My Ancestor Yozaemon Masafusa Kageyama at the Siege of Miki Castle (The Shikata 7)

My ancestor Yozaemon Masafusa Kageyama fought with distinction under Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Masakatsu “Koroku” Hachisuka, in the Siege of Miki Castle, against Bessho Nagaharu. According to historian Akira Haruta’s book on my ancestor Tangaku Fujita, page 30.

https://www.kinokuniya.co.jp/f/dsg-01-9784434027468

Before Toyotomi Hideyoshi created his famous private bodyguards called the “Seven Spears of Shizugatake” in 1583, Yozaemon Kageyama was given the title among 6 others as the Shikata Seven in 1578. 志方七人衆

The idea of a seven member private special body guard unit, came from Masakatsu Hachisuka, who Toyotomi Hideyoshi was mentored by since a youth, when he first met the 10 year older Masakatsu.

Many people don’t know this.

The Siege of Miki began when Bessho Nagaharu joined Hatano Hideharu (My Uno ancestors fought under Munekatsu Naito who was allied with Hideharu) and fought against Oda Nobunaga. After Nobunaga lost , he ordered Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Masakatsu Hachisuka to siege Bessho Nagaharu’s Miki Castle .

My Kageyama ancestors, led by Masakatsu Hachisuka and under the command of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, defeated Nagaharu, who later committed seppuki.

His castle is now Kannoji Temple in Shikata city, Hyogo, Japan. It has the Hachisuka clan emblem on it today

Picture Bessho Nagaharu.

Masakatsu Hachisuka when he first met Toyotomi Hideyoshi as a boy.

Statue of Masakatsu Hachisuka today.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Miki

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessho_Nagaharu

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Spears_of_Shizugatake

https://jref.com/articles/yagi-castle.630/?amp=1

https://www.kakeisi.com/han/han_tokusima.html

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatano_Hideharu

#蜂須賀正勝 #豊臣秀吉 #三木合戦 #別所長治 #志方七人 #織田信長 #三木城 #藤田丹岳 #明春田 #蔭山 #蔭山与左衛門昌房 #賤ヶ岳の七本槍 #志方七人衆 #波多野 秀治

My Ancestor Yozaemon Masafusa Kageyama and Toyotomi Hideyoshi

I climbed 500 steps, and paid my respect to the great #ToyotomiHideyoshi in #Kyoto #Japan. A cruel killer to some, an amazing leader who rose from poverty to unite a nation to others, he gave my ancestors a name nevertheless.

His tomb lays on the top of a hilltop, built by the #Hachisuka family, the latter who my ancestors, Yozaemon and Bunzaemon Kageyama, served. #MasakatsuHachisuka was the teacher and close advisor of the younger, Hideyoshi, and also the founder of Tokushima, Japan.

Masakatsu Hachisuka gave one of my ancestors the title of the “Shikata 7” for their valor and courage, during the Siege of Miki Castle. Hideyoshi would later repeat this tradition, and name “his best warriors,” the Seven Spears of Shizugatake.

My Kageyama ancestors’ files are on display to the public at the online Tokushima University archives here:
http://beedb.lib.tokushima-u.ac.jp/mylimedio/search/search-input.do;jsessionid=832fc48a20875f4c2e971b3473ef

Family tree can be found in historian Akira Haruta book on my ancestors “Tangaku Fujita and Sanyo Rai,” on page 31.
https://www.kosho.or.jp/products/detail.php?product_id=288732274&fbclid=IwAR2Esa2jNvNy9vMf0tHA9TxTqZKWqPXjhUIJvCfAydcgRX9geuiZhXQf-DI