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[[Image:Asai_nagamasa.jpg||thumb|left|Asai Nagamasa.]]

[[Image:Asai_nagamasa.jpg||thumb|left|Asai Nagamasa.]]

Nagamasa was born at [[Odani castle|Odani Castle]] and was the son of [[Asai Hisamasa]] ([[1524]]-[[1573]]), the 2nd daimyô of the [[Asai clan|Asai]] family. According to the [[Asai Sandai-ki]], Hisamasa, unlike his father [[Asai Sukemasa|Sukemasa]] ([[1495]]-[[1546]]) was a less then capable leader and lost a number of castles to the Asai's erstwhile overlords, the [[Rokkaku clan|Rokkaku]]. When Fûto fell in [[1560]], Hisamasa was on the verge of submitting to the Rokkaku. When Nagamasa came of age, he was given the name Yoshimasa, the 'Yoshi-' coming from Rokkaku Yoshikata. He was sent to marry a girl from the Rokkaku clan but balked at the arrangement and returned to Odani. By this time, the Asai retainers had decided to remove Hisamasa and compelled him to step down in favor of Nagamasa. Hisamasa acquiesced to the elevation of his 15 year-old son and afterwards lived quietly in Odani.  

Nagamasa was born at [[Odani castle|Odani Castle]] and was the son of [[Asai Hisamasa]] ([[1524]]-[[1573]]), the 2nd daimyô of the [[Asai clan|Asai]] family. According to the ''[[Azai Sandai-ki]]'', Hisamasa, unlike his father [[Asai Sukemasa|Sukemasa]] ([[1495]]-[[1546]]) was a less then capable leader and lost a number of castles to the Asai's erstwhile overlords, the [[Rokkaku clan|Rokkaku]]. When Fûto fell in [[1560]], Hisamasa was on the verge of submitting to the Rokkaku. When Nagamasa came of age, he was given the name Yoshimasa, the 'Yoshi-' coming from Rokkaku Yoshikata. He was sent to marry a girl from the Rokkaku clan but balked at the arrangement and returned to Odani. By this time, the Asai retainers had decided to remove Hisamasa and compelled him to step down in favor of Nagamasa. Hisamasa acquiesced to the elevation of his 15 year-old son and afterwards lived quietly in Odani.  

He quickly proved himself a capable leader despite his young age and recaptured [[Futo castle|Fûto Castle]] in [[1561]] and soundly defeated a Rokkaku army at the [[Battle of Norada]]. After this success, his retainers are said to have commented that the young Nagamasa was his grandfather reincarnated. Perhaps to mark the occasion, he changed his name to Nagamasa, by which he is best known. He next attacked into [[Mino province|Mino]] and clashed with the [[Saito clan|Saitô]]. The Rokkaku took advantage of Nagamasa's preoccupation to lay siege to his [[Sawayama castle|Sawayama Castle]] in [[Omi province|Ômi]], which he saved by promptly dispatching [[Isono Kazumasa]] with a relief force. Following a territorial dispute with [[Oda Nobunaga]] over Mino province, an alliance was arranged between the two warlords and sealed with the marriage of Nobunaga's sister [[Oichi]] (formerly Shibata Katsuie's wife) to Nagamasa ([[1564]]).  

He quickly proved himself a capable leader despite his young age and recaptured [[Futo castle|Fûto Castle]] in [[1561]] and soundly defeated a Rokkaku army at the [[Battle of Norada]]. After this success, his retainers are said to have commented that the young Nagamasa was his grandfather reincarnated. Perhaps to mark the occasion, he changed his name to Nagamasa, by which he is best known. He next attacked into [[Mino province|Mino]] and clashed with the [[Saito clan|Saitô]]. The Rokkaku took advantage of Nagamasa's preoccupation to lay siege to his [[Sawayama castle|Sawayama Castle]] in [[Omi province|Ômi]], which he saved by promptly dispatching [[Isono Kazumasa]] with a relief force. Following a territorial dispute with [[Oda Nobunaga]] over Mino province, an alliance was arranged between the two warlords and sealed with the marriage of Nobunaga's sister [[Oichi]] (formerly Shibata Katsuie's wife) to Nagamasa ([[1564]]).