Who was this person?
A member of the Asakura clan of Echizen (Fukui), whose real name was Asakura Norikage. A famed general who supported three family heads, he repelled a huge Ikkō-ikki army at the Battle of the Kuzuryū River in 1506. At the shogunate's request he also campaigned in Wakasa and Kyoto, and his sayings survive in the Asakura Sōteki Waki.
| Name | Asakura Sōteki (朝倉宗滴) |
|---|---|
| Born–died | 1477 – 1555 |
| Period | Sengoku period |
| Birthplace | Echizen Province |
| Also known as | Asakura Norikage |
| Main achievements |
|
He was born the eighth son of Asakura Takakage, Sengoku daimyo of Echizen Province (Fukui). His real name was Norikage; Sōteki was the name he took as a lay monk. Some say he was born in 1474 (accounts differ). He is said to have spent his childhood at a temple, and later supported the Asakura as a pillar of the clan.
His father Takakage died, and his elder brother Ujikage became head of the house. Sōteki was still small and did not become head. He would later support three generations of heads at close hand: his nephew Sadakage, Sadakage's son Takakage, and Takakage's son Yoshikage. He grew into a senior retainer handling both war and government within the Asakura house.
When his kinsman Asakura Kagetoyo planned to rebel against the head, Sadakage, Sōteki refused to join, entered a temple and revealed the plan to Sadakage. Kagetoyo was held responsible and ordered to take his own life, and for this service Sōteki became head of Tsuruga district and lord of Kanegasaki Castle. From then on he directed the Asakura's military affairs.
A huge army of the Ikkō-ikki from Kaga and elsewhere invaded Echizen. As commander-in-chief, Sōteki led the Asakura forces and met them along the Kuzuryū River. The ikki army was said to number in the hundreds of thousands (thought to be an exaggeration), far more than the Asakura, but after fierce fighting it was driven back. This battle made Sōteki's name.
On orders from the Muromachi shogunate he marched into Wakasa and Tango to aid the Takeda, governors of Wakasa, and put down revolts. Many Asakura campaigns were made at the shogunate's request, and Sōteki's successes also raised the standing of the Asakura house. He became a commander known well beyond Echizen.
When Azai Sukemasa and the Rokkaku of Ōmi were in conflict, Sōteki led troops to the Azai's Odani Castle, stayed about five months, and mediated between them. His help to Sukemasa at this time is said to have laid the foundation for the firm bond between the Asakura and Azai houses that lasted long afterward.
At the request of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshiharu and the kanrei Hosokawa Takakuni, who had fled to Ōmi, he led an army up to Kyoto. He won battles against the Miyoshi and others, spreading the Asakura name in the capital as well. The next year he is said to have fallen out with Takakuni and withdrawn to Echizen.
When the headship passed to the young Yoshikage, Sōteki supported him as the clan's elder. The Asakura then flourished around Ichijōdani, which also drew in Kyoto culture. Sōteki is also known for owning the famous tea caddy Tsukumo-gami Nasu and was familiar with the tea ceremony.
Acting in concert with Nagao Kagetora (later Uesugi Kenshin) of Echigo, he set out to attack the Ikkō-ikki of Kaga. Despite his great age, he is said to have taken three castles in one day after entering Kaga. But the ikki then struck back, the fighting dragged on, and Sōteki fell ill in camp and returned to Ichijōdani.
Despite careful nursing, he died of illness at Ichijōdani. The Asakura Sōteki Waki, a collection of his sayings, records a Sengoku warrior's attitude, including the words that a warrior may be called a dog or a beast, but winning is what matters. After his death the Asakura army is said to have lost its pillar.
A. A member of the Asakura clan of Echizen (Fukui), whose real name was Asakura Norikage. A famed general who supported three family heads, he repelled a huge Ikkō-ikki army at the Battle of the Kuzuryū River in 1506. At the shogunate's request he also campaigned in Wakasa and Kyoto, and his sayings survive in the Asakura Sōteki Waki.
A. Period: Sengoku period. Born in 1477, died in 1555.
A. Asakura Sōteki was born in Echizen Province.
A. The Asakura Sōteki Waki, a collection of his sayings, includes the line that a warrior may be called a dog or a beast, but winning is what matters. It expresses the Sengoku warrior's attitude that victory comes first, whatever others say.
See also: Wikipedia (ja) / Wikipedia (en) / Wikipedia (fr) / Wikipedia (zh) / Wikidata
Follow this life (autoplay)Uesugi KenshinAsakura Yoshikage
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People of the Sengoku/Azuchi-Momoyama period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.