Matsudaira Nobuyasu

Matsudaira Nobuyasu (1559-1579) was the eldest son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, a young warrior of great valor from childhood who was highly anticipated to become a leader in the future. In 1563 he became engaged to Tokuhime, a daughter of Oda Nobunaga, and as lord of Okazaki Castle he defended Mikawa. He joined the Battle of Nagashino as commander of a division, and was known for his valor, such as serving as rearguard during a retreat in the fighting against the Takeda clan. However, in 1579 Ieyasu drove him out of Okazaki Castle, and he was ordered to commit seppuku at Futamata Castle, dying an untimely death at the age of 21. According to the traditional account, this was at the demand of Nobunaga, who acted on Tokuhime's complaints, though some theories attribute the cause to a conflict between Ieyasu and Nobuyasu. The Nobuyasu Incident is regarded as the greatest tragedy of Ieyasu's life, and it was depicted in many later stories and works of literature. In the Ochiboshū and other works from the mid-Edo period, an account was added that Muramasa was used to perform Nobuyasu's kaishaku, and this became one of the legends of the 'cursed blade' Muramasa, which was said to bring misfortune upon the Tokugawa house. The short life of the young warrior who was meant to become heir to the Tokugawa house is passed down as a tragedy of the samurai.