Ii Naotora

Ii Naotora 井伊 直虎
Head of Ii clan
In office 1563–1582
Preceded by	Ii Naomori
Succeeded by	Ii Naomasa
Personal details
Born	Probably 1530s[a]
Died	September 12, 1582
Children	Ii Naomasa (adopted)[b] Takase (adopted)
Parent	Ii Naomori[c] / Sekiguchi Ujitsune[d] (father)
Relatives	Lady Tsukiyama (daughter of Ii Naohira's daughter)[e]
Military service
Allegiance	Imagawa clan Tokugawa clan
Unit	Ii clan

Ii Naotora (井伊 直虎, d. 12 September 1582) was a daimyō of the Sengoku period and head of the Ii clan.

There is only one contemporaneous document related to the person named "Ii Naotora" (井伊直虎), but according to the common theory, she is believed to be the same person as Jirō Hoshi (次郎法師), the daughter of Ii Naomori (井伊直盛), who became the head of the Ii family despite being a woman. This theory is based on the "Ii Family Chronicle" (井伊家伝記), written in the mid-Edo period in 1730 (Kyōhō 15). It is said that Jirō Hoshi was engaged to Ii Naochika (井伊直親) but remained unmarried throughout her life and was the foster mother of Naochika's orphaned child, Ii Naomasa (井伊直政), who later became one of Tokugawa's Four Heavenly Kings.

However, while this is the common theory, historians and researchers have differing opinions regarding Naotora's origins and whether Naotora and Jirō Hōshi were indeed the same person. There are several theories regarding Naotora's identity,

• the first is the popular theory of Jirō Hōshi, daughter of Ii Naomori, the eighteenth head of their clan. She was primarily the head of Ii clan and retainer of the Imagawa clan, because of her efforts, Ii Naotora became a daimyō and received nickname "Female Landlord" (女地頭).^[3]
• The second theory were held that Ii Naotora were actually a son of Imagawa clan retainer named Sekiguchi Ujitsune.^[1][2]

Identity speculations

There are several theories regarding identity of the head of Ii clan after Ii Naomori. The popular historiography identifying Ii Naotora as Jirō Hōshi, a sole daughter of Ii Naomori who became head of Ii clan during Sengoku period.^[1] This theory came from the traditional record of “Ii clan Biography” which preserved by Shizuoka Prefectural Library.^[4] However, this popular theory disputed by 20th century academics.^[1]

Male Naotora theory

Modern Japan historians rejected the notion of Ii female head of the clan theory, such as Miwa Mori, a professor of early modern history at Kyoto Women's University, also said this theory which she quoted from the Ii Museum's statement, were sourced from a record which written retainer of Ii clan named Kimata in 1640, which Mori said is highly reliable primary source.^[1] This theory was based on the primary source document which written by Niino Chikanori a former retainer of Imagawa clan who served under Ii Naotora, where the document has stated the identity of Ii naotora as "Ii Jiro". according to Chikanori, Ii Jiro was the son of "Sekiguchi Ujitsune, Lord of Echigo (Echigo-no-kami)"^[5] The Hachisaki temple in Shizuoka Prefecture claimed that they have the replica of letter dated from 1566 that pointing out the relationship between Naotora with the said Sekiguchi clan.^[6]

Hikone castle museum researchers also deemed the "Ii clan biography" which contain the theory about Ii Naotora being female is unreliable as it was based on folklores and not actual historical record.^[7]

Atsuyuki Wakabayashi from Shizuoka University has stated that the letter were co-signed between Jirō Hōshi and Sekiguchi Naotora as imperial edict.^[8]

