* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Nagano Narimasa
長野業正
The Fierce General of Kozuke Who Repeatedly Defeated Takeda Shingen—The Kanto's Premier Strategist Who Repelled Vast Armies with Limited Forces
Description
The Nagano Clan, a Prominent Family of Kōzuke
Nagano Narimasa, born around Entoku 3 (1491), was the head of the Nagano clan, which was based in Kōzuke Province (present-day Gunma Prefecture). Kōzuke was under the influence of the Kantō kanrei, the Uesugi clan, but Narimasa built his own power and became renowned as a leading local lord (kokujin) in Kōzuke. The Nagano family's main base, Minowa Castle (present-day Misato-machi, Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture), was an important stronghold in the Kantō, and Narimasa made skillful use of this formidable castle.
A Renowned General Who Repeatedly Repelled Takeda Shingen's Invasions
The greatest achievement by which Nagano Narimasa's name has been passed down to later generations is that he repeatedly repelled the Tiger of Kai, Takeda Shingen, in his invasions of Kōzuke. From Kōji 3 (1557) onward, Narimasa is said to have repeatedly turned back Shingen's large armies, and the Kōyō Gunkan records that it took Shingen seven years to conquer western Kōzuke because of the Nagano clan. According to military tales, Narimasa could not win in open-field battles, but he holed up in his home castle, Minowa Castle, and repelled the Takeda forces' invasions with surprise tactics of night raids and dawn raids. However, these achievements come from later military tales, and there is no corroboration in contemporary historical sources.
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