Kanamori Nagachika

Kanamori Nagachika

Statue of Kanamori Nagachika at Shiroyama Park, Gifu Prefecture, Japan

Kanamori Nagachika (金森 長近, 1524 – September 20, 1608) was a Japanese samurai who lived from the Sengoku period into the early Edo period. He was the first ruler of the Kanamori clan and served as a retainer of the Oda, Toyotomi, and Tokugawa clans. Later in his life, he also became a daimyō.

Nagachika first served the Saitō clan of Mino Province; however, after their Demise at Battle of Inabayama 1567, he became a retainer of Oda Nobunaga. During this time he served as the ruler of Matsukura Castle and Takayama Castle.

In 1575, at Battle of Nagashino, he and Sakai Tadatsugu ambush Takeda troops and killed Takeda Nobuzane, a younger brother of Shingen.

Following Nobunaga's death in 1582, Nagachika at first sided with Shibata Katsuie, then gave his loyalty to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In 1585 he was dispatched to destroy the Anegakoji of Hida province and was afterwards given their castle of Takayama. He later gave his support to Tokugawa Ieyasu during the Sekigahara campaign (1600) and led 1,140 men to the Battle of Sekigahara.

Nagachika was also a tea master and an admirer of Sen no Rikyū. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered Rikyū's death, Nagachika sheltered Rikyū's son, Sen Dōan.