Ii Tatsuo, the director of Ii museum in Kyoto which preserved those documents,^[f] also favored this explanation that Ii Naotora was not a woman named Jirō Hōshi, but instead a male retainer of Imagawa clan named Sekiguchi Ujitsune, who has been bestowed by his overlord the fiefdoms of Ii clan.^[1] Furthermore, Tatsuo Ii also stated there is no primary source evidences that Jirō Hōshi being identified as Ii Naotora.^[10] Furthermore, theory of Ii Naotora being a son of Ujitsune from Sekiguchi clan were further expanded as recent Ii museum researchers has found out the supplementary document from "Kawate clan Genealogy" has revealed that before Sekiguchi appointment as "Ii Naotora", the Ii clan was temporarily handled by Kawate Suisuke Kagetaka, a vassal of the Matsudaira (Tokugawa) clan. This version was telling that when Niino Samanosuke, who was Naomasa's benefactor and had invited him to Iinoya, was killed in battle in 1564, he assisted Naotora and Jiro-Hoshi, and it was though around this time that he changed his surname from Kawate to Ii. At some point of his service within the Ii clan, Kagetaka refused to implement a decree from Imagawa Ujizane as he argued the decree were not beneficial for the house of Ii clan's interest, which is Kawate's own interests, Ii clan financial administrators, Jiro-hoshi, and Naotora (Ujitsune's son). However, when he was pressured by Sekiguchi Echigo-no-kami Ujitsune (Sekiguchi Naotora's father), to carry out the decree (August 1668, letter from Sekiguchi Ujitsune), Kagetaka reluctantly accepted the decree. However, this incident caused him to be estranged from the Ii clan. At the sametime Iinoya was invaded by Tokugawa Ieyasu, who just declared his independence from the Imagawa clan, and it was believed that Kagetaka immediately sided with Ieyasu and ended up driving out Naotora from Hikone castle. Afterwards, Kagetaka did not return serve Ii Naomasa, although Naomasa began to serve Ieyasu, but his son Yoshinori (Suisuke) served Naomasa. It was believed that by this time he had already reverted to his real name of Kawate.^[11]

Another japanese historian, Motoki Kuroda, also supported that Ii Naotora was a son of Sekiguchi Ujitsune.^[2] Ujitsune is a vassal of Imagawa who has been appointed in Iinoya, Hamamatsu.^[12]

Meanwhile Daimon Watanabe, professor of history from Bukkyo University, also rejected the supplementary sources of Moriyasu Kō shoki about female Naotora theory,^[g] as he says the script were traced from unverified Edo period book.^[14] He supported the theory that Ii Naotora and Jiro-Hoshi were the same people and male, based on the evident confusions of previous historians about the identity. Daimon also added that while a woman could become head of clan in certain situations, but it was extremely rare case, and Ii clan during Naotora was unlikely one of them^[15] This comparation about female castle lord of feudal japan also supported by historian researcher Kozo Kaku, who compared this case with Tachibana Ginchiyo or Jukei-ni. Kaku noted that usually female castle lord like Ginchiyo or Jukei-ni does not use hand-written signature when they wrote documents and rather using signature seal. However, Naotora used hand written signature, which customary for male daimyo lords when filling their documents.^[16]

Female Naotora theory

The "Ii clan history" record which now preserved in Shizuoka central library were the oldest source about the theory that Jirō Hōshi (次郎法師), was a female Ii Naotora were from secondary material which first appeared in mid Edo period. The document was written by a priest at Ryutanji Temple (Hamamatsu City).^[5][17]

Tetsuo Owada, a professor emeritus of Sengoku history at Shizuoka University who published a book about Naotora has said that this theory of misidentification of Ii Naotora is quite possible, since for generations, many of the heirs of Ii clan usually being called "Jiro", thus the name is suspected as just a pseudonym of various historical figures, although he did not deny the possibility that Ii Naotora was a daughter of Ii Naomori, a leader of Iinoya-is a part of Tōtōmi, who had been defeated by Imagawa Yoshimoto and became a vassal of Imagawa.^[1]

According to this theory, as Ii clan had no male heir, so Naotora's great uncle Ii Naomitsu tried to betroth his son Ii Naochika to her so that he could inherit the clan. Unidentified Imagawa clan retainers carried a report of the plans to Imagawa, who ordered Naomitsu and his son Naochika to commit seppuku. Naomitsu died, but Naochika, who was very young, was protected by a Buddhist priest named Nankei. Naochika managed to flee to Shinano. Naotora became a priestess, and was named Jiro-Hoshi aged ten by Nankei. In 1563, Ii Naohira and other men from Ii clan were ordered to break into Hikuma Castle as proof of their loyalty to the Imagawa. Otazu no Kata who was wife of Iio Tsurutatsu (lord of Hikuma castle) invited Naohira to a meeting with her husband and planned to eradicate it to claim prominence in Totomi. On September 18, Otazu no Kata then poisoned Naohira's tea and he died soon after. Following Naohira's death, Jiro Hoshi returned to secular life the male name Naotora and declared herself the nominal head of the Ii clan. It was recorded that Naotora, being a former nun, often acted to avoid battles, earning the respect of many civilians. She was responsible for the development of agriculture and the substantial expansion of the domains of her clan in the region of Enshū.^{[citation needed]}

