photo #1726325

Sakai Masahisa, the warrior mentioned in the Shincho Kouki, the diary of Oda Nobunaga, as a “a single man of great ability, whose fame is unparalleled," was killed in action on this day, December 23, 1570. Sakai Masahisa’s early life is unknown, and it is believed he was born in either present-day Gakuden village of Aichi prefecture, although the old records, the Goyuden no Kami no Nikki mentions he was from Mino, Gifu Prefecture. Sakai Masahisa was probably born in Gifu as he was originally a retainer of the Saito clan of Mino, but entered the service of Oda Nobunaga on the destruction of the Saito. There were other retainers within Nobunaga’s ranks with the family name of Sakai, and it has been speculated that they may have been somehow related.Sakai Masahisa’s name first appears in the Shincho Kouki alongside that of Shibata Katsuie, Mori Yoshinari, Hachiya Yoritaka and Hosokawa Fujitaka in the September 1568 entry when the Oda army stormed Iwanari Tomomichi’s Shoryuji Castle in Kyoto. At that time, Sakai's unit took more than 50 enemy heads. Again he is mentioned for his prowess in the entry regarding the 1569 Invasion of Ise attack on Okawachi Castle. In 1570, Nobunaga attacked Azai Nagamasa’s Odani Castle, where Sakai’s exploits gained him further mentions. On June 21, 1570, while Nobunaga attacked his brother-in-law, Azai Nagamasa, Masahisa directed his troops on the foot of Mt. Odani, and torched the castle town. Sakai Masahisa was then awarded the front line position at Battle of Anegawa. Sakai was the spearhead, the first to fight the enemy. This was quite an honor, one awarded to only the strongest and bravest of loyal warriors.During the Battle of Anegawa, Sakai watched his son, Hisatsune, and nephew Jubei, being killed in action against the troops of Isono Kazumasa. The Sakai unit as a whole were unable to perform as well as expected, and so Sakai Masahisa requested he be allowed to make up for the shortcoming by leading troops in the Battle of Shiga, a long campaign that became the Siege of Mt. Hiei. While attempting to bring down Katada Castle, he was cut off by a counterattack from the Asakura troops stationed on Mt. Hiei, and was killed in the Battle of Katada on December 23, 1570.After Masahisa's death, his second