Hachiya Yoritaka (蜂屋頼隆)
Yoritaka HACHIYA (1534 - November 3, 1589) was a busho (Japanese military commander) in the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring States). The official court rank was a Hyogo no kami (Head of Hyogo), Dewa no kami (Governor of Dewa Province). A jiju (chamberlain). His lawful wife was a younger sister of Nagahide NIWA.
At first he served the Toki clan and then the Saito clan. When Nobunaga ODA started the attack on Mino Province, he became a vassal of Nobunaga as a member of Kuro horo shu (an elite bodyguard unit in black) and played an active role at various battles for Nobunaga's going to Kyoto and putting down Ikko Ikki (an uprising of Ikko sect followers). From the fact that Yoritaka was involved in the affairs of capital Kyoto after Nobunaga went to Kyoto, he was treated as a commanding officer heading a troop around Nobunaga's going to Kyoto.
By the order of Nobunaga, he also conducted the execution of the Murashige ARAKI family who rose in revolt against Nobunaga (the battle of Arioka-jo Castle).
After that he participated in various battles and made some military glories, but his troop was still treated as a corps of rangers, even after major busho warriors were appointed lords to go into various directions, which meant his career was taking a step back from the other major vassals.
However, in 1580, after Nobumori SAKUMA and his son were banished, Yoritaka was given most of the control of Izumi Province as vassals of Nobutaka ODA, together with Nagahide NIWA and Nobusumi TSUDA, and so on.
After Nobunaga died by Honnoji Incident in 1582, when Nobusumi TSUDA was killed by Nobutaka ODA and Nagahide NIWA, Yoritaka had no involvement in it observing calmly.
At the Battle of Yamasaki in which Yoritaka participated following Nobutaka, when Mitsuhide died and consequently Katsuie SHIBATA and Nobutaka ODA fought against Hideyoshi, Yoritaka served Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI and participated in the attack on Gifu-jo Castle of Nobutaka ODA. After the battle, he was given 40,000 koku in Tsuruga of Echizen Province. Because he was given the family name Hashiba, he was called Hashiba Tsuruga Jiju (literally, chamberlain of Hashiba in Tsuruga). After that he also joined the attack on Narimasa SASSA and the Kyushu Conquest serving under Hideyoshi and died at the age of 56 in 1589.
Around that time, Naomasa, Yoritaka's adopted son who was the fourth son of Nagahide NIWA (born in 1580), seemed to be already dead, and so he had no heir and the Hachiya clan ended.