Nakanobo Hidesuke (中坊秀祐)

Hidesuke NAKANOBO was a busho (Japanese military commander) who lived from the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the early Edo period. He was the second son of Morisuke NAKANOBO.

Summary

The Nakanobo clan was founded by a younger brother of Nagayoshi YAGYU, who was a descendant of SUGAWARA no Michizane; he became a follower of Kasagi-dera Temple in Yamashiro Province and called himself Nakanobo. Although the clan adopted the name of Nara temporarily, Hidetomo NAKANOBO, who was Hidesuke's great-grandfather, adopted the name of Nakanobo. One genealogy states that the clan derived from the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan ("Kansei Choshu Shokafu" [genealogies of vassals in Edo Bakufu]).

According to the "Tamonin Nikki" diary, he often visited Eishun TAMONIN as a hikan (low-level bureaucrat) of Hisahide MATSUNAGA in his early career. Then, he successively served Hidenaga TOYOTOMI and Hideyasu TOYOTOMI, and granted chigyo (enfeoffment) of 3,500 koku in Yoshino County, Yamato Province. Later, when he served Sadatsugu TSUTSUI, he was highly regarded by Sadatsugu, which is said to have made him gradually grow arrogant. He even came into conflict with Kiyooki SHIMA, and it is said that he ultimately slandered Kiyooki to Sadatsugu to expel him from the Tsutsui clan (the Tsutsui Disturbance).

In July, 1608, he filed a petition to Ieyasu TOKUGAWA complaining Sadatsugu's vice, which forced Sadatsugu to be deprived of his position. It is said that Hidesuke, who was Sadatsugu's favorite retainer, sued Sadatsugu because he made a deal with Ieyasu, and he became a retainer of the Shogun and was appointed a member of Nara bugyo after the Tsutsui clan had been deprived of their position. However, enmity of old retainers of the Tsutsui clan against him remained, and he was assassinated by the Yamanaka clan, who were former colleagues in Fushimi on April 3, 1609.

After Hidesuke died, Hidemasa NAKANOBO, who was his heir and son, took over as head of the family.

[Original Japanese]