Ōkubo Tadayo

Who was Ōkubo Tadayo?

Ōkubo Tadayo was a samurai general in the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Azuchi-Momoyama period, subsequently becoming a daimyō in early Edo period, Japan.

Ōkubo Tadayo was the eldest son of Ōkubo Tadakazu, a hereditary retainer of the Tokugawa clan. He was born in what is now part of the city of Okazaki in Mikawa Province, and accompanied Tokugawa Ieyasu in all of his campaigns, including the Battle of Mikatagahara and Battle of Nagashino. Nicknamed Shinjuro, he rose to become considered one of Ieyasu's sixteen generals and was entrusted with Futamata Castle in Tōtōmi Province. Upon the assassination of Oda Nobunaga in 1582, Ieyasu expanded his rule into Shinano Province, with Ōkubo Tadayo assigned to managing the campaign from his base at Komoro Castle. After the Battle of Odawara, Ieyasu was transferred from the Tōkai region to the provinces of the Kantō region. Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered that Ōkubo Tadayo be raised at that point to the status of daimyō, and was assigned the fief of Odawara, with an income of 45,000 koku. He continued to rule in Odawara until his death in 1594, and was succeeded by his son, Ōkubo Tadachika