Nagahide Niwa (2/2)A military commander who was highly trusted by Oda Nobunaga

However, when the Honnoji Incident occurred just before the army was to march out, Nagahide assisted Nobutaka and killed Tsuda Nobuzumi, the son-in-law of the traitor Akechi Mitsuhide, as a conspirator. After that, he and Nobutaka joined the army of Hashiba Hideyoshi and defeated Mitsuhide at the Battle of Yamazaki.

At the time of the Honnoji Incident, Nagahide and Nobutaka, who were in Osaka preparing to march to Shikoku, were in the most advantageous position to attack Mitsuhide, but they were entertained by Hachiya Yoritaka in Kishiwada along with Nobutaka, and so they acted separately from the Shikoku expeditionary force stationed in Sumiyoshi.

As a result, when news of the Honnoji Incident reached them while the commander-in-chief was absent, the Shikoku Expeditionary Force scattered in confusion, and the number of troops that Nobutaka and Nagahide could mobilize was drastically reduced, making it impossible for them to take large-scale military action.

Nagahide and Nobutaka had no choice but to fortify their defenses and wait for the arrival of the Hashiba forces, and although Nobutaka was the nominal commander in the Battle of Yamazaki, Hideyoshi had no choice but to take the lead in the subsequent battles. Also, immediately after the Honnoji Incident, Nagahide's Sawayama Castle was taken over by Araki Ujitsuna and his son, who sided with Akechi, but it was restored after the Battle of Yamazaki.

At the Kiyosu Conference, Nagahide and Tsuneoki Ikeda supported Nobunaga's eldest grandson, Sanboshi, whom Hideyoshi recommended as Nobunaga's successor. As a result, the generals agreed to Hideyoshi's continuation of the Oda clan's business.

He also supported Hideyoshi in the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583, when Hideyoshi and Shibata Katsuie fought for control of the country. After the war, in exchange for Wakasa Province and the two counties of Shiga and Takashima in Omi Province, he was given Echizen Province (excluding Tsuruga County, parts of Nanjo County, and parts of Ono County) and the two counties of Enuma and Nomi in Kaga Province, and became part of Kitanosho in Echizen Province. His rice yield is estimated to be about 600,000 koku.

The End of Nagahide

On April 16, 1585, Nagahide died of Tsumishizumashi (a parasitic disease known today). He was 51 years old. His eldest son, Nagashige, succeeded him.

According to the Hideyoshi-fu, Nagahide suffered from a "sekiju" and committed suicide because he could not bear the pain. After Nagahide was cremated, a piece of sekiju that was still not completely burned was found in the ashes. It was about the size of a fist, shaped like a stone turtle, with a sharp, curved beak like a bird, and had a sword mark on its back. Hideyoshi is said to have said, "This is a strange thing. It should be in the possession of a medical family," and presented it to Takeda Hoin.

Years later, Matsuura Seizan, the lord of Hirado Domain, read this and wanted to see it, so in the early spring of 1793 (Kansei 6), he was able to borrow it through a disciple of the contemporary Takeda Hoin who frequented the Matsuura residence. However, the inscription on the inner box differed from that in the "Hideyoshi Fu," and according to it, Nagahide, who had been suffering from a stomach illness called "tsumi-mushi" for a long time, asked, "Why should I be killed by a tsumi-mushi?", plunged a dagger into his stomach, and died from the worms.

However, the insect did not die, and its shape and walking style resembled a soft-shelled turtle. Hideyoshi ordered his court physician to administer medicine to the insect, but it still did not die even after several days had passed. Hideyoshi then ordered Takeda Hoin Joga to devise a solution, and it is said that after the Hoin gave the insect a spoonful of medicine, it finally died.

It is said that Hideyoshi rewarded him for his achievement by gifting him the insect, which became a family heirloom passed down through generations.
The inscription on the outer box reads, "Fearing that it would be lost to future generations, his great-great-grandfather, Takeda Hoin Sadakata, created a replica of the original, which he still has today."

Apparently, it seems reasonable to see the monster with a bird-like beak resembling a stone turtle as a roundworm (but not a Sanada worm, but a roundworm). Judging from the fact that he died two days after committing seppuku, it is assumed that he did not commit seppuku as it is known.

The character of Nagahide

The Niwa and Oda families were related by blood. In fact, Nagahide married Nobunaga's older brother, Oda Nobuhiro's daughter, Keihoin (Nobunaga's niece and adopted daughter), and his eldest son, Nagashige, also married Nobunaga's fifth daughter.

Furthermore, Nagahide was given the character "naga" (length) as a part of his given name by Nobunaga, and they had a close relationship as master and servant. As can be seen from the fact that there was no other vassal who had been related by marriage to Nobunaga for two generations, Nagahide was so trusted that there is an anecdote that Nobunaga called Nagahide "a friend and a brother."

There was a rumor in the Oda clan that "Cotton Tokichi, Yonegoroza, attack Shibata, retreat Sakuma" (Okinagusa). While Cotton (Hashiba Hideyoshi) was not flashy but was valuable, Yonegoroza was a description of Nagahide, who was very skillful and could handle any task, and like rice, was an indispensable and important presence in the daily lives of both superiors and subordinates.

Although Nagahide did not assume the position of regional army commander, he easily handled administrative duties in the Kinai region, such as the construction magistrate of Azuchi Castle, and demonstrated excellent administrative skills by playing an active role in securing supply routes as reinforcements for various areas and in local post-war cleanup. He was one of the few retainers who continued to live up to the name of Yonegoroza in both military and military terms and who retained the trust of Nobunaga.

He also participated in the Kiyosu Conference as one of the senior retainers who would decide the future of the Oda clan, but at this time Nagahide was by no means on an equal footing with Hideyoshi, and the difference in power between them was clear.

This is supported by the fact that after the Battle of Yamazaki, the victory gifts that Mori Terumoto sent to Hachisuka Masakatsu, a vassal of Hideyoshi, and Nagahide, a senior vassal of the Oda clan, were word for word identical, from the contents of the gifts to the letters they included, and it seems that other daimyo also recognized them as "vassals of Hideyoshi."

In July 1575, Nobunaga petitioned his vassals to bestow official ranks and surnames, with Hashiba Hideyoshi receiving the title of Chikuzen no Kami and Akechi Mitsuhide receiving the surname Koreto, a prestigious family in Kyushu. At this time, Nagahide was also given the surname Korezumi, another prestigious family in Kyushu. However, there is a story that Nagahide initially refused, saying, "I'm happy to remain Goroza for the rest of my life."