Sanada clan

The Sanada kamon.

The Sanada (真田) family was from the village of Sanada in the Chiisagata District (小県郡) in northern Shinano province. They served the Takeda clan and even captured Numata castle (沼田城) in NW Kozuke province. After the fall of the Takeda in 1582, they took over the Chiisagata District and built Ueda castle (上田城), even defeating an attack by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1585.

In 1600 at the time of the Battle of Sekigahara, Masayuki and Nobushige (Yukimura) supported the 'western' side and were exiled, but Nobuyuki, who had supported Ieyasu, kept Ueda and Numata. In 1622 Nubuyuki was moved from Ueda to Matsushiro (松代) in Shinano. The Matsushiro branch continued to rule there until the Restoration, but Numata was confiscated in 1681.

Members of the Sanada clan

Sanada Yukitaka 幸隆 (1512-1574) Served Takeda Shingen from about 1544 Yasawa Yoritsuna 矢沢頼綱 (or Tsunayori 綱頼) (1518-1597) Brother of Yukitaka; he worked closely with his family Sanada Nobutsuna 信綱 (1557-1575) Eldest son of Yukitaka; he was killed at the Battle of Nagashino Sanada Masateru 昌輝 ( -1575) Second son of Yukitaka; he was killed at the Battle of Nagashino Sanada Masayuki 昌幸 (1544-1608) Third son of Yukitaka; he built Ueda castle and fought off the Tokogawas twice, but was exiled to Kii province in 1600. Sanada Nobumasa 信昌 (Nobutada信尹, Masaharu 昌春）(c. 1547-1632) Fourth son of Yukitaka; he served the Takeda then Ieyasu. He became a hatamoto in the Edo period. Sanada Takakatsu 高勝　(d. 1606) Fifth son of Yukitaka. Sanada Nobuyuki 信之 (1566-1658) Eldest son of Masayuki; he supported Ieyasu in 1600. He was moved to Matsushiro (松代) in Shinano in 1622. Sanada Komatsu 小松　(1573-1620) Daughter of Honda Tadakatsu, adopted daughter of Ieyasu, wife of Nobuyuki. Sanada Nobushige信繁 (Yukimura)幸村 (1567-1615) Second son of Masayuki; he was exiled to Kii province with his father in 1600 and fought for Osaka in the Osaka Campaign of 1614-15 and died in the final battle. Sanada Nobuyoshi 信吉(1593-1634) Elder son of Nobuyuki; he died before his father. Sanada Nobumasa 信政 (1597-1658) Second son of Nobuyuki; he became daimyo of Matsushiro upon his father's death and gave Numata to his nephew Nobutoshi. His descendants remained at Matsushiro until the restoration. Sanada Daisuke 大助( -1615) Son of Yukimura; he fought with his father in the Osaka Campaign and died there. Sanada Nobutoshi 信利　(1635-1688)　 Son of Nobuyoshi; he became daimyo of Numata, but it was confiscated in 1681. (Source: Sanada Family Materials

Sanada Clan in Popular Culture

The Sanada family has always been popular in Japan, especially Yukimura.

From 1974-82 Ikenami Shôtarô （池波正太郎) (1923-1990) wrote a serial Sanada Taihei-ki　(真田太平記) for the weekly magazine Shûkan Asahi. (It was published in 16 volumes from 1974-83). From April 1985-March 86 it was dramatized weekly on NHK. There is a museum for the book in Ueda. 池波正太郎 真田太平記館 (Ikenami Shôtarô Sanada Taiheiki Kan).

References

• http://www.city.ueda.nagano.jp/shokoka/ikenami2/top.htm (Taiheiki Kan)
• http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/真田太平記_(テレビドラマ) 真田太平記_(テレビドラマ) (Sanada Taiheiki--TV drama)