Akechi forces · Saitō
Saitō Toshimitsu
“Pillar of the Akechi”
A native of Mino who left the service of Inaba Ittetsu to become Akechi Mitsuhide's chief retainer. Deeply trusted by Mitsuhide, he is held to have played the central role as vanguard at Honnō-ji. But he was captured after the defeat at Yamazaki and executed in Kyoto. His daughter later wielded power in the shogun's inner palace as Kasuga no Tsubone, wet nurse to the third shogun Iemitsu, and carried her father's name to posterity.
- Epithet
- “Pillar of the Akechi”
- Rank / office
- Kura-no-suke
- Domain / base
- Tanba
- Side
- Akechi forces
- Lived
- 1534–1582 (aged 49)
Life
- Tenshō 10 The Honnō-ji Incident As Mitsuhide's chief retainer he led the vanguard of the surprise attack on Nobunaga.
- Tenshō 10 Defeat at Yamazaki Beaten by Hideyoshi, he was captured and executed in Kyoto.
Battles in this archive2 battles
- Battle of Yamazaki 13th day of the 6th month, Tenshō 10 Yamazaki, Yamashiro Province The strongest of the Akechi senior retainers. The man who led the vanguard at Honnō-ji held the line at Yamazaki to the very end. Watch ▸
- Honnō-ji Incident 2nd day of the 6th month, Tenshō 10 Honnō-ji, Kyoto, Yamashiro Province The chief Akechi retainer. He led the vanguard of the attack on Honnō-ji, broke the wall from the south gate and stormed the hall. Watch ▸
Related sites
- Honnō-ji (Kyoto)