Takeda Motoshige

• Died: 1517
• Son: Mitsuo
• Titles: Aki no kami
• Distinction: 7th lord of the Aki Takeda
• Japanese: 武田 元繁 (Takeda Motoshige)

Motoshige held Kanayama Castle [銀山城] in Aki Province. At the end of the 15th Century the Takeda had suffered a period of internal unrest and as a result were forced to accept the authority of the encroaching Ôuchi. Motoshige was himself married to an adopted daughter of Ôuchi Yoshioki and in 1508 he joined Yoshioki in the latter's expedition to Kyoto in support of deposed shôgun, Ashikaga Yoshitane. Motoshige later returned to Aki and cut his ties with Yoshioki, who remained in Kyoto with the bulk of his army. He divorced Yoshioki's daughter and married a daughter to Amako Hisayuki, thus sealing an alliance with that family.

He took advantage of Yoshioki's involvement in Kyoto and the death of Môri Okimoto in 1516 to attack Arita Castle [有田城] in the Kikkawa domain the following year. In the 10th month, Môri Motonari, allied with the Kikkawa and Kobayakawa families, moved to relieve Arita. The Takeda suffered the defeat of their vanguard commander, Kumagai Motonao [熊谷元直], in the ensuing fighting. Motoshige himself brought the remainder of his army to attack Motonari and was pressing the latter hard but was struck by an arrow and fell dead from his horse. He was succeeded by his son Mitsuo [光和, d.1535]. The fortunes of the Takeda gradually waned after Motoshige's death at the Battle of Arita-Nakaide and ended with the capture of Kanayama by the Mori in 1541 and the flight of Takeda Nobuzane to Izumo province.

References

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