Sanada Nobutsuna

Sanada Nobutsuna (1537-1575) was a military commander of the Sengoku period, the eldest son of Sanada Yukitaka, a warrior of Shinano. His younger brothers were Sanada Masateru, Sanada Masayuki (the later head of the Sanada house), and Sanada Nobutada (Nobutomi). He served Takeda Shingen and is said to have taken the name Nobutsuna after receiving the character "Nobu" from Shingen. He is counted among the Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda, a valiant warrior.

Succession to the Sanada House

In 1574, when his father Sanada Yukitaka died, Nobutsuna formally succeeded as eldest son to the headship of the Sanada house. Leading the Sanada, who had served the Takeda since his father's generation, he campaigned in various regions under Takeda Katsuyori.

Death at the Battle of Nagashino

At the Battle of Nagashino in 1575, Nobutsuna took the field following Takeda Katsuyori. In this battle he fought fiercely, wielding a great long sword (odachi) measuring some three shaku three sun (about one meter), and pressed against the palisades of the allied Oda-Tokugawa forces. But struck by the fire of the gunners, he fell in battle together with his younger brother Sanada Masateru. The Sanada family genealogy records this great sword as "a camp blade of more than three shaku three sun forged by Aoe Sadatsugu," and a large nick from the fierce fighting is said to have remained near the cutting part of the blade.

The Sword and Its Transmission

The great sword that Nobutsuna wielded survives to this day and is passed down as a treasure associated with the Sanada house. It is also said that the head of the fallen Nobutsuna was wrapped in his war surcoat and carried back to Kai by his retainers; this "blood-stained war surcoat" is enshrined at Shinko-ji temple in Ueda. Shinko-ji is said to be connected with his younger brother Masayuki, who succeeded to the headship and worked to memorialize his elder brother; the graves of Nobutsuna and his wife remain within its precincts. As a valiant warrior who fell at Nagashino, Nobutsuna's name is handed down to later generations together with his sword.