Osafune Tsunanao (長船綱直)
Tsunanao OSAFUNE (?-1599) was a figure who lived in the Azuchi-Momoyama Period
He was a vassals of the Ukita clan
He was a legitimate son of Sadachika OSAFUNE (Ecchu no kami). He was an elder brother of Sadayuki OSAFUNE (Kichibe). Kii no kami (Governor of Kii Province). Iincidentally, his imina (personal name) of Tsunanao cannot be found among good historical materials. Considering the age, 'Osafune Kii no kami', the father of Tatsuyasu TOGAWA's wife, might be his father Ecchu no kami Sadachika.
In 1591 his father Sadachika was assassinated and his residence, Kogura-jo Castle was burnt down, but Tsunanao did not get involved in the trouble because he was out.
As the ability that he had shown in Fushimijo fushin (construction of Fushimi-jo Castle) in 1594 as a Fushin bugyo (shogunate administrator) was recognized by Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI, he took over governmental affairs of the Ukita clan's territory from Ietoshi OKA. He was competent in domestic affairs and worked on the financial problems of his master's family to solve through the land survey and so on with Jirobe NAKAMURA, who was an aide close to Hideie UKITA and had played an important role in restoration work on Okayama-jo Castle, and Tarozaemon UKITA, a lord chamberlain since the time of Naoie. Consequently, he was opposed to Tatsuyasu TOGAWA and OKA Echizen no kami (a child of Buzen no kami) whose opinions were different from his. He became a Christian and an opponent of Tatsuyasu and Echizen no kami, believers in the Nichiren sect of Buddhism, in terms of religion.
He died of illness in 1597 or in 1599, and he is said to have been reconciled with the Togawa clan just before his death, but one theory is that he was killed with poison by Tatsuyasu and Echizen no kami. Tsunanao's autocracy contributed to the feud of Ukita Family in January, 1599.