Ii Naomasa

Ii Naomasa was a prominent general and daimyo in the late Sengoku and early Edo periods of Japan. He was one of the Four Guardians of the Tokugawa, along with Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa, and Sakai Tadatsugu, who served as the most loyal and trusted generals of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. He was also the son-in-law of Ieyasu, having married his adopted daughter Tobai-in. Naomasa was born in 1561 as the son of Ii Naochika, a retainer of the Imagawa clan. His father was executed by Imagawa Ujizane in 1563 on suspicion of treason, and Naomasa was adopted by his cousin Ii Naotora, who became the head of the Ii clan. Naomasa was later sent to serve Ieyasu, who had allied with the Ii clan after the death of Imagawa Yoshimoto. Naomasa changed his name from Toramatsu to Manchiyo, and then to Naomasa, and became the heir of the Ii clan. Naomasa proved himself as a brave and skilled warrior in many battles against the Takeda clan, the Hōjō clan, and the Toyotomi clan. He was known for his red armor and his elite troops, who were called the Red Devils of Ii. He was also a master of firearms, and commanded a large number of musketeers. He participated in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, where he fought on the side of Ieyasu against Ishida Mitsunari and his allies. He was the first to enter Gifu Castle, which was held by the enemy, and received a wound from a stray bullet. He also prevented Shimazu Yoshihiro from escaping the battlefield, but his wound became infected and he died two years later in Edo. Naomasa was rewarded by Ieyasu with the fief of Hikone in Ōmi Province, which had a revenue of 180,000 koku. He also received the court rank of Hyōbu-taifu and the title of Izu-no-kami. He was succeeded by his son Ii Naokatsu, who continued to serve the Tokugawa shogunate. Naomasa's descendants became one of the most powerful fudai daimyo families, and held the Hikone Domain until the Meiji Restoration. Naomasa's grave is at Ryūtaku-ji, a temple in Shiga Prefecture. He is also enshrined at Sannō Shrine in Hikone.