Taga Takatada (多賀高忠)
Takatada TAGA (1425–September 23, 1486) was a busho (military commander) during the Muromachi Period. He was the head of the Taga Bungo no kami family and a senior vassal of the Kyogoku Clan of Omi Province. Takatada was the child of Takanaga TAGA. He was commonly referred to as Shinzaemon or Bungo no kami (governor of Bungo Province). His hogo (Buddhist name) was Sohon. Takatada's mnemonic name was Daigen. Takatada twice served as a member of Samurai dokoro (the Board of Retainers) and was known as a fine shoshidai (representative of the Governor of the Board of Retainers).
Career
Takatada had an active career as the right-hand man of his lord and also his biological cousin Mochikiyo KYOGOKU. On November 5, 1462, Takatada was appointed as Samurai dokoro shoshi dai in Kyoto. At the year-end of 1466, however, with Mochikiyo's downfall, Takatada was removed from office. In 1467, the following year, when the Onin War began, Takatada, along with Mochikiyo, led 10,000 soldiers to join the Eastern Camp including Katsumoto HOSOKAWA, overpowering the Western Camp including Takayori ROKKAKU and subsequently building Nyoigatake-jo Castle in Yamashiro Province. In 1469, Takatada temporarily conquered the headquarters of the Rokkaku clan Kannonji-jo Castle and was awarded a citation directly from Seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the eastern barbarians") Yoshimasa ASHIKAGA. In the following year, however, Takatada's lord Mochikiyo died from disease and he took Mochikiyo's posthumous child Masataka KYOGOKU under his wing and while temporarily having an advantage over the forces including Takakiyo KYOGOKU, Masamitsu KYOGOKU, Takayori ROKKAKU and Munenao TAGA, in 1472, Takatada retreated and fled to Echizen Province with Masataka KYOGOKU. In 1475, led by Kokujin (local samurai) of Izumo Province, Takatada came back to fight his enemies including Takayori ROKKAKU and won, but was subsequently defeated with the Western Camp, including Shigeyori TOKI and Yoshikado SHIBA joining Takayori's side and various influential kunishu (local samurais) including the Misawa clan, were killed in action. After the Onin War ended in 1477, unable to return to his home base Inugami County, Omi Province, Takatada was forced to continue living in seclusion in Kyoto but, on June 6, 1485, was called by the Muromachi Shogunate to be appointed as Samurai dokoro shoshi dai in Kyoto for the second time and although he performed services to rebuild Kyoto City such as, by order of the shogunate, suppressing the peasants' uprising in Yamashiro Province, Takatada died the following year. Descendants of Takatada served the Muromachi Shogunate and relocated their home to Takashima County in Omi Province. The grave site of Takatada is Sosen-ji Temple in Sakai-machi, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City.
Takatada was well-versed in Buke-kojitsu (regulations governing the customs of the samurai class) studying archery under Mochinaga OGASAWARA and writing "Takatada kikigaki." To date, "Takatada kikigaki" has been making valuable contributions as research material for archery and also as historical sources shedding light on practices in those days. Additionally, it is said that, in 1480 while living in seclusion, Takatada loaned "Inumonono ki," (the same book as "Tadataka kikigaki"?) the book of archery to Owari no kuni shugodai (provincial governor of Owari Province) Toshisada ODA. Takatada was one of intellectuals of those days being also acquainted with waka and renga (linked verse).