* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Sanada Nobuyuki
真田信之
The Eldest Sanada Son—A Samurai of Extraordinary Longevity Who Navigated the Sekigahara Campaign with His Siblings on Opposite Sides and Laid the Foundation for Ninety-Three Years of the Matsushiro Domain
Description
The Eldest Son of Sanada, Nobuyuki
Born in Shinano Province in 1566 (Eiroku 9), Sanada Nobuyuki (elder brother of Yukimura) was a samurai who brilliantly resolved the difficult task of preserving the Sanada clan by choosing to side with the Eastern Army (Tokugawa forces) during the Battle of Sekigahara, while his father Masayuki and younger brother Yukimura sided with the Western Army. Following Sekigahara, as his father and brother were exiled to Mount Koya, Nobuyuki relocated his domain from Ueda to Matsushiro, and while living to the remarkable age of ninety-three—extraordinary for the era—he laid the foundation for the Shinano Matsushiro Domain.
The Anguished Choice at Sekigahara
During the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (Keichō 5), the Sanada clan chose to split: Nobuyuki's father Masayuki and brother Yukimura sided with the Western Army (under Ishida Mitsunari), while elder brother Nobuyuki sided with the Eastern Army (Tokugawa forces). This was no accident but rather a calculated decision to ensure the clan's survival regardless of which side won—an interpretation supported by historical analysis. The fact that Nobuyuki's principal wife was Komatsuhime, daughter of the renowned Tokugawa commander Honda Tadakatsu, further legitimized his allegiance to the Eastern Army. Komatsuhime was a steadfast support to her husband Nobuyuki; the famous anecdote of when her father-in-law Masayuki visited Numata Castle seeking to meet his grandchild and she, armed and in full resolve, refused him entry with the words "I cannot permit an enemy to enter this castle," speaks to her role as Nobuyuki's spiritual pillar in family affairs.
Deep Affection for Father and Brother
Despite siding with the Eastern Army, Nobuyuki never lost his profound affection for his father Masayuki and brother Yukimura throughout his life. When Masayuki was exiled to Mount Koya, Nobuyuki continuously sent funds to support him, and when Yukimura fell at the Siege of Osaka, Nobuyuki grieved deeply. The human drama of the Sanada clan—"brothers divided between east and west, yet never severing their mutual affection"—blooms like a flower of compassion amid the cruelty of the Sekigahara era, and continues to touch the hearts of many in the present day.
Ninety-Three Years of Life and Swordcraft
Nobuyuki's remarkable longevity to age ninety-three is attributed to his regular habits and daily martial training. His dedication to swordplay, which he never abandoned even in old age, transcended mere health maintenance—it was an expression of self-discipline as a samurai. The swords in Nobuyuki's collection possessed a character distinctly different from those of his father Masayuki and brother Yukimura: "blades of a steadfast commander." Rather than mirroring tales of splendor, they reflected Nobuyuki's own life, built through steady accomplishment.
The Sanada Clan's Sword Legacy
The Sanada clan, which endured throughout the Edo period as the Matsushiro Domain, inherited numerous swords passed down from the Sengoku period. The Sanada Treasure Museum (now in Matsushiro, Nagano City) houses a substantial collection of swords, armor, and weapons associated with the Sanada clan, testament to how the Matsushiro Sanada line, descending from Nobuyuki, carefully preserved the traditions of the warrior class. Among the heirlooms Nobuyuki inherited were swords including a keepsake blade of his father Masayuki; these swords are silent witnesses to the tumultuous narrative spanning three generations of Sanada.
The Last Sekigahara Generation
Nobuyuki passed away in 1658 (Mañji 1) at the age of ninety-three (by traditional counting). Through his extraordinary longevity, he remained as one of the last daimyo to directly experience Sekigahara, living on into the stable samurai society of the early Edo period. Having carried the memory of Sekigahara in his living body while building a life of peace during the Edo era, Nobuyuki experienced a dual temporality—but what thoughts dwelled in his inner being? That complex sentiment seems to reside in the swords he never relinquished throughout his life.
Notable Swords
- Tachi Sword Descended Through the Matsushiro Sanada Clan—A family treasure of the Sanada clan inherited by Nobuyuki from his father Masayuki. That Nobuyuki never parted with this blade even after his younger brother Yukimura fell at the Siege of Osaka is testament to his unwavering affection for his estranged brother. It remains today as a witness to history, preserved in the Sanada Treasure Museum in Matsushiro, Nagano City.
- The Ninety-Three-Year Practice Blade—Nobuyuki's beloved sword, said to have been used in his daily swordplay training until his final years. It embodies the resolve of a long-lived samurai who survived Sekigahara, witnessed the deaths of his father and brother, yet continued to grasp his sword as a warrior. A masterwork of the early Edo period possessing solemn practical beauty.