Hirose Kagefusa

Hirose Kagefusa (?-?) was a senior retainer to Tokugawa Ieyasu throughout the latter Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan. With the speculation that Kagefusa supported the Takeda at the time at which he was eligible for vassalship, he became a supporting vassal to Senior Retainer Yamagata Masakage initially around such a time, where he supported the former within many numerous engagements such as Mimasetoge of 1569. Presently during the Battle of Nagashino in 1575, it is highly suspectable that as Masakage was the commander of Takeda Katsuyori's leftern cavalry wing, Kagefusa was additionally a subordinate to such a force, but he regardlessly survived such a dilemmic situation despite the death of his respective comrades, including Masakage, after volleys of gunfire were deployed by the Oda arquebusier contingents. Following the Oda/Tokugawa alliance's desolation of the Takeda's domain of Kai in the year of 1582, Kagefusa rationally defected over to Tokugawa Ieyasu and became retainer to one of the latter's pillars of power: Ii Naomasa. As it is recorded that Kagefusa became highly trusted and respected by his new commander, this in part can be justified by notable bravery during the Battle of Mikatagahara of 1584, the Odawara Campaign in 1590, and the following Sekigahara Campaign during the year of 1600, which scored for Kagefusa a more prominent name beneath the Tokugawa. Entering the Edo Period with an increase of 1,500-koku by means of his former performance, Kagefusa took part in the Osaka Winter Campaign; and by the end of this campaign, Kagefusa had been invited for a personal drink with Tokugawa Ieyasu to honor his present and former merits. As Kagefusa was initially an old man at the time at which he was invited to drink with his lord, it is emphasized that he died some time within the neighboring future, as the specific time of his death is unknown.

References

* [http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Hirose_Kagefusa Hirose Kagefusa - SamuraiWiki] . (Samurai Archives) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005