Yamagata Masakage
Japanese samurai (1524-1575)
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Yamagata Masakage (山県 昌景; 1524 – June 29, 1575) also known as Obu Masakage was a Japanese samurai warrior of the Sengoku period. He is known as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen".[2] He was famous for his red armour and skill in battle, and was a personal friend of Takeda Shingen. He was the younger brother of Obu Toramasa, who was also a retainer of Shingen, leading the famous "red fire unit" (derived from Shingen's slogan Fūrinkazan).
Yamagata Masakage | |
|---|---|
 Painting of Japanese samurai, Yamagata Masakage, possibly painted in the 1540’s | |
| Native name | 山県 昌景 |
| Born | Obu Masakage [1] 1524 |
| Died | June 29, 1575 (aged 50–51) |
| Allegiance |  Takeda clan |
| Known for | One of the main characters in Akira Kurosawa's epic film Kagemusha |
| Conflicts | Siege of Odawara (1569) Battle of Mimasetoge (1569) Battle of Mikatagahara (1573) Siege of Yoshida Castle (1575) Battle of Nagashino (1575) |
| Relations | Obu Toramasa |
Military legacy
Masakage was a fierce warrior who fought in many battles and was given a fief in Shinano. He was present at the Battle of Mimasetoge in 1569 and captured Yoshida Castle, a Tokugawa possession, during the Mikatagahara Campaign (1572–73).
He was present for the following Battle of Mikatagahara.[3][4] His last campaign was in the ill-fated Battle of Nagashino in 1575, in which he tried to persuade Katsuyori to honorably withdraw.[5]
Ii Naomasa of the Tokugawa clan gained the surviving retainers of the Takeda clan and more widely implemented the ideas of "Masakage's red-colored army," having several units of elite samurai in blood-red armor, to inflict fear and demoralization on enemy troops.[6]
Personal life
After his brother Obu Masatora committed seppuku as a cover for Takeda Yoshinobu's failed rebellion, Masakage changed his family name to Yamagata (he used the name Obu Masakage at first).[7]
In popular culture
Yamagata is one of the main characters in Akira Kurosawa's epic film Kagemusha.[8]