Takatora Todo

Japanese: 藤堂高虎 - とうどう・たかとら

Year of death: 5th October 1630 (9th November 1630)
Year of birth: 1556
A military commander in the Azuchi-Momoyama and early Edo periods. First lord of the Tsu Domain in Ise Province (Mie Prefecture). Born in Todo Village, Inukami County, Omi Province (Kora Town, Inukami County, Shiga Prefecture). At the age of 15, he served Azai Nagamasa and achieved military success in the Battle of Anegawa and other battles. Later, he served Oda Nobusumi and Hashiba Hidenaga, and was awarded 20,000 koku of rice as a result of his military achievements in the Battle of Shizugatake, the Attack on Saika in Kii, and the Attack on Shimazu. In 1587, he was appointed as the governor of Sado. After Hidenaga's death, he served Hidetoshi's son, and during the Bunroku Invasion, he served as Hidetoshi's representative in Korea. After Hidetoshi's death, he went to Mount Koya and shaved his head, but at the request of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he became his direct vassal, and in 1595, he was awarded 70,000 koku of rice in Iyo Province and became the lord of Uwajima Castle. During the Keicho War, he led a navy to Korea, annihilated the Korean navy in the Battle of Geoje Island, and was granted an additional 10,000 koku. Having been in charge of the construction of Tokugawa Ieyasu's Jurakudai residence, he became close to Ieyasu after Hideyoshi's death, and in 1601 he sent his younger brother Masataka to Edo as a hostage. The following year, he reported the movements of Ishida Mitsunari to Ieyasu, and during the Battle of Sekigahara he monitored Kobayakawa Hideaki, and together with Hideaki, who had switched sides, he defeated Otani Yoshitsugu. After the war, he was granted an additional 120,000 koku and became the lord of Imabari Castle in Iyo. Known as a master of castle construction, he was entrusted with the construction of Omi Zeze Castle, Fushimi Castle, Tanba Sasayama Castle, and Tanba Kameyama Castle during the Keicho period. In 1618, he took the initiative to send his wife and children to Edo, and as Edo Castle, which he was in charge of landscaping, was completed, he was granted an additional 20,000 koku and changed his title to Izumi no Kami. In 1613, he was transferred to the province of Iga and eight counties of Ise, and lived in Tsu Castle in Ise Province. During the Summer Siege of Osaka, when Ieyasu's main camp collapsed under an attack by Sanada Yukimura, he made a great achievement by leading the Umawari troops to rescue them from the flank. On his deathbed, Ieyasu is said to have said, "In times of national crisis, Takatora will be the first to make the first move, and Ii Naotaka the second." After that, his stipend was increased several times, and in 1617 (Genna 3), he was awarded 323,950 koku. He also worked hard to bring Hidetada's daughter Kazuko (Tofukumon'in) into the Imperial Court, and was in charge of the layout of Osaka Castle. During this time, Takatora was on friendly terms with the shogunate and was the center of attention for many daimyo, but in his later years, his senility caused him to be very ugly. His wife was the daughter of Naga Tsunehisa. <References> Todo Takafumi, ed., "Munekokushi"

(Hirofumi Yamamoto)

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

Japanese:

没年：寛永7.10.5(1630.11.9)
生年：弘治2(1556)
安土桃山・江戸時代初期の武将。伊勢国(三重県)津藩初代藩主。近江国犬上郡藤堂村(滋賀県犬上郡甲良町)に生まれる。15歳のとき,浅井長政に仕え,姉川の戦などで武功をあげる。のち織田信澄,羽柴秀長などに仕え,賤ケ岳の戦,紀伊雑賀攻め,島津攻めなどに軍功があり,加増を重ねられ2万石を領した。天正15(1587)年,佐渡守に叙任。秀長の死後,その子秀俊に仕え,文禄の役では代理として朝鮮に出陣した。秀俊の没後,高野山にのぼり剃髪したが,豊臣秀吉の懇望によりその直臣となり,文禄4(1595)年,伊予国に7万石を与えられ,宇和島城主となる。慶長の役でも,水軍を率いて朝鮮に渡海し,巨済島の戦いで朝鮮水軍を全滅させ,1万石を加増された。徳川家康の聚楽第内邸地の普請を奉行した縁で,秀吉死後は家康に接近,慶長4年には弟正高を江戸に人質に出した。翌年,石田三成の動静を家康に報告し,関ケ原の戦では,小早川秀秋を監視し,寝返った秀秋と共に大谷吉継を討った。戦後,12万石を加増され伊予今治城主。城普請の名手として知られ,慶長期に近江膳所城,伏見城,丹波篠山城,丹波亀山城などの普請を任せられた。11年には率先して妻子を江戸にあげ,縄張りを担当した江戸城が落成したため,2万石加増され,和泉守に改める。13年には伊賀1国と伊勢8郡に移され,伊勢国津城に住した。大坂夏の陣では,真田幸村の攻撃を受けて家康の本陣が崩れたとき,馬廻りの兵を率いて側面から救援するなど大きな功績をあげた。家康は臨終の床で,「国家の大事のときには,一の先手は高虎,二の先手は井伊直孝」と申し置いたという。以後,加増を重ねられて,元和3(1617)年,32万3950石。秀忠の娘和子(東福門院)の入内にも奔走,大坂城の縄張りも担当した。このころの高虎は,幕閣と親しく交際し,諸大名の注目の的であったが,晩年は老耄がひどく醜態を演じた。妻は長連久の娘。<参考文献>藤堂高文編『宗国史』

(山本博文)

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