Yoshinobu was the eldest son of Satake Yoshishige and was officially named the head of the Satake in 1589. He joined Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1590 and sent troops to assist in the Siege of Odawara. Hideyoshoi afterwards confirmed the Satake's holdings in Hitachi and Shimôsa (worth some 545,800 koku). During the Sekigahara Campaign (1600), he at first thought to side with Ishida Mitsunari and assist Uesugi Kagekatsu but in the event effectively did nothing. Owing to his father's intercession, Tokugawa Ieyasu only transferred him to Akita han (in Mutsu province), with an income of 200,000 koku. He fought for the Tokugawa at Osaka Castle (1614, 1615) and there fought hard at the Battle of Imafuku. His private life is said to have been a sad one, as his first wife evidently committed suicide at the age of 24 and his principal concubine also died young due to illness.
References
- Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005