13 Facts About Hori Hidemasa

Hori Hidemasa, known as Hori Kyutaro, was a samurai retainer of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi during Japan's Sengoku period.

Hori Hidemasa was Nobunaga page, and one of Hideyoshi's greatest generals.

Hori Hidemasa commanded Hideyoshi forces in several of his more important battles.

Hori Hidemasa led a corps of arquebusiers in a number of battles.

Hori Hidemasa was bugyo throughout this period, and oversaw the construction of a mansion for Portuguese missionaries, and playing a role in hosting the 1579 Azuchi religious debate.

In 1581, Hori Hidemasa fought in Second Tensho Iga War and followed Oda Nobutada into battle against the Takeda clan at Siege of Takato and was granted the fief of Sakata Domain, in Omi Province, with an income of 25,000 koku.

Hori Hidemasa came to once more serve Toyotomi Hideyoshi, after the latter's political maneuvering made him effective lord of much of the Oda's former lands.

Hori Hidemasa aided Hideoyshi in the 1582 battle of Yamazaki, along with Nakagawa Kiyohide and Takayama Ukon, and received great praise the following year from Tokugawa Ieyasu for his battle prowess.

Hori Hidemasa was promoted to the fifth rank, appointed to the Saemonfu, and granted Sawayama in Omi Province as his fief, with an income of 90,000 koku.

Hori Hidemasa then arranged negotiations for Hideyoshi with the Ikko sect which had fervently opposed Nobunaga; the head priest of Rensho-ji was Hidemasa's cousin Hori Rokuemon, and so the negotiations went quite smoothly.

Hori Hidemasa led portions of Hideyoshi's forces , in the 1584 Battle of Komaki and Nagakute, in which they suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Tokugawa army.

The 1590 siege of Odawara would see Hori Hidemasa commanding in battle for the last time.

Hori Hidemasa commanded the left flank of the besieging army with a number of great warriors under him, and captured a number of surrounding fortifications.