Honda Masazumi
本多正純
The Trusted Strategist of the Tokugawa Shogunate Brought Down by the Utsunomiya Conspiracy
Description
Life
Born in 1565 as the eldest son of Honda Masanobu, Ieyasu's trusted strategist, Masazumi became the second head of this branch of the Honda family. When his father was temporarily estranged from Ieyasu, the young Masazumi was raised under the protection of Ōkubo Tadayo.
Service to Ieyasu and Hidetada
Masazumi rose to prominence as a close aide to Ieyasu, assisting with administration at Sunpu and campaigning at Sekigahara in 1600 and beyond. Under the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, he served in Edo and was promoted to toshiyori (the forerunner of the rōjū council), becoming a central figure in the shogunate's inner circle.
The Utsunomiya Conspiracy and Downfall
In 1622, while dispatched as shogunal envoy during the confiscation of the Mogami domain, Masazumi came under suspicion for secretly manufacturing firearms, conducting unauthorized castle repairs, and allegedly plotting to assassinate Hidetada via a rigged "hanging ceiling" at Utsunomiya Castle. His refusal to accept an offered replacement fief further angered Hidetada, leading to his confiscation and exile to Yuri in Dewa Province, where he was later confined at Yokote until his death in 1637 at age 73.
Legacy
Having helped build the foundations of Tokugawa rule alongside his father, only to fall from the height of power, Masazumi's life is frequently cited as an example of the fierce political struggles that shaped the shogunate's formative years.