Saito Toshimitsu

Saito Toshimitsu (1534-1582) was a warrior of the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods, known as one of the chief retainers of Akechi Mitsuhide and as the father of Kasuga no Tsubone, wet nurse of the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu.

Origins and early career

He belonged to a branch of the Mino Saito clan, said to be distinct from Saito Dosan's line. His father is recorded as Saito Izu no Kami (given name unknown) and his mother as a daughter of the Muromachi bakufu official Ninagawa Chikanobu. The claim that he married a daughter of Dosan has no documentary support. He first served Matsuyama Shinsuke, then Saito Yoshitatsu, and followed Inaba Ittetsu when that Western Mino leader went over to Oda Nobunaga.

Under Akechi Mitsuhide

Feeling underrewarded for his service and having had his remonstrance to Inaba Ittetsu rejected, he left the Inaba and was taken into Mitsuhide's service. There he was treated as a senior retainer on a par with Akechi Hidemitsu and is said to have held Kuroi Castle in Tanba with about 10,000 koku.

The Honnoji Incident

Toshimitsu is counted among the senior retainers Mitsuhide told of the plot in advance. He is said to have opposed it at first together with Hidemitsu, but joined out of loyalty to his lord. Because of his kinship ties with Chosokabe Motochika, his name often appears in debates about Mitsuhide's motives.

Death

After defeat at Yamazaki by Hashiba Hideyoshi he hid at Katata in Omi, was betrayed, captured and handed to Hideyoshi. He was executed at the Rokujo riverbed in Kyoto on the 18th day of the 6th month of 1582, and his head was reportedly displayed alongside Mitsuhide's.

Descendants and legacy

His daughter Fuku married Inaba Masanari and later, as Kasuga no Tsubone, became Iemitsu's wet nurse and wielded great influence in the Ooku. Toshimitsu himself is a frequent figure in television dramas and games as Mitsuhide's right hand. No sword with a reliable source tying it to him was found.