Kanetsugu Naoe

Japanese: 直江兼続 - なおえ・かねつぐ

Year of death: December 19, 1620 (January 23, 1620)
Year of birth: 1560
A military commander in the Azuchi-Momoyama and early Edo periods. Son of Higuchi Soemon Kanetoyo, lord of Yoita Castle in Echigo Province. His childhood name was Yoroku, and his given name was also Shigemitsu. He first served Uesugi Kenshin, and after his death, served his son Kagekatsu. In 1582, he succeeded the prestigious Naoe family name to become Naoe Kanetsugu, and as Kagekatsu's close aide, he was called "Regent." He got close to Toyotomi Hideyoshi early on, and mediated between the two. In 1586, when Kagekatsu was promoted to Junior Third Rank, Kanetsugu was also appointed Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade and Yamashiro no Kami. He also had connections with Hideyoshi's close aides, and worked with Ishida Mitsunari to promote Kagekatsu's transfer from Echigo to Aizu in 1598. When his lord Kagekatsu had a fief of 1.2 million koku in Aizu, Kanetsugu was given 300,000 koku as the lord of Yonezawa Castle. The letter from Kanetsugu impeaching Ieyasu, which is said to have triggered the Battle of Sekigahara, is famous as the "Naoe letter," but it is a forgery. After the Battle of Sekigahara, his lord, Kagekatsu, was reduced to 300,000 koku in Yonezawa Castle. He collected classics, established the Zenrin Library at Zenrinji Temple, which he built in Yonezawa, and also published books.

(Tetsuo Owada)

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

Japanese:

没年：元和5.12.19(1620.1.23)
生年：永禄3(1560)
安土桃山・江戸前期の武将。越後国与板城主樋口惣右衛門兼豊の子。幼名は与六,名は重光ともいった。はじめ上杉謙信に仕え,その死後,子の景勝に仕え,天正10(1582)年,名門直江の名跡を継いで直江兼続となり,景勝の側近として「執政」などと呼ばれた。早くから豊臣秀吉に接近し,秀吉と景勝の間をとりもち,同16年,景勝が従三位に進んだとき,兼続も従五位下・山城守に叙任されている。秀吉の側近たちとも交流があり,慶長3(1598)年の景勝の越後から会津への転封に際しては,石田三成と一緒になってこれを推進した。主君景勝が会津120万石のとき,兼続は米沢城主として30万石を知行した。関ケ原の戦のきっかけとなったとされる家康弾劾の兼続の手紙が「直江状」として有名であるが,これは偽書である。関ケ原の戦ののち,主君景勝が米沢城30万石に減封されている。古典を収集し,米沢に建立した禅林寺に禅林文庫を設け,また出版も行った。

(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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