Todo Takatora

• Born: 1556
• Died: 1630
• Sons: Tôdô Takanori (d.1615), Tôdô Ujikatsu (d. 1615)
• Titles: Izumi no kami, Sado no kami
• Distinction: Asai, Oda, Toyotomi, Tokugawa retainer
• Japanese: 藤堂 高虎 (Toudou Takatora)

Takatora was the son of Tôdô Torataka. He was a samurai of Ômi province who first served the Asai clan and fought against the Oda clan at the Battle of Anegawa (1570) under Isono Kazumasa. He later entered the service of the Oda and rose to become a chief retainer of Hashiba Hidenaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's half-brother, and served in the Chûgoku region against the Môri. He also served at the Battle of Shizugatake (1583) and after the Kyushu Campaign saw his income raised to 30,000 koku. Following service in the Korean Campaigns (commanding men both on land and sea) he was awarded the fief of Ôzu in Iyo province (worth 80,000 koku) in 1594. He drifted into Tokugawa Ieyasu's camp even prior to the death of Hideyoshi in 1598, sending hostages to Edo castle that year. He accordingly sided with Ieyasu during the Sekigahara Campaign and commanded 2,500 men in the forefront at the battle. Afterwards his holdings in Iyo were increased to 200,000 koku. He was transferred to Ise province in 1608 and saw his income increased to 333,950 koku. He was active in the Osaka Summer Campaign--he defeated Chôsokabe Morichika at the Battle of Yao but suffered the loss of two sons in the course of the fighting. Takatora was by that time highly regarded by Tokugawa Ieyasu and was one of Ieyasu’s closest advisors in his final years. He was nearby Ieyasu’s side through the final illness of the latter. In 1620 Takatora was tasked with supervising the reconstruction of Osaka castle, which was conducted between 1620 and 1629. This was owing to his previous experience with castle building, which included Wakayama, Kôriyama, and Yodo.

References

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