Synthesis theory

Michifumi Isoda, professor of International Research Center for Japanese Studies instead offered a synthesis theory which differ from the "Ii clan Biography", that both female Jirō Hōshi and male Ii Naotora both existed as different person, and became head of Ii clan on different occasions. Isoda offered this explanation based on the correspondence material from Seto Hokyu, a samurai under Ii clan, with the Imagawa clan, where the Imagawa recognized Jirō Hōshi as head of Ii clan in September 1568. However, after the Imagawa clan fall and the entrance of Tokugawa clan in the area on December, the name of Ii Naotora emerged as the head of Ii clan, thus Isoda suspected that the Tokugawa clan deposed Jirō Hōshi and installed Naotora as the head of Ii clan instead.^[18]

Meanwhile, professor Hirofumi Yamamoto from University of Tokyo giving his chronological concilliatory explanation regarding the letter co-signed by Jiro-Hoshi (daughter of Ii Naomori) and Sekiguchi Naotora (son of Ujitsune) that it indicated while Jiro-Hoshi inherited the clan's surname, the official de facto control of Ii clan's territories including Iinoya castle fall into Sekiguchi Naotora, until Ii Naomasa become old enought to inherit the position of Ii clan's leader.^[19]

Biography

During the early days of Naotora's reign In 1564, Niino Chikanori, a retainer of Ii clan, led a siege to Hikuma castle to prove Naotora's loyalty to Imagawa Ujizane; Otazu and Tsurutatsu fought to defend the castle and Chikanori was killed. Naotora was presumed to have difficulty securing clan leadership because of the innumerable resistances from the Imagawa clan retainers. After numerous threats from Imagawa retainers to the Ii clan, Naotora finally allies with Ieyasu and actively participates in the Tokugawa expansions of the Matsudaira clan in Totomi and Mikawa Province.^[20][21]

At the same year, Ono Michiyoshi removed Naotora from leadership of Iinoya region with the help of former Imagawa's retainers. Then Naotora escaped to Ryōtan-ji Temple in Hamamatsu, and later sent Naomasa to Ieyasu and sent Naomasa to his care. Later, Michiyoshi was finally captured by the Tokugawa clan and was executed, before his head was disgraced in public.^[22]

In 1572, Takeda Shingen personally invaded Iinoya and other castles in Totomi and Mikawa. The Battle of Mikatagahara took place near Naotora's domain. After days of resistance, Naotora surrendered Iinoya castle to the enemy to prevent bloodshed. In 1573, The Takeda clan army retreats from Iinoya and Naotora position as head of the castle restored.^{[citation needed]}

In 1582, after Naotora died from disease at Ryōtan-ji temple, and the position of Ii clan's head succeeded by Ii Naomasa.^[23]

In popular culture

• Ii Hiroko (born 1965), the eldest daughter of the 17th generation of the Ii clan, authored "Ii-ka no oshie Hikone-han matsuei no musume ga kataru akasonae no seishin" a book of the history of Ii clan.^[24]
• in historical fiction novel of Kaname Azusawa, Ieyasu Tokugawa's wife Lady Tsukiyama, was from the Imagawa family and related to Naotora.^[25][22] In this novel, Naotora were portrayed to be actively participated in the success of Ieyasu's career that would later become the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.^[25]
• Ko Shibasaki portrayed her in the 2017 NHK Taiga drama Naotora: The Lady Warlord (おんな城主 直虎). When she asked about the historical accuracy of Ii Naotora depiction in the series, she added that historical consideration was not the main focus of the drama, since it is mainly focusing on entertainment.^[12]
• Ii Naotora appears in the Capcom video games Sengoku Basara 4 and Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-Den, voiced by Maaya Sakamoto.
• She appears in the Koei Tecmo video games Samurai Warriors 4, Warriors Orochi 4, Dead or Alive 5 Last Round and Warriors All-Stars, voiced by Yuka Saitō in Japanese and Erica Mendez in English (DOA5LR only).
• Ii Naotora is featured in episode 27 of Meow Meow Japanese History, voiced by Yū Kobayashi

See also

• List of female castellans in Japan
• Onna-musha

Footnotes

Note

References

Bibliography

• 大石, 泰史 (2016). 井伊氏サバイバル五〇〇年. 星海社新書. 星海社. ISBN 978-4-06-138602-0.
• 井伊達夫 (2016). "井伊直虎に係る新史料公表について 報道 記者会見の経緯". 井伊美術館. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
• 黒田, 基樹 (2017). 井伊直虎の真実. 角川選書. Kadokawa Corporation. ISBN 978-4-04-703621-5.
• 森下佳子 (2016). おんな城主 直虎 前編 (NHK大河ドラマ・ストーリー). NHK出版. p. 16.