Mitsubuchi Fujihide (三淵藤英)
Fujihide MITSUBUCHI (date of birth unknown - July 6, 1574) was a direct vassal of shogun (military official) during the end of the Muromachi bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun).
He was the first son of Harukazu MITSUBUCHI, his half brother was Yusai HOSOKAWA (adopted son of Mototsune HOSOKAWA, hankoku shugo [military governor in charge of the half area of the Province] of Izumi Province.)
In 1565, when the thirteenth Seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians") Yoshiteru ASHIKAGA was assassinated by Hisahide MATSUNAGA and Miyoshi sannin shu (Three subordinates of the Miyoshi clan: Nagayasu MIYOSHI, Masayasu MIYOSHI, and Tomomichi IWANARI) in the Eiroku Incident, Fujihide and his brother Fujitaka enthroned Kakukei ICHIJOIN (later, Yoshiaki ASHIKAGA) and asked the Asakura clan in Echizen Province for help. After Yoshiaki became the fifteenth Shogun enthroned by Nobunaga ODA, Fujihide was given the Fushimi-jo Castle in Yamashiro Province. While Koremasa WADA, Chikafusa ITAMI and Fujihide fought against the Miyoshi clan, Fujihide became one of Yoshiaki's close advisors, showing his administrative ability.
As his brother Fujitaka took sides with Nobunaga in the conflict between Yoshiaki and Nobunaga, Fujihide became furious at Fujitaka and planned an attack against him, but failed. In 1573, when Yoshiaki was besieged in the Makishima-jo Castle in Yamashiro, Fujihide became a Jodai (the keeper of castle) of Nijo-jo Castle. However, Yoshiaki's army was besieged by Nobunaga's large army and fled in a disorderly retreat, therefore, Fujihide surrendered after being persuaded by Fujitaka and Katsuie SHIBATA. Soon after, Yoshiaki was expelled by Nobunaga and the Muromachi bakufu was practically over, thus Fujihide served Nobunaga.
However, the next year, his territory was suddenly confiscated by Nobunaga and afterwards he was sent to Mitsuhide AKECHI, and ordered to commit suicide together with his son and heir Shugo MITSUBUCHI. His youngest son was taken care by his uncle Fujitaka, and served him, called Mitsuyuki MITSUBUCHI. Hearing that Mitsuyuki helped his uncle in the battle of Tanabe-jo Castle (Tango Province) which was accompanied by the Battle of Sekigahara in Tanabe-jo Castle, Tango Province, Ieyasu TOKUGAWA thought highly of Mitsuyuki and hired him as hatamoto (direct vassal of the shogun).