Hanbei Takenaka

Japanese: 竹中半兵衛 - たけなか・はんべえ

Year of death: June 13, 1579 (July 6, 1579)
Year of birth: Tenbun 13 (1544)
A military commander in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Son of Takenaka Shigemoto, lord of Bodaiyama Castle in Mino. Hanbei was his nickname. His name was originally Shigetora, but later changed to Shigeharu. It is well known that in February 1564, while he was serving Saito Tatsuoki, lord of Inabayama Castle, he could no longer bear Tatsuoki's politics of being a favorite, and took over Inabayama Castle with only a dozen men. After that, he returned the castle to Tatsuoki, but he lived in seclusion. In the same year, when Oda Nobunaga destroyed the Saito clan, he was invited by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to join Nobunaga's side, and from the time of the Battle of Anegawa in 1570, he was appointed as Hideyoshi's yoriki. As his castle, Bodaiyama Castle, was close to the border between Mino and Omi, he played a major role in winning over the vassals of Omi Azai Nagamasa to his side, and he came to be known as "Hideyoshi's military strategist." He also demonstrated his skills in the attack on China together with Kuroda Yoshitaka and was known as a wise general. He fell ill during the attack on Miki Castle in Harima and died in the Hirayama camp at Mukai Castle. He was only 36 years old.

(Tetsuo Owada)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：天正7.6.13(1579.7.6)
生年：天文13(1544)
安土桃山時代の武将。美濃菩提山城主竹中重元の子。半兵衛というのは通称。名は,はじめ重虎といったが,のち重治と改めた。稲葉山城主斎藤竜興に仕えていた永禄7(1564)年2月,竜興の寵臣政治にたまりかね,わずか十数名で稲葉山城を乗っ取ったことはよく知られている。その後,城は竜興に返したがそのまま蟄居し,同10年,織田信長が斎藤氏を滅ぼすと,豊臣秀吉の誘いによって信長方となり,元亀1(1570)年の姉川の戦のころから秀吉の与力につけられた。居城の菩提山城が美濃と近江の国境に近かったことから,近江浅井長政の家臣たちを味方にするという点で大活躍をし,「秀吉の軍師」などと呼ばれるようになる。中国攻めにも黒田孝高らと手腕を発揮し,知将といわれた。播磨三木城攻めの最中に発病し,向城の平山の陣中において病没。36歳の若さであった。

(小和田哲男)

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