* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Komatsuhime (Inahime)
小松姫（稲姫）
Daughter of Honda Tadakatsu and principal wife of Sanada Nobuyuki—a resolute woman who armed herself to refuse entry to her father-in-law Sanada Masayuki at Numata Castle
Description
Daughter of Honda Tadakatsu, One of the Four Heavenly Kings of Tokugawa
Komatsuhime (Tennshō 1/1573–Genwa 6/1620) was born as the eldest daughter of Honda Tadakatsu, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Tokugawa. She was also called Inahime or Komatsudono. Her father Tadakatsu was a fierce general renowned as being "superior even to Ieyasu," and Komatsuhime, raised in a martial household, was known as a spirited and courageous woman.
Marriage to Sanada Nobuyuki
Komatsuhime became an adopted daughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then married Sanada Nobuyuki, the eldest son of Sanada Masayuki of Shinano Ueda, as his principal wife. This was a strategic marriage binding the Tokugawa and Sanada families. With Nobuyuki she bore sons including Sanada Nobumasatsu and Sanada Nobushige, and as a capable wife supporting her husband, she strengthened the Sanada house from within. The Sanada house is known for the agonizing choice made at the Battle of Sekigahara, where Nobuyuki sided with the Eastern Army (Tokugawa), while his father Masayuki and younger brother Sanada Yukimura sided with the Western Army.
The Legend of Numata Castle
What made Komatsuhime most famous is the legend of Numata Castle. On his way to the Battle of Sekigahara, her father-in-law Sanada Masayuki, who had joined the Western Army, attempted to stop at Numata Castle (which Nobuyuki had left in Komatsuhime's care during his absence), claiming he wished to see his grandchildren. Komatsuhime, recognizing that though he was her father-in-law, they were now on opposing sides, armed herself in full armor and stood at the castle gate, firmly refusing his entry. Masayuki, impressed by her resolve, is said to have praised her: "Indeed, she is the daughter of Honda Tadakatsu—this is how a warrior's wife should be."
Komatsuhime and Swords
As symbolized by the Numata Castle legend, Komatsuhime was a samurai woman who possessed the resolve to arm herself in times of crisis. Just as samurai women routinely carried a short sword at their side for self-defense, Komatsuhime likewise kept a sword close to her as both protection and a symbol of her resolve. The Honda clan had a tradition of practical combat swords rooted in the Tōkai and Mikawa regions, and it was within the martial culture of this house—exemplified by her father Tadakatsu's famous "Tonbi Kiri" (Dragonfly Cutter)—that Komatsuhime's resolute character was nurtured.
Legacy and Posthumous Regard
Komatsuhime died in Genwa 6 (1620) at her place of convalescence in Musashi Province (some accounts suggest she was en route to Kusatsu Hot Spring in Kōzuke for a therapeutic bath). She lived forty-eight years. Her husband Nobuyuki mourned her deeply, and is said to have lamented, "The light of our house has gone out." Born into a martial household, she supported the Sanada family through a strategic marriage, and with her willingness to arm herself in defense of the house in times of crisis, her life has been passed down as an exemplar of samurai womanhood during the Sengoku and early Edo periods.
Notable Swords
- Tantō of a samurai woman (A short sword for self-defense and as a symbol of resolve, kept close at hand following samurai custom by Komatsuhime, who armed herself whenever the need arose)
- Practical combat sword of the Honda clan's Tōkai-Mikawa tradition (A family-heirloom blade reflecting the martial culture of her father Honda Tadakatsu, symbolizing the samurai sword traditions that nurtured Komatsuhime's resolute character)