Sassa Narimasa


Sassa Narimasa, also known as Kura-no-suke, was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku through Azuchi–Momoyama period. Narimasa was born in what is now Nishi-ku, Nagoya.
He became a retainer of Oda Nobunaga in 1550

Biography

Narimasa served Nobunaga throughout the latter’s career.
In 1567, he fought in the Siege of Inabayama Castle against Saitō clan.
He was present at the Battle of Anegawa in 1570, where he was in the rear guard, and fought at Battle of Nagashino.
In 1575 he was given Komaru Castle in Echizen, where he had recently helped put down rioting Ikkō-ikki, and became a member of the so-called Sanninshu along with Maeda Toshiie and Fuwa Mitsuharu.
In 1577, he participated in the Battle of Tedorigawa against the Uesugi clan.
In 1581, he defended Toyama Castle against Kawada Nagayori in the Battle of Arakawa.
In 1582, he and Shibata Katsuie successfully laid siege to Uozu against the Uesugi clan. He was granted Etchū Province as a reward for helping Shibata Katsuie fight the Uesugi clan.
After Oda Nobunaga's death in 1582, Narimasa joined Tokugawa Ieyasu. The Tokugawa alliance unsuccessfully challenged Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the Siege of Suemori in 1584 and Siege of Toyama in 1585. Narimasa submitted to Hideyoshi and his life was spared.
In 1587, he was given a fief in Higo Province in Kyushu. However, due to difficulties in suppressing a local revolt, he committed suicide by Hideyoshi's instruction in 1588.
Narimasa's daughter Teruko married kuge Takatsukasa Nobufusa and they had a son, Nobuhisa and a daughter, Takako.

Family