Kozai Motonaga (香西元長)
Motonaga KOZAI (birth date unknown - September 7, 1507) was the busho (warlord) during the Sengoku period (period of warring states) (Japan). He was the son of Motonao KOZAI. He was the retainer of the Hosokawa clan. He was the Hangoku Shugodai (deputy military governor of half domain) in Yamashiro Province. He was the lord of Arashiyama-jo Castle.
The Kozai clan was originally the samurai of Sanuki Province but moved to Kyoto at the time of Motonao, and Motonaga's younger brother inherited the estate at Sanuki. Motonaga was assigned with Yamashiro Shimogori Shugodai (deputy military governor of Yamashiro Shimogori domain) in 1497. Tomotsune AKAZAWA was Kamigori Shugodai (deputy military governor of Kamigori domain). In 1507, he burnt down the Kamo-sha Shrine which refused Yakusen Kyoshutsu (the contribution for miscellaneous taxes) to the mobilized army of his master Masamoto HOSOKAWA, who was a Kanrei (shogunal deputy), to battle at the front lines in Tamba Province.
Motonaga supported Sumiyuki HOSOKAWA during the conflict to determine the heir to Masamoto; when it seemed unlikely that Sumiyuki would inherit the family estate, he schemed with Nagatada YAKUSHIJI and Magoshichi TAKEDA and assassinated Masamoto (Eisho Disturbance) to support Sumiyuki as the family head. He first expelled his former opponent, Sumimoto HOSOKAWA from Kyoto to Iga, but he incurred a counterstrike from Takakuni HOSOKAWA and Sumimoto HOSOKAWA, and was instantly killed by stray arrows during the battle at Sumiyuki's palace of Yushoken.