Seven Spears of Shizugatake
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The Seven Spears of Shizugatake (賤ヶ岳の七本槍 Shizugatake no shichi-hon-yari?) were the top generals of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who sought to control Japan at the end of the 16th century. They were all members of Hideyoshi's elite mounted bodyguard at the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583.
It is interesting to note that it was not uncommon for the outstanding samurai of an important battle to be named the 'Seven Spears' of that battle. The Seven Spears of Shizugatake are merely one particularly famous and accomplished example of this.
- Fukushima Masanori (1561-1624) - awarded the fief of Kiyosu (Owari Province) after Shizugatake; fought for Tokugawa Ieyasu at the battle of Sekigahara.
- Hirano Nagayasu
- Kasuya Takenori
- Katagiri Katsumoto
- Katō Kiyomasa (1562-1611) - One of the most famous warriors of the Sengoku period, Kiyomasa commanded Hideyoshi's army in Korea during the Seven-Year War and fought in a number of important battles in Japan.
- Katō Yoshiaki (1563-1631) - No relation to Kiyomasa, Yoshiaki commanded Hideyoshi's fleet in the invasion of Korea.
- Wakizaka Yasuharu (1554-1626) - Served Akechi Mitsuhide before Hideyoshi, and is famous for defecting from Ishida Mitsunari's Western Army to Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern Army in the middle of the decisive battle of Sekigahara.
[edit] References
- Turnbull, Stephen (1998). 'The Samurai Sourcebook'. London: Cassell & Co.
