Nagai Naomasa (永井尚政)
Naomasa NAGAI (1587 - October 16, 1668) was the daimyo (Japanese feudal lord) in the beginning of Edo period. He held titles of the lord of the Uruido Domain at Kazusa Province, the second lord of Koga Domain at Shimosa Province, and the first lord of Yodo domain at Yamashiro Province. He was the second head of the Nagai family.
He was the eldest son of Naokatsu NAGAI. His mother was the daughter of Masakatsu ABE. His legal wife was the daughter of Kiyonari NAITO. His children included Naoyuki NAGAI (eldest son), Naoyasu NAGAI (second son), Naotsune NAGAI (third son), Naosuke NAGAI (fourth son), Naoharu NAGAI (fifth son), Naonobu NAGAI (sixth son), Naomori NAGAI (eighth son), daughter (the legal wife of Tadashige TACHIBANA), daughter (the legal wife of Takanaga KORIKI), daughter (the legal wife of Tadanori MATSUDAIRA and later Yasunao MATSUDAIRA), daughter (the legal wife of Sadamasa MATSUDAIRA), daughter (the legal wife of Toshimasa MORINAGA and later the wife of Motomi OSAWA), daughter (the legal wife of Tadamori YONEKITSU), daughter (the wife of Shigetane KANBAYASHI), and daughter (the legal wife of Hirotaka KOHAMA). His official court ranks were Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) and later Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade). He was the Shinano no kuni no kami (Governor of Shinano Province).
He was originally from Suruga Province. He participated in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 and became the pageboy of Hidetada TOKUGAWA in 1602. He was conferred a peerage and became the Shinano no kami on June 12, 1605.
He was designated Okosho Banto (chief of pageboys) due to his fine performance when he joined the battle in the Siege of Osaka, which began from 1614. He continued to dutifully serve the bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) and was awarded with lands; by 1619, he grew to a daimyo with the 15,000 koku domain of Kazusa-Uruido. When the rank of Masazumi HONDA changed due to the incident of drop ceiling at Utsunomiya-jo Castle in 1622, he was chosen to become the Roju (the highest ranking government official). Since his father, Naokatsu, passed away in 1626, he inherited the family estate and the territory of the domain of Shimosa-Koga, which was as large as 89,000 koku. When Hidetada died in 1632, he cooperated with Ujishige HOJO and Toshikatsu DOI as the control officer to build a Byo (mausoleum) for Hidetada at Zojo-ji Temple.
He retired from the Roju post in 1633, and his estate received an additional Yamashiro-Yodo domain of 100,000 koku. He later cooperated as the Kyoto Shoshidai (local governor of Kyoto) and maintained the public safety of Kyoto and Osaka. When the huge famine occurred during the Kanei era (1624-1644), he sent aid for the people of his estate; when Shimabara War occurred, he was ordered to protect Kyoto. He performed fine deeds even afterwards with the construction of Edo-jo Castle and the Imperial Palace. He was promoted to Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade) on December 22, 1644. He retired from the court official position on March 31, 1658. He received a second name of Shinsai (信斎) after he entered priesthood.
He died on October 16, 1668. He died at the age of 82. His grave is located at Kosho-ji Temple in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture.
The origin of the name of the current Shinano town came from the Shimoyashiki (suburban residence of the daimyo) of Naomasa NAGAI (Shinano no kami).