Hirate Norihide
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Norihide was the son of Hirate Hisahide and a grandson of Hirate Kiyohide (Masahide). He served Oda Nobunaga and in 1573 was dispatched (along with Sakuma Nobumori and Takigawa Kazumasu) to reinforce the Tokugawa army, which at the time was menaced by Takeda Shingen. In the following Battle of Mikatagahara, Norihide stood firm in the face of the enemy even as his compatriots Sakuma and Takigawa retreated. Norihide's troops were at length overwhelmed and Norihide himself was killed. Shingen is said to have afterwards sent Norihide's head to Oda Nobunaga as a symbol of their now open hostility towards one another. As Norihide died without an heir, the Hirate house passed to one of Hirate Masahide's nephews.
References
- Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005
