Kimura Yoshinobu (木村由信)
Yoshinobu KIMURA (date of birth unknown - October 24, 1600) was a busho (Japanese military commander) and a daimyo (Japanese feudal lord) in Azuchi-Momoyama period. He was also called Shigehiro, or Shigenori. His common name was Sozaemon. He was a master of a sword.
Yoshinobu had the enfeoffment of 6000 koku (crop yields) as Karo (chief retainer) of Shigekore KIMURA who was the assistant of Hidetsugu TOYOTOMI
In 1595, when Shigekore was ordered to commit suicide by being implicated with Hidetsugu and Yoshinobu forfeited his position and properties (Kaieki), he became a vassal of Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI and was given ten thousand koku in Kitakata, Mino Province and Echizen Province, and a position of the castellan of Kitakata-jo Castle. In 1598, he went Taiko kenchi (the cadastral surveys conducted by Hideyoshi) in Echizen Province under the supervision of Masaie NAGATSUKA.
In the Battle of Sekigahara, he belonged to the West squad, joined the Battle of Fushimi-jo Castle, and then defended Ninomaru (second bailey) of Ogaki-jo Castle. After the West squad lost the final battle, he was deliberately killed together with Naomori KUMAGAI and Iezumi KAKIMI by the betrayal of Yorifusa SAGARA, and the brothers of Tanenaga AKITSUKI and Mototane TAKAHASHI who took the defense together. At that time, Yoshinobu's son, Denzo Toyomune KIMURA was also killed by sword.