* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Ii Naomasa
井伊直政
The Red Devil — Youngest and Fiercest of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings
Description
Birth of the Red Devil
Born in Ensoku 4 (1561) in Ii Valley, Tōtōmi Province, Ii Naomasa was the youngest of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings (Tokugawa Shitenō: Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa, Sakai Tadatsugu, and Ii Naomasa), yet he was known as a fierce general unmatched in martial valor. Having lost his father Naokane to assassination in his childhood and separated from his mother, Naomasa's early years were marked by hardship. However, at the age of fifteen, he directly petitioned Tokugawa Ieyasu, and impressed by his quick thinking and courage, Ieyasu appointed him as a page. Possessing both a refined appearance and keen intellect, Naomasa was held in particular favor by Ieyasu. Yet Naomasa did not rest on this favor; instead, he devoted himself entirely to the way of the warrior, eventually demonstrating martial prowess that surpassed all other Tokugawa generals.
Inheriting the Red Armor
What established Naomasa's name throughout the realm was his inheritance of the "red armor" (akabe). The red armor was a military uniform in which armor, horse equipment, and banners were all unified in vermillion red. It had previously been used by the elite cavalry corps of Yamakara Masukage, who served under Takeda Shingen. After the Takeda clan was destroyed during the Kōshū Campaign in Tenshō 10 (1582), Ieyasu took many of the clan's former retainers into his service. Naomasa was appointed as a general to command these former Takeda warriors and was ordered to inherit the red armor of Yamakara's regiment. This command—for a victor's general to inherit the defeated enemy's military uniform—was a matter that might have wounded the pride of the Takeda samurai. Yet through his popularity and martial valor, Naomasa won the hearts of the former Takeda warriors and created the mightiest cavalry corps known to the realm as the "Red Devil of Ii." The army that inherited Yamakara Masukage's red armor swept battlefields as if possessed by the ghosts of the Takeda, striking terror into enemy forces.
Martial Valor at Sekigahara
In the Battle of Komaki-Nagakute in Tenshō 12 (1584), Naomasa clashed with the forces of Hori Hidemasa, the fierce general of the Toyotomi side, and himself led a daring charge at the vanguard. He continued to accumulate military exploits in battles across the land, and during the Korean Campaign (Bunroku and Keichō eras), he was stationed at Nagoya in Hizen, demonstrating his presence as a general. Naomasa's martial valor reached its zenith at the Battle of Sekigahara in Keichō 5 (1600). Leading the red armor forces as the vanguard of the Tokugawa side, Naomasa made a bold and unauthorized move—a "nukegake," firing the opening shot without awaiting Ieyasu's orders and striking first on his own judgment. Though this was a violation of military law, it was Naomasa's keen eye for the moment of advantage and his pride as a general that drove him to this action. Through this unauthorized first strike, the battle of Sekigahara was ignited, and Naomasa contributed to guiding the battle in a favorable direction. During the battle, while pursuing the retreating Shimazu forces, Naomasa was struck by gunfire and suffered a grave wound. This injury ultimately claimed his life in Keichō 7 (1602), at the age of forty-two.
Deep Knowledge of Swords
Naomasa was not merely a warrior devoted to martial prowess, but also a man of culture with deep connoisseurship of swords. The swords transmitted within the Ii clan were centered on celebrated blades that Naomasa collected throughout his lifetime, testament to the acuity of his discerning eye. One of the "celebrated swords of Ii" that Naomasa was said to have particularly cherished was a masterwork of the Sōshū tradition. The Sōshū tradition, with Okazaki Masakatsu at its apex, was a school of swords from the late Kamakura period through the Northern and Southern Courts era, characterized by vigorous nie and bold hada. Such blades bore the fierce spirit befitting the beloved sword of a fierce general who had accumulated military exploits. Naomasa was also familiar with Shinshū and Kōshū swords brought in by former Takeda warriors, and he held in high regard the sturdy practical swords forged by swordsmiths of Kai and Shinano.
Celebrated Swords Transmitted by the Ii Clan
After Naomasa's death, successive lords of the Ii clan continued to collect and preserve excellent swords, passing them down to posterity as "treasures of the Ii clan." Hikone Domain, which Naomasa established as its first daimyo, was an honored cadet branch of the Tokugawa shogunal house, and its sword collection surpassed other daimyo houses in both quality and quantity. Today, Hikone Castle Museum houses numerous pieces of armor and swords connected to Naomasa and successive Ii clan daimyo. Together with the vermillion-hued red armor, the celebrated swords continue to speak eloquently of bygone splendor to the present day.
The Legacy of the Red Devil
Naomasa's significance is evaluated not merely as a man of martial valor, but also as a statesman who laid the foundation for the Tokugawa house during the transitional period from the Sengoku to the Edo era. In the distribution of rewards following the Battle of Sekigahara, Naomasa received the highest evaluation and was granted 180,000 koku in Ōmi Province at Hikone. Naomasa's achievements—in laying the groundwork for domain governance while his wounds still had not healed—became the foundation for the prosperity of present-day Hikone. "The Red Devil of Ii"—this epithet eloquently speaks to later generations of Naomasa's life, which burned with the intensity of flame, was red as blood, and was as valiant as a fierce god protecting the Tokugawa realm.
Notable Swords
- Sōshū-tradition tachi (Ii family heirloom)
- Kōshū/Shinshū-style battle swords (from former Takeda retainers)
- Ii clan collection at Hikone Castle Museum