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Takenaka Shigeharu

Type Figure Region Japan Time c. 1544–1579 Also known as Hanbei、Kanbei

A Sengoku-period strategist and master castle builder from a merchant family in Mino, he later served Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.…

Timeline

  1. c. 1560–1573Mino · Gifu PrefectureHe captured Inabayama Castle through a stratagem and submitted to Nobunaga, taking part in the Sunomata castle construction and planning for the Nagashima, Echizen, and other campaigns, excelling in castle building and strategy.
  2. 1574–1579Harima · Hyōgo PrefectureAfter transferring to Hideyoshi's service, he took part in the Chūgoku campaign and the capture of castles in Harima, planning castle offense and defense and supply lines, laying the military foundation for Toyotomi unification of the Kansai region.
  3. 1580–1590Japan · JapanThough he had already died of illness in 1579, his castle design principles and strategic deployments were carried on by Toyotomi retainers; traces of his castle-building ideas can still be seen in campaigns such as the Siege of Odawara in the 1580s.

Sources