Naitō Nobunari

Who was Naitō Nobunari?

Naitō Nobunari was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period through early Edo period, who served the Tokugawa clan; he later became a daimyo.

Nobunari is believed to have been the illegitimate son of Matsudaira Hirotada. He was later adopted by Naitō Kiyonaga. As the years passed on with his brother's succession to headship and the birth of the Tokugawa, Nobunari primarily acted as the former's page, but ascended to a greater means of ranking after supporting in the 1565 assault against Mikawa monk rioters. After distinguishing himself in battle during a certain assault upon Kuroma castle at a later time, Nobunari went on to respectively support the Tokugawa within the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1573, and Nagashino of 1575, where he showed at least moderate ability on both battlefields. By the year of 1590, Nobunari would be awarded Nirayama castle of Izu Province--respectively holding 10,000 koku to its name—and would enter into the Edo Period with a 50,000 koku fief at Nagahama within Omi Province, where he remained as daimyo until his passing in 1612.