Yamagata Masakage
Yamagata Masakage (山県 昌景, 1524 – June 29, 1575) also known as Obu Masakage was a Japanese samurai warrior of the Sengoku period. He is known as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen".[1] He was famous for his red armour and skill in battlefield, and was a personal friend of Takeda Shingen. He was the younger brother of Obu Toramasa who was also a retainer of Shingen leading the famous "red fire unit" (derived from Shingen's slogan Fūrinkazan).
After his brother Obu Masatora committed Seppuku as a cover for Takeda Yoshinobu's failed rebellion, Masakage changed his family name to Yamagata(He used the name Obu Masakage at first.).[2]
Masakage was a fierce warrior who fought in many battles and was given a fief in Shinano. He was present at the Battle of Mimasetoge in 1569 and captured Yoshida Castle, a Tokugawa possession, during the Mikatagahara Campaign (1572–73).
He was present for the following Battle of Mikatagahara.[3][4] His last campaign was in the ill-fated Battle of Nagashino in 1575, in which he tried to persuade Katsuyori to honorably withdraw.[5]
Ii Naomasa from the Tokugawa clan gained surviving retainers of the Takeda clan and followed the example of Masakage's red-colored army.[6]
In popular culture
Yamagata is one of the main characters in Akira Kurosawa's epic film Kagemusha.[7]
References
- Internet Movie Database (IMDb), "Shingen Takeda (Character) from Kagemusha (1980); retrieved 2013-5-17.
- "デジタル版 日本人名大辞典+Plus「山県昌景」の解説". kotobank. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- Turnbull, Stephen (2000). The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Cassell & C0. pp. 222–223. ISBN 1854095234.
- Turnbull, Stephen (1987). Battles of the Samurai. London: Arms and Armour Press. pp. 71–73, 85, 91. ISBN 0853688265.
- Turnbull, Stephen (1977). The Samurai. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. pp. 156–160. ISBN 9780026205405.
- "朝日日本歴史人物事典「井伊直政」の解説". kotobank. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- IMDb, "Masakage Yamagata (Character) from Kagemusha (1980); retrieved 2013-5-17.