Akechi Hidemitsu | |
|---|---|
| 明智 秀満 | |
 Portrait of Akechi Hidemitsu fromUtagawa Yoshiiku'sHeroes of the Taiheiki | |
| Lord ofFukuchiyama Castle | |
| In office 1576–1582 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1536 Mikawa Province |
| Died | July 4, 1582 Sakamoto Castle |
| Nickname | Rokurōzaemon |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Oda clan Akechi clan |
| Commands | Fukuchiyama Castle |
| Battles/wars | Tanba Campaign (1575) Honnoji Incident (1582) Battle of Yamazaki (1582) |
Akechi Hidemitsu (明智 秀満, 1536? - July 4, 1582) was a Japanesesamurai of theSengoku period. A senior retainer ofOda Nobunaga's vassalAkechi Mitsuhide, he served Mitsuhide until the latter's death in 1582 at the hands ofToyotomi Hideyoshi. He is also known asAkechi Mitsuharu.
While Hidemitsu's date of birth is not known for certain, he was born either sometime between 1535 and 1537, or as late as 1557. Hidemitsu was the son ofTōyama Kageyuki (lord ofMyōchi Castle) andMiyake Takasada (lord ofHirose Castle inMikawa Province). He first succeeded to his father, taking the name Tōyama Kageharu (common name Rokurōzaemon); then he succeeded to his mother's birth family under the name Miyake Yaheiji, and then, marrying one ofAkechi Mitsuhide's daughters, took the name Akechi Hidemitsu.
Following his marriage to Akechi Mitsuhide's daughter (who had been formerly married toAraki Murashige), Hidemitsu was deeply trusted by his master, and served in the vanguard of the Akechi armies frequently. He led the attack onBattle of Honnō-ji which killedOda Nobunaga.
He was assigned to defend theAzuchi Castle and fought againstHori Hidemasa as a rear guard for Mitsuhide during theBattle of Yamazaki. He became a legend for his rapid crossing ofLake Biwa to get fromOtsu toSakamoto Castle on the back of his famous horse "Okage", after the loss and defeat of Mitsuhide's forces atBattle of Yamazaki. This scene is very often depicted in many Japanese artworks. He then performed his famous and unpredicted act of committinghara-kiri while writing a poem on a door with blood from his abdomen used as ink for his brush.[1] His men set fire toSakamoto Castle and killed their families and themselves to follow their master to the grave.
While much of theAkechi clan was destroyed atSakamoto Castle, Hidemitsu's sonsMiyake Shigetoshi andTōyama Tarōgorō survived. Shigetoshi servedTerasawa Katataka at theShimabara Uprising and was killed by the rebel forces underAmakusa Shirō, while Tarōgorō is remembered as the ancestor of the famous nineteenth-century political activistSakamoto Ryōma.
Hidemitsu appears in theOnimusha series with the name Samanosuke Akechi. After the events ofOnimusha 3: Demon Siege, he takes on the nameTenkai Nankobo inOnimusha: Dawn of Dreams. "Sama-no-suke" (左馬之介) was Hidemitsu's courtesy title at the Imperial Court.