Torii Suneemon

Japanese: 鳥居強右衛門 - とりい・すねえもん

Year of death: May 16, 1575 (June 24, 1575)
Year of birth: Unknown. A military commander in the Warring States period. Some historical sources state that his given name was Katsuaki, but this is not certain. He was a retainer of Okudaira Nobumasa, a subordinate commander of Tokugawa Ieyasu in Mikawa, and following Nobumasa's entry into Nagashino Castle (Hourai-cho, Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture), he entered Nagashino Castle in February 1575 (Tensho 3). Nagashino Castle was surrounded by Takeda Katsuyori's large army and was under siege from May 1st of the same year, but at a military council in the castle, he proposed sending a messenger to Tokugawa Ieyasu to request reinforcements, and decided to break through the Takeda army's encirclement and go to Ieyasu himself. On the 14th, Tsuneemon succeeded in escaping Nagashino Castle and complained to Ieyasu at Okazaki Castle about the plight of Nagashino Castle, and upon hearing this, Ieyasu decided to march out with Nobunaga. Tsuneemon tried to return to Nagashino Castle to immediately convey his reply to the soldiers in the castle, but it was difficult to sneak through the siege, and he was eventually captured by Takeda soldiers. At this point, the Takeda side took Torii Tsuneemon, whom they had captured, near the castle, and tried to get him to say, "No reinforcements will come. It would be better if you surrendered," promising to spare his life, but Tsuneemon shouted, "Reinforcements will arrive soon." As a result, Tsuneemon was crucified and killed at Shinobano, but this act ultimately allowed the siege of Nagashino Castle to continue, which was a major factor in the great victory of the Oda-Tokugawa allied forces at Nagashino Shitarakahara. <References> Maruyama Ho, "Torii Tsuneemon and His Descendants"

(Tetsuo Owada)

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

Japanese:

没年：天正3.5.16(1575.6.24)
生年：生年不詳
戦国時代の武将。名を勝商とする史料もあるが確実とはいえない。三河の徳川家康方の部将奥平信昌の家臣で,信昌が長篠城(愛知県新城市・鳳来町)に入ったのに従い,天正3(1575)年2月,長篠城に入った。長篠城は同年5月1日から武田勝頼の大軍に囲まれ籠城することになったが,そのとき城中での軍評定で徳川家康のもとに援軍を要請する使者を送ることを提案し,自ら武田軍の包囲網を突破して家康のもとに赴くことになった。14日,強右衛門は長篠城を脱出することに成功し,岡崎城の家康に長篠城の窮状を訴え,それを聞いた家康は信長ともども出陣する決意を固めた。強右衛門は,その返事をすぐ城中の兵たちに伝えたいと長篠城に戻ろうとしたが,包囲の目をかいくぐって潜入することはむずかしく,結局,武田軍の兵に捕らえられた。このとき武田方では捕らえた鳥居強右衛門を城近くに連行し,「援軍はこない。降参した方がよい」といえば命を助けるという約束で強右衛門にその口上をいわせようとしたが,強右衛門は「援軍がすぐ到着する」と叫んだ。そのため強右衛門は篠場野において磔にかけられ殺されたが,結果的にはこの行為が長篠城籠城を継続させ,それが長篠設楽ケ原の織田・徳川連合軍大勝の大きな要因となったのである。<参考文献>丸山彭『鳥居強右衛門とその子孫』

(小和田哲男)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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