, to inherit his domain. Later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi adopted Hideie.