Honda Shigetsugu

Honda Shigetsugu (1529–1596) was a fierce general who devoted his life as a retainer to Tokugawa Ieyasu, known by the epithet 'Oni Sakuza.' A member of the Mikawa Honda clan, related to Honda Tadakatsu, he was one of the meritorious officials who risked his life supporting Ieyasu from the founding era. He participated in numerous battles including the Battle of Ichigon-Zaka and the Battle of Mikatagahara, and his valor was acclaimed as unparalleled within the clan. At the Battle of Nagashino, he fought valiantly against the Takeda forces, and during the Iga no Goe (Ieyasu's escape through Iga), he served as Ieyasu's bodyguard. Called 'Oni Sakuza' for his rugged and straightforward nature, his unwavering loyalty earned Ieyasu's deep trust. Late in life, when his son Senshiro was handed over as a hostage to the Toyotomi, he reportedly wrote the famous letter 'One brush opens—Beware of fire—Don't make O-Sen cry—Fatten the horse' (known as Japan's shortest letter). Regarding swords, as a warrior of the Mikawa Honda clan, he favored practical blades of the Tōkai and Sōshū traditions, and continued to hone his skill in close-quarters combat with the blade even in the age of firearms after Nagashino.