Momochi Tanba (百地丹波)
In the attack on Iga in 1579, Tanba managed to repulse the Oda's army partly because the command of Nobuo, who was an imbecile Busho (Japanese military commander), was poor. In the attack on Iga in 1581, however, Oda's army invaded Iga with 50,000 soldiers (Iga School Tensho Iga War). In response, Tanba resisted, holing up in a fort in Kashiwabara, but he was killed in the battle with many of his family members by the outnumbered enemy. However, there is different opinion that he lived around 1595. After the battle, his family members changed the family name Momochi to Momoji, hating "chi" sounds the same as blood in Japanese.
Tanba MOMOCHI (1512-1581?) was a Ninja (a secret agent in feudal Japan highly skilled in stealth and secrecy), who is considered to be the founder of Iga style Ninjutsu (the art of a ninja) in the Sengoku period (Japan). He was also called as Sandayu MOMOCHI. In recent years, however, Tanba and Sandayu are considered to have been different people, and Sandayu was a grandchild of Tanba.
Career
Tanba was originally from Nabari City and his public face was a Dogo (powerful local clan), who was responsible for the whole Iga Province, but he was a Jonin of Iga Ninja behind the scenes, and one of three rulers of the Iga Ninja. During the Tensho era, he extended his power over the Iga Province, reaching his height of power. However, Nobunaga ODA, who had a sense of menace to competency of Ninja, ordered his second son Nobuo ODA to attack Iga.
There is an opinion that Goemon ISHIKAWA was a disciple of Tanba. However, their relationship seems to be terrible that Goemon stole Tanba's wife, killed Tanba's beloved concubine, tempted by the wife.