Katakura Kagetsuna

Who was Katakura Kagetsuna?

Katakura Kagetsuna was a Japanese samurai of the Katakura clan during the late Sengoku period. Also known by his court title, Bichū no Kami, or more commonly, as Katakura Kojūrō. Together with Oniniwa Tsunamoto and Date Shigezane, Kagetsuna was known as one of the "Three Great Men of the Date Clan". The son of Yonezawa native Katakura Kagenaga, he was famed for his role as a senior retainer under Date Masamune. He first served the Date clan as a junior page under Date Masamune's father Terumune. Then, on Endō Motonobu's recommendation, he became Masamune's personal attendant, and was heavily relied upon as a strategist. Kagetsuna would soon become deeply trusted by his lord, as the following anecdote illustrates: Masamune, in his first battle, suddenly found himself surrounded; he was only saved when Kagetsuna arrived on the scene shouting "I am Masamune!", distracting the enemy long enough for Masamune to escape.

Kagetsuna fought in most of Masamune's major battles, including the Battle of Hitodoribashi in 1585, Kōriyama in 1588, Suriage ga Hara in 1589, Odawara in 1590, the Korean campaign in 1590, and Sekigahara in 1600. He also assisted in the Date clan's administrative duties, serving as castle warden of Nihonmatsu Castle, lord of Ōmori Castle, Watari Castle, and others. Kagetsuna played a key role in the survival of the Date clan in 1590, by recommending that Masamune submit to Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Odawara Campaign. Following the Odawara Campaign, Hideyoshi granted Kagetsuna the 50,000 koku fief of Tamura. This made Kagetsuna a daimyo in his own right; however, soon after taking possession of the fief, he returned it, in a show of loyalty to his master.