Nakayama Katsutoki (中山勝時)
Katsutoki NAKAYAMA (? - July 1, 1582) was a military commander in the Sengoku period (period of Warring States). His common name was Gorozaemon. He called himself Gyobu no taifu (Senior Assistant Minister of Justice) or Minbu no taifu (Senior Assistant Minister of Civil Affairs). His wife was a daughter of Tadamasa MIZUNO.
He was closely related with the Mizuno clan (Ogawa Mizuno clan), and his father 'Shigetoki' was also its vassal.
Nobumoto MIZUNO conquered in 1543 the Shinkai clan of current Miyazu, Aguhi-machi, Aichi Prefecture and occupied Yanabe-jo Castle in Owari Province (Yanabe-nakamachi, Handa City) that was guarded by Shuden SAKAKIBARA
Thereafter, Katsutoki NAKAYAMA became the new lord of this castle and ruled this place. The Nakayama clan once resided at Kukehazama (Okehazama) and Kitao (current Kitasaki-machi, Obu City), and it was the believer of Hokke sect. Incidentally, Kaio RYUKI, the second head priest of Sogen-ji Temple (current Owaki, Toyoake City) who served as the daidoshi (great guide) in the memorial service for the war dead of the Battle of Okehazama such as Yoshimoto IMAGAWA, was Katsutoki NAKAYAMA's uncle or grand uncle.
According to local history books compiled in Owari like 'Choshu Zasshi,' he died in 1582 in the Honno-ji Incident. In the 'Kansei Choshu Shokafu,' on the other hand, no description is seen concerning his death and only the description that his posthumous Buddhist name was 'Soya' and that he was 'buried at Mt Koya' are seen (revised version, volume 12, item 238). According to the 'Owarishi' written in 1843, 'he died in battle at Nijo-jo Castle in Kyoto together with Nobutada ODA' (published by Rekishi Tosho-sha in 1969, p.789 of vol.1).
Katsutoki's son 'Gorozaemon' and Genemon 'Morinobu' served for Tadashige MIZUNO, and Iuemon 'Katsumasa' and the third son 'Katsuhisa' were given 500 koku (1 koku is about 180 liter) in 1590 by Ieyasu TOKUGAWA in Boda County, Kazusa Province after having served for Nobukatsu ODA. The descendants of Katsumasa and Katsuhisa became hatamoto (direct retainer of the shogun), and out of them, Izumonokami 'Tokiharu' (died in 1741) and 'Tokitsune' (died in 1762) served as Osaka machi-bugyo (town magistrate of Osaka). Katsutoki's fifth son 'Choen' was the head priest of Noma Daibo (Omido-ji Temple Daibo) and was the Chuko no So (the founder of a renaissance) of the temple.
All of the above explanation is based on the documents possessed by the Nakayama family, the feudal retainer of the Owari clan ('Sanbyakuhan Kashin Jinmei Jiten,' No.126). As seen in the 'Yanabe no Ayumi,' a family tree included in the 'Biyo Zakki' was cited in making ancestral records and judging from this fact, this name might be created by connecting '光' and '勝時' which appeared in the linage. The reason why his imina (personal name) was not described in the 'Kanei Shoka Keizuden' was because such record did not exist in Hatamoto family when its compilation began in 1641. As he was a collateral line of 'Gorozaemon' and the descendant of a woman who changed family name from the 'Yasui family' of the feudal retainer of the Owari clan (1675), it is inconceivable that his records remained.
Above-mentioned Fukuyama Senryu-ji Temple was a family temple of the Nakayama family, the feudal retainer of the Bingo Fukuyama clan, and the name of four persons who served for the Mizuno clan as karo (chief retainer) are seen in kakocho (a family register of deaths). They are the first Shogen 'Shigemori' NAKAYAMA (died in 1645), the second Matabe 'Shigeharu' (died in 1656), the third Shogen 'Shigesumi' (died in 1688) and the fourth Geki 'Shigenao' (died in 1714), but their relation with 'Katsutoki' is not seen. However, it is quite natural to think that the son of 'Gorozaemon,' who was a vassal of Tadashige MIZUNO, served for Katsunari MIZUNO after the death of Tadashige (1600) and became the senior vassal of the Mizuno family ('Sanbyakuhan Kashin Jinmei Jiten' vol.6, No.111). According to the 'Mizunoke Zaijojidai Shoshin Bugencho' compiled in the 'History of Hiroshima Prefecture, Material of Early Modern Times vol. 2,' following four persons are listed as 'Gokaro' (chief retainer) (No.286).
Genba MIZUNO 3000 koku
Geki NAKAYAMA 2000 koku
Hyozaemon KOBA 1000 koku
Shirozaemon UEDA 900 koku
When the Mizuno family was forfeited the Fukuyama clan, only the Koba family became the vassal of the Yuki clan and others became ronin (masterless samurai). It is said that Geki 'Shigenao' died in Kyoto ('Sanbyakuhan Kashin Jinmei Jiten' vol.6, No.111).
There was a family in the feudal retainers of the Owari clan which called itself the Nakayama family and this family originated when Sezaemon Nagakiyo, a son of Nagataka YASUI, used the family name of his mother.
Some people assert that the mother of Sezaemon was a daughter of 'Katsuhide,' a son of Katsutoki's third son Goheiji 'Katsuhisa.'
According to 'The History of Nagoya City, Personnel 2' published in 1934 (No.78), his descendant Shichidayu Kazukiyo learned Naganuma-ryu heigaku (the military science of Naganuma School) and had about a thousand desciples. Motowaka, the descendant in the Meiji period, lived in Yanabe and was acquainted with Nankichi NIMI as a family. It is said that Motowaka's wife Shie told folk tales and gave influence to Nankichi NIMI when he was young.
The above fact might be part of the reason that 'Nakayama sama' appears in his fairy tale 'Gongitsune.'