Yamaoka Kagetaka

• Born: 1526
• Died: 1585
• Titles: Mimasaka no kami
• Distinction: Rokkaku, Oda, Toyotomi retainer

Kagetaka was a son of Yamaoka Mimasaka no kami Kageyuki. He was a retainer of the Rokkaku family and held Seta castle in southern Ômi province. Kagetaka earned fame for refusing to assist Akechi Mitsuhide after the latter killed Oda Nobunaga in 1582, instead burning the bridge and boats in his domain in order to prevent their use by the Akechi. He afterwards became a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi but was deprived of his land for secretly communicating with Shibata Katsuie in 1583. He retired to Koga and died there a few years later.

References

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