Watanabe Tadasu (渡辺糺)
Tadasu WATANABE (year of birth unknown - June 3, 1615) was a vassal of the Toyotomi clan. He was enfeoffed 1,000 koku.
His common name was Kura no suke
He is a son of Masa WATANABE. His mother was Shoeini, a close adviser of Yodo-dono (Lady Yodo). His sons include Mamoru WATANABE.
He was a master of the spear and served Hideyori TOYOTOMI as the instructor of the art of spears. He fought and was defeated by Kagekatsu UESUGI in the Battle of Kamono of Osaka Fuyu no Jin (Winter Siege of Osaka). Furthermore, he was also said in this battle to have made his army draw back upon hearing a large number of guns roar, then became a laughingstock. In the Battle of Osaka Natsu no Jin (Summer Siege of Osaka), he took a part in battles of Domyoji War, Tennoji War, and Okayama War as a Yoriki (lower-ranked Samurai) to clear his reputation in the Fuyu no Jin. He killed himself in the Senjojiki (a hall of 1,000 mats) of Osaka-jo Castle in the end. Some says that he was initially successful in fleeing to Kyoto but committed seppuku (suicide by disembowelment) without sitting down upon hearing Hideyori's suicide. There was an event to show his personality that he was about to fight Harunaga ONO with swords due to their opposite viewpoints before the Fuyu no Jin. Mototsugu GOTO is said to have said, "It is better for the both to be killed." This shows that Tadasu WATANABE did not win a great popularity.