Who was this person?
A Mikawa commander who served Tokugawa Ieyasu from childhood. He was at Ieyasu's side from the days when Ieyasu was a hostage of the Imagawa, and distinguished himself at the battles of Nagashino and Kurokoma. In 1600 he died defending Fushimi castle with a small force, and his loyalty was praised as "the model of Mikawa warriors."
| Name | Torii Mototada (鳥居元忠) |
|---|---|
| Born–died | 1539 – 1600 |
| Period | Azuchi-Momoyama period |
| Birthplace | Mikawa Province |
| Main achievements |
|
He was born in Mikawa (Aichi) as the third son of Torii Tadayoshi, who served the Matsudaira (later Tokugawa). His father Tadayoshi was a long-serving retainer who guarded Okazaki, and is said to have quietly saved up reserves to support the Matsudaira house in hard times.
He began serving at the side of Takechiyo (later Tokugawa Ieyasu), who was living in Sunpu (Shizuoka) as a hostage of the Imagawa. Mototada was three years older than Ieyasu and was almost a childhood friend who shared the hard life of a hostage. This bond became a lifelong, unchanging tie between lord and retainer.
Under the now independent Ieyasu he led a unit of bannermen and joined the Battle of Anegawa. He also took part in the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1572. In fighting the Takeda, he is said to have been shot in the leg while scouting the enemy, leaving him with a slight limp thereafter.
His father Tadayoshi died and Mototada succeeded as head of the Torii house, since one elder brother had died in battle and the other had become a monk. Serving Ieyasu single-mindedly like his father, Mototada became one of the most trusted retainers in the Tokugawa house.
At the Battle of Nagashino, where the Oda–Tokugawa allies fought Takeda Katsuyori's army, he and Ishikawa Kazumasa were in charge of building the fences to stop the enemy cavalry. Combining these fences with firearms, the allies won a great victory.
After the Honnō-ji Incident, the Tokugawa and the Hōjō fought over Kai, the former Takeda domain. With few troops, Mototada routed a detached force of the large Hōjō army at Kurokoma, saving Ieyasu from danger. For this he was entrusted with the Gunnai area of Kai and became a castle lord.
To punish Sanada Masayuki of Shinano, who had turned against Ieyasu, he attacked Ueda castle with Ōkubo Tadayo and others. But they were outmanoeuvred by Masayuki's skilful tactics and withdrew with heavy losses. It was a bitter defeat even for the brave Mototada.
He joined Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Odawara campaign, and when Ieyasu then moved to the Kantō, he was given 40,000 koku at Yahagi in Shimōsa (Katori, Chiba) and became a daimyō. He was entrusted with an important place guarding against the northern lords, showing Ieyasu's deep trust.
When Ieyasu set out to punish Uesugi Kagekatsu of Aizu, Mototada was entrusted with the defence of Fushimi castle in Kyoto. On the eve of departure, Ieyasu and Mototada drank together late into the night. Mototada is said to have replied, "Take as many retainers with you as you can," moving Ieyasu to tears.
When Ishida Mitsunari and others raised troops, Fushimi castle was surrounded by a great army. With only a small force, Mototada refused to surrender and held the castle for more than ten days, but it finally fell and he died in battle at 61. Holding up the enemy here is said to have paved the way for the Battle of Sekigahara.
Mototada's loyalty was praised as "the model of Mikawa warriors." Ieyasu is said to have moved floorboards from Fushimi castle, where he died, to Edo castle, and such boards survive today as "blood ceilings" in Kyoto temples such as Yōgen-in. His son Tadamasa carried on the house as a daimyō, and the Torii family continued throughout the Edo period.
A. A Mikawa commander who served Tokugawa Ieyasu from childhood. He was at Ieyasu's side from the days when Ieyasu was a hostage of the Imagawa, and distinguished himself at the battles of Nagashino and Kurokoma. In 1600 he died defending Fushimi castle with a small force, and his loyalty was praised as "the model of Mikawa warriors."
A. Period: Azuchi-Momoyama period. Born in 1539, died in 1600.
A. Torii Mototada was born in Mikawa Province.
A. The floorboards of Fushimi castle where Mototada and his men met their end bore bloodstains, and they are said to have been used for the ceilings of Kyoto temples such as Yōgen-in as a memorial. These are called "blood ceilings" and can still be seen today.
See also: Wikipedia (ja) / Wikipedia (en) / Wikipedia (fr) / Wikipedia (zh) / Wikidata
Follow this life (autoplay)Toyotomi HideyoshiTokugawa IeyasuTakeda KatsuyoriSanada MasayukiUesugi KagekatsuIshida Mitsunari
Nabeshima NaoshigeHonda MasanobuChōsokabe MotochikaHasegawa TōhakuToyotomi HidenagaKuki YoshitakaTokugawa IeyasuKanō Eitoku
People of the Sengoku/Azuchi-Momoyama period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.