Kusunoki Masakatsu (楠木正勝)
Masakatsu KUSUNOKI was a busho (Japanese military commander) in the period of the Northern and Southern Courts (Japan). His father was Masanori KUSUNOKI, who was a son of Masashige KUSUNOKI and Masakatsu was a grandson of Masashige KUSUNOKI.. Among his sons was Masaaki KUSUNOKI, who later founded the Ise Kusunoki clan.
In 1382, Masakatsu fought against Yoshimasa YAMANA from Tsuchimaru-jo Castle where he continued to stay in the battle, but he was defeated by the force led by Yoshihiro OUCHI supporting YAMANA. In 1385, although he intensely fought against Ujikiyo YAMANA in Kawachi Province, he lost and fled.
In 1390, he was defeated by the force for subjugation of Kawachi Province led by Yamana and Hosokawa, and he escaped to Chihaya-jo Castle. In 1392, Chihaya-jo Castle was fallen and he fled to Totsukawa in Yoshino. In 1399, he sided with Yoshihiro OUCHI who brought Oei War but he lost to the army of Muromachi bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) in Sakai City and went missing.
His grave is in Tsukubasan-jinja Shrine in Ibaraki Prefecture. It is said that the grave was erected there because of the historical fact that he had once visit the place.