Obu Toramasa

• Born: 1504
• Died: 1565
• Title: Hyô Bushô Yû
• Distinction: One of Takeda Shingen's 24 Generals

Toramasa was adopted into the Obu from the Iitomi. He first served Takeda Nobutora, then his son Shingen. He later acted as a tutor to Shingen's eldest son Yoshinobu. He was given Uchiyama castle in Shinano and here he and 800 of his men once held off an attack by 8,000 men under Uesugi Kenshin. Though a general of some renown, Toramasa was implicated in a plot along with Shingen's son Yoshinobu and was made to commit suicide. He was the elder brother of Yamagata Masakage and was well-known for dressing his warriors in red - a habit borrowed by Yamagata, and by extension, Ii Naomasa.

References

• Initial text from Samurai-Archives.com FWSeal & CEWest, 2005