Takahashi Jōun

Takahashi Jōun (1548-1586) was a warrior of Bungo Province who served the Ōtomo clan. Alongside Tachibana Dōsetsu he was hailed as one of the "Two Pillars of the Ōtomo." During the Shimazu invasion of Kyushu in 1586, he held Iwaya Castle (in present-day Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture) with a mere 763 soldiers against a Shimazu force exceeding 50,000, fighting ferociously for thirteen days before meeting a glorious end. His resistance bought time for his son Tachibana Muneshige to distinguish himself in the Korea campaigns and at the Battle of Sekigahara, earning Jōun posthumous praise as the "Mirror of Chikuzen." He was also deeply knowledgeable about swords and is said to have favored robust blades forged by Kyushu smiths.