Hatakeyama Yoshitsuna

• Birth: 1536
• Death: 1594
• Title: Saemonnosuke
• Distinction: Lord of Noto province

Yoshitsuna succeeded Hatakeyama Yoshitsugu at the age of 16. At this time a council of seven Hatakeyama clan retainers had formed and these men endeavored to use Yoshitsuna as a puppet. Yoshitsuna and Yoshitsugu worked quietly to create rifts within the council. They found an ally in Igawa Mitsunobu, whom they had appointed to the council in 1554 following the death of an original member. Civil war erupted again at around the same time and the effect was to enhance Yoshitsuna's position. Yoshitsuna was unable to maintain control over his troublesome retainers, however, and was finally forced to flee to Ômi province around 1566. His son Yoshitaka was overthrown by those same retainers in 1574, prompting Uesugi Kenshin to later attack Noto. Yoshitsuna's brother Yoshiharu served the Uesugi clan and became better known as Jojo Masashige.

References

• Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005