Magara Takamoto
真柄隆基
Echizen Asakura Warrior Who Fell Alongside His Father at the Battle of Anegawa, Wielder of the Great Sword Jirō-tachi
Description
Life
His year of birth is unknown. He was born as the son of Magara Naotaka, a mighty warrior who served the Asakura clan of Echizen Province, and was known by the common name Jūrōsaburō. The Magara family was known across generations as men of tremendous strength who favored the great sword (ōdachi); when the shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki stayed with the Asakura at Ichijōdani, Takamoto is said to have demonstrated his strength before him by throwing a large boulder into the air.
The Battle of Anegawa and His Death
On June 28, 1570, at the Battle of Anegawa, where the allied forces of Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu clashed with the allied Asakura-Azai forces, Takamoto took the field alongside his father, Naotaka. His father fought fiercely wielding the great sword known as "Tarō-tachi," roughly 160 cm in length, and when their side fell into a losing position, charged alone into the Tokugawa ranks to cover his comrades' retreat, dying in the attempt. Takamoto likewise fought with a great sword some 142 cm long, but was cut down by enemy soldiers after turning back to confirm his father's fate, ending his life on the same day as his father. The genealogical record Kansei Chōshū Shokafu notes that the Tokugawa warrior Aoki Kazushige crossed spears with and killed Takamoto.
Connection to Swords
The great sword said to have been wielded by Takamoto is known as "Jirō-tachi," handed down under a name that pairs it with his father's "Tarō-tachi." Both swords were preserved locally after the Battle of Anegawa and are now held and publicly displayed at the Kusanagikan treasure hall of Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.
Later Reputation
The fierce fighting of the Magara father and son at the Battle of Anegawa was retold repeatedly in Edo-period war chronicles and oral storytelling; alongside the renowned valor of "Magara Jūrōzaemon" (Naotaka), his son Takamoto's dramatic death has likewise been passed down as an ideal of samurai conduct. The Tarō-tachi and Jirō-tachi that survive today at Atsuta Shrine remain precious relics carrying that legend into the present.
Notable Swords
- Jirō-tachi