Ii Naotaka

Ii Naotaka (1590-1659) was the second son of Ii Naomasa, one of the "Four Heavenly Kings of Tokugawa," later treated as heir, and the second lord of the Hikone Domain in Ōmi Province (present-day Shiga Prefecture). After Naomasa's sudden death, he inherited the family headship at a young age, won military distinction in the Osaka Campaigns (1614-1615), and solidified the domain's status. Praised as "bold yet prudent," he was an outstanding ruler who also played an important role in early Edo period shogunal administration. Today he is still commemorated in Hikone City as the outstanding ruler who laid the foundation of Hikone Domain.

Naotaka was born in 1590 (Tenshō 18) as the second son of Ii Naomasa. When Naomasa died in 1602 (Keichō 7) from wounds sustained at the Battle of Sekigahara, his elder brother Naatsugu inherited the family headship, but due to Naatsugu's mediocrity, Naotaka was raised as the de facto successor. In 1615 (Genwa 1), following his military achievements in the Osaka Campaigns and by order of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Naotaka officially became lord of Hikone Domain and inherited 150,000 koku.

In the Osaka Winter Campaign of 1614 (Keichō 19), Naotaka led his "red-armored" forces to attack Toyotomi strongholds and won military distinction. In the Osaka Summer Campaign of 1615 (Keichō 20), he participated in the Battles of Dōmyōji and Tennōji, contributing to driving the Toyotomi forces into a corner. Through successive territorial additions, the Hikone Domain ultimately reached 300,000 koku officially assessed, with actual holdings of approximately 350,000 koku including borrowed territories.

Thereafter he became prominent as a member of the shogunal council. During the Shimabara Rebellion of 1637 (Kanei 14), while stationed in Edo, he contributed strategic counsel for its suppression (the supreme commanders of the shogunal forces were Itakura Shigemasa and, following his death in battle, Matsudaira Nobutsuna). The name of Naotaka also appears in the legend of the beckoning cat (maneki-neko) and Gōtokuji temple, making him beloved in the realm of folklore and culture. He passed away in 1659 (Manji 2) at the age of 70.

In his relationship with Japanese swords, Naotaka was a daimyo who embodied the cultural symbols of Japanese swords and military equipment as a "red-armored" general. The red-armored armor and military equipment continuing from the era of his father Naomasa were passed down as the pride of the Hikone Domain. The swords and armor transmitted through Hikone Castle are still housed in large numbers at the Hikone Castle Museum today, including items designated as National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. It is recorded that Naotaka himself was fond of famous blades and carefully preserved swords presented by the Tokugawa shogunal family as family treasures. The Ii family sword collection stands as an object of admiration for sword enthusiasts, representing the essence of warrior culture continuing from the Sengoku period through the Edo period.