Description

Nishina Moritoki (1557–1582) was born as the fifth son of Takeda Shingen and became a warrior who succeeded the Nishina clan of Shinano Province. In Tenshō 10 (1582), during the Takeda subjugation campaign conducted by Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu's forces, he became renowned for making a spectacular last stand at Takatō Castle (present-day Ina City, Nagano Prefecture). His solitary fighting spirit is passed down to later generations as a symbol of Takeda bushidō.

Moritoki was born as Takeda Shingen's fifth son and became the adopted son of the Nishina clan, based in Azumi County, Shinano (near present-day Ōmachi City, Nagano Prefecture). The Nishina clan played an important role in Shingen's governance of Shinano, and Moritoki, as its leader, was responsible for controlling northern Shinano. He served as a general of the Takeda family under his elder brother Takeda Katsuyori, participating in battles across various regions, and his valor was highly regarded as a fierce warrior who inherited his father Shingen's blood.

In Tenshō 10 (1582), in the second month, Oda Nobunaga dispatched a massive army for the Takeda subjugation campaign. As Takeda-allied castles fell one after another, Moritoki chose to garrison Takatō Castle and fight to the last. Takatō Castle had only about 3,000 defenders, while the advancing Oda-Tokugawa forces numbered in the tens of thousands. On March 2, during the siege, Takatō Castle fell, and Moritoki committed ritual suicide within the castle. He was only 25 years old. Moritoki's battle has been passed down to later ages as "the Battle of Takatō Castle," embodying the bushidō spirit of the Takeda clan.

Regarding Japanese swords, Moritoki was a warrior who inherited the Takeda family's sword traditions. He is said to have carried fine blades inherited from his father Shingen when he garrisoned Takatō Castle, and is said to have committed ritual suicide while holding his sword when the castle fell. Takatō Castle contained many swords passed down from the Takeda family, and some are said to have been taken by Oda forces during the siege. The sword favored by Moritoki remains known in the history of Shinano sword culture as a "memento of Takatō," and related artifacts are preserved in museums of the Ina Valley (the region including Takatō).