Satake Yoshishige | |
|---|---|
| 佐竹 義重 | |
 | |
| Head ofSatake clan | |
| In office 1562–1589 | |
| Preceded by | Satake Yoshiaki |
| Succeeded by | Satake Yoshinobu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 7, 1547 |
| Died | May 19, 1612(1612-05-19) (aged 65) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Children | Satake Yoshinobu Iwaki Sadataka |
| Parent |
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| Nickname(s) | "Ogre Yoshishige" (Oni Yoshishige) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Satake clan Toyotomi clan Eastern army |
| Rank | Daimyo |
| Commands | Ota Castle |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Numajiri (1567) Battle of Hitotoribashi (1586) Battle of Suriagehara (1589) Siege of Odawara (1590) Kunohe rebellion (1591) Sekigahara campaign (1600) |
Satake Yoshishige (佐竹 義重; March 7, 1547 – May 19, 1612) was a Japanesedaimyō (military lord) of theSengoku period. He was the 18th generation head of theSatake clan. He was renowned for his ferocity in battle; he was also known by the nickname of "Ogre Yoshishige" (鬼義重,Oni Yoshishige).
Yoshishige (whose rank was Hitachi no suke) was the eldest son of Satake Yoshiaki (1531-1565) and heldOta Castle inHitachi Province. His father, whose health was failing, handed over leadership to Yoshishige in 1562 and died three years later. It is said in theSengoku jinmei jiten (462-63) that he officially retired from head of Satake family sometime in 1587 or 1589.[1]
An aggressive lord, Yoshishige consolidated the Satake's hold over Hitachi and fought with such local houses as theAshina,Oda, and Naya. While he would takeShirakawa Castle from the Yûki, Yoshishige's primary concern was to be theHôjô family. Yoshishige organized his followers and henchmen into four groups:ichimon,fudai,tozama, andkakushō-shu.[2]
In 1567, he allied with the Satomi and Utsunomiya. Yoshishige resisted Hôjô expansion into the easternKanto region for many years, who were extending their power into southern Hitachi.[3] One such encounter was theBattle of Numajiri, where 20,000 men under Yoshishige fought 80,000 Hojo troops.[3] The Satake won, due in part to the use of over 8600matchlock rifles by their troops.[3]
In the mid-1580s, Yoshishige also became involved in actions against Mutsu's rising star,Date Masamune. Yoshishige allied with the Ashina and Sôma (both former Satake rivals) and contributed his strength to their war with the Date, with Satake troops fighting at theBattle of Hitotoribashi (1586), theKōriyama Campaign (1588),[4] andBattle of Suriagehara (1589).
Yoshishige handed official control of the Satake to his sonYoshinobu in 1589 but remained effectively in command afterwards. The Satake submitted toToyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590 and sent their forces to assist in theOdawara Campaign.
When sides were being drawn up in 1600 betweenTokugawa Ieyasu andIshida Mitsunari, Yoshinobu waffled. He at first decided to join Ishida's cause and sent messages toUesugi Kagekatsu, then, at the last moment, hesitated and made as if to join Tokugawa. In the aftermath of theBattle of Sekigahara, Yoshishige was able to intercede on behalf of Yoshinobu when the latter was set to be punished by Tokugawa Ieyasu for his indecisive behavior. The Satake were only made to transfer to Akita in 1602 - albeit at the cost of over half their income (from 545,000 koku to roughly 200,000 koku). Yoshishige afterwards lived inRokugo Castle. Yoshishige was known as a tough campaigner and carried the nicknameÔni Yoshishige (Devil Yoshishige).
There remain many anecdotes on the life of Yoshishige. For example, it is said he did not use afuton to sleep on, instead preparing only a thin mat. Possibly he began this custom because he was always devoting himself to war and thus spent many nights in the field with his army. After he moved toRokugo, his son Yoshinobu, concerned for his comfort in the cold climate, sent a futon for him to use. Out of respect for his son, Yoshishige attempted to sleep on the futon but found himself unable to get comfortable. He therefore returned to his old campaigning mat and slept on it.
Yoshishige's most notable retainers included Wada Awa no kami Akitame, Kajiwara Mino no kami Masakage, andSatake Yoshisuke. His son Sadataka was adopted into the family of Tsunetaka (Iwaki clan) and became his heir.[5]