Takeda Nobutora

Takeda Nobutora (武田 信虎^?, February 11, 1494 – March 27, 1574) was a Japanese daimyo (feudal lord) who controlled the Province of Kai, and fought in a number of battles of the Sengoku period.

He was the father of the famous Takeda Shingen, who was originally named Harunobu, along with two other sons, Nobushige and Nobukado.

Takeda defeated Imagawa Ujichika in 1521 at the Battle of Iidagawara, Hojo Ujitsuna in 1526 at the Battle of Nashinokidaira, Suwa Yorishige in the 1531 Battle of Shiokawa no gawara, and Hiraga Genshin in the 1536 Battle of Un no Kuchi with the aid of his son Shingen.

During that battle, Nobutora was forced to retreat, but his son Harunobu defeated Hiraga and took the castle. Nobutora nevertheless wished to pass on his domain to Nobushige, and so Harunobu overthrew his father and exiled him to Suruga. Nobutora didn't return to Shinano until the death of Shingen in 1573, invited by his grandson Katsuyori, on that time Nobutora was in his 80's, some reported that even as an old man he still managed to strike fear to people around him.

Nobutora was also a previous owner of a famous sword named "Soza Samonji" (宗三左文字), although he gave that sword to Imagawa Yoshimoto as a gift to secure an alliance. After Yoshimoto's death at the Okehazama, the sword came into possession of Oda Nobunaga. After the Incident of Honnoji, Toyotomi Hideyoshi recovered the sword, which he later gave to Tokugawa Ieyasu as a gift. The sword is currently a Cultural Properties of Japan

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