* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Katakura Kojūrō
片倉景綱
The Right Eye of the One-Eyed Dragon — The Brilliant Strategist Who Was Masamune's Closest Counselor
Description
The One-Eyed Dragon's Right Arm
Katakura Kagetsuna (Kojūrō), born in Kōji 3 (1557), was Date Masamune's most trusted advisor and military strategist, honored as "the right eye of the One-Eyed Dragon"—a military commander who etched his name eternally into the history of Ōshū. Kagetsuna came from the Katakura clan, which held a position managing the inner affairs of the Date household. Raised as the younger brother of Masamune's wet nurse at his side, under her nurturing influence, he played an outstanding role as strategist, advisor, and warrior throughout Masamune's entire rise as the One-Eyed Dragon. So profound was the bond between Kagetsuna and Masamune that it was said, "Without Kojūrō, there would be no Masamune"—their connection transcended the lord-retainer relationship and was extraordinarily deep.
From the Wet Nurse's Kinsman to Military Strategist
Katakura Kagetsuna was the brother of Masamune's wet nurse, Kita, and was raised at Masamune's side from early childhood. This deep bond formed in youth became the foundation for their later relationship as strategist and intimate advisor. After Masamune inherited the clan headship at age fifteen, Kagetsuna consistently served as strategist at his side in campaigns throughout the provinces, walking together the path to Ōshū unification. His counsel sometimes restrained Masamune's reckless impulses and sometimes functioned as decisive judgments that saved the Date clan when facing crisis. The trust born from their intimate childhood relationship never wavered even amid the intrigue and warfare of the Sengoku world, eloquently testifying to Kagetsuna's character and exceptional ability.
Activities in Critical Moments
Kagetsuna displayed his talents most brilliantly during and around the period of the "Tōzandō no Hen," when relations between Masamune and his father Terumune intensified. At the Battle of Hitotori Bridge in Tenshō 13 (1585), leading the inferior Date forces, he fought with vigor, and Kagetsuna's calm judgment was instrumental in overcoming this crisis. The great victory of the Date forces at the Battle of Suriage Plain (1589) was also the fruit of Kagetsuna's meticulously crafted operational plans. Even after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's unification of the realm was completed, Kagetsuna played an indispensable role in skillful diplomacy and political maneuvering to ensure Masamune's survival under Toyotomi rule.
Kagetsuna's Swords and Martial Arts
Katakura Kagetsuna was renowned for his excellent skill in swordsmanship and favored practical swords embodying the martial spirit of the Date household. The blades Kagetsuna possessed were fine works befitting the dignity of the Date clan, and many exemplified the sword culture of the Date family served by Kunitsume (a Sendai clan swordsmith). Just as Masamune possessed great swords such as the Shokudai-kiri Mitsutsada and Daikugikara, Kagetsuna too carried blades worthy of his lord into battle. The most compelling anecdote concerning Kagetsuna's swords is that when he fell in battle, Date Masamune is said to have carefully preserved his treasured blade as a cherished memento—the profound bond between lord and retainer expressed through the sword as intermediary.
The Osaka Campaign and His Final Days
In the Osaka Campaign of Keichō 20 (1615), Kagetsuna, unable to take the field personally due to illness, sent his heir Shigenao as his representative and died of illness that same year. Having devoted his entire life to Masamune, Kagetsuna continued supporting his lord's household, the Date clan, to the very end. He lived fifty-nine years. Kagetsuna's death is said to have brought profound sorrow to Masamune, who called Kagetsuna "my right eye" and mourned him deeply. The Katakura house continued as a chief retainer of the Date clan throughout the Edo period, and Kagetsuna's virtuous legacy was transmitted by his descendants for generations to come.
Shiroishi Castle and the Katakura Legacy
Shiroishi Castle (present-day Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture), where Kagetsuna served as castle lord, was the main stronghold of the Katakura household and ruled by the Katakura clan throughout the Edo period. During the Meiji Restoration, the Katakura family, which fought as part of the Ōu-etsu Reppan Alliance in the Boshin War, went on to develop Date City in Hokkaido after the Restoration, demonstrating that the warrior spirit left by Kagetsuna continued to flourish in the Meiji era and beyond. Swords and armor left by Kagetsuna are partially preserved in museums and archives in Shiroishi City and Sendai City, conveying to the present day the legacy of the wise general who supported Date Masamune as the "right eye of the One-Eyed Dragon."
Notable Swords
- Tachi of the Dragon's right eye — the sword Kagetsuna carried through the campaigns of Ōshū unification at Masamune's side; a blade from the Ōshū or Bizen tradition kept by Masamune as a keepsake after Kagetsuna's death; the sword that witnessed the forging of the greatest strategic partnership in northeastern Japan
- Guardian sword of Shiroishi Castle — the fighting sword of Kagetsuna's years as castle lord at Shiroishi; a robust, practical blade embodying the battle-hardened aesthetic of Date-clan warriors; the weapon of a man whose castle was the western anchor of Masamune's domain and who defended it with the same quiet competence he brought to everything he did