Natsuka Masaie (長束正家)
Masaie NATSUKA (or NAGATSUKA) was a daimyo and member of the Gobugyo (Five Major Magistrates) of the TOYOTOMI Administration during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. His father is thought to be Morisato NATSUKA but this is uncertain. His younger brother is Naoyoshi NATSUKA (Iga no Kami). He was the lord of Minakuchi Okayama Castle of Omi no Kuni (Omi Province). It is commonly thought that the original family name of the NATSUKA Clan was OKURA, but this is probably due to mistaking the Okura-sho (Ministry of Finance) for a family name.
Biography
He was born in Natsuka-mura, Kurita-gun, Omi no Kuni (or maybe in Owari no Kuni) and was the eldest son of Morisato NATSUKA. He first served the ODA Clan retainer, Nagahide NIWA, but, in 1585, was promoted to the position of one of Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI's Hokoshu (a military post in Muromachi Shogunate) and, after the NIWA domain was severely reduced as punishment, served the TOYOTOMI Clan directly as a retainer. His advanced mathematical ability was highly regarded, and he single handedly handled finances, managed TOYOTOMI's kurairichi (where the payment of samurai was handled), and implemented TOYOTOMI's nationwide land survey (Taikokenchi). During the Kyushu Conquest, the Odawara Campaign and Bunroku-Keicho invasions of Korea, he was the Hyoro bugyo in charge of sending food provisions for soldiers.
In 1595 he was given Minakuchi Okayama Castle in Omi no kuni (Omi Province), with an income of 50,000 koku (eventually increased to 120,000 koku), and he was appointed to the lowest position on the Gobugyo. After the death of Hideyoshi, he served Mitsunari ISHIDA and participated in the plot to overthrow Ieyasu as well as in the unsuccessful assassination attempt at Minakuchi on Ieyasu, who was on his way to subjugate Aizu.
In 1600, together with Mitsunari and others, he raised an army to support Terumoto MORI. They first attacked Ise-no-Tsu Castle and then, during the Battle of Sekigahara, joined up with Hidemoto MORI and Hiroie KIKKAWA at Mt. Nangu (Fuwa-gun, Gifu Prefecture) but KIKKAWA blocked them and Morichika CHOSOKABE from joining the main battle and they fled after the collapse of the Western Army. He was chased and surrounded by Terumasa IKEDA and Nagayoshi IKEDA just outside Minakuchi Castle, and committed suicide with his younger brother, Naoyoshi NATSUKA. He died at the age of 39.
Descendants
His wife was Eiko of the Tadakatsu HONDA Family. He had one son with Eiko after Sekigahara, who became the third monzeki (head priest) of Minakuchi Daitoku-ji Temple. Interestingly, this is similar to the experiences of Mitsunari ISHIDA's descendants. His other children included Hanemon NATSUKA, Nagayoshi NATSUKA, and Yujun NATSUKA.
His son, Hanemon, married Tokuun-in, the grandchild of Yusai HOSOKAWA, served under Tadaoki HOSOKAWA and continued to live in Higo no kuni (Higo Province). His descendants took the name TANAKA. The descendants of the younger brother, Naoyoshi, served the ASANO Clan (though it is uncertain whether it was a branch Clan).