Kuroda Nagamasa

• Birth: 1568
• Death: 1623
• Title: Kai no kami
• Son: Tadayuki
• Distinction: Toyotomi, Tokugawa retainer

Nagamasa was the son of Kuroda Yoshitaka and was born in the 12th month of 1568. He served Toyotomi Hideyoshi in his later campaigns, leading 6,000 men in the First Korean Campaign (1592-93). He acted as a rearguard of sorts when the Japanese finally withdrew from Korea in 1598, holding the port of Pusan open until all his countrymen could embark. He was given a 120,000-koku fief at Nakatsu in Buzen province. In 1600 he and his father sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu against Ishida Mitsunari. While Yoshitaka fought with Ishida's allies on Kyushu, Nagamasa led 5,400 in the Tokugawa vanguard at Sekigahara and was afterwards praised for his efforts by Ieyasu. In the aftermath of the Tokugawa victory, he was given a 520,000-koku fief in Chikuzen province at Najima and built Fukuoka castle. He contributed to the construction of Edo castle, personally overseeing the building of the keep. He next went on to serve in the Osaka Castle Campaigns and fought under Tokugawa Hidetada. His son Uemon no suke Tadayuki assisted in the defeat of the Shimabara Rebellion (1638). Like his father, Nagamasa had been a Christian but readily gave it up when ordered to do so by the Tokugawa.

References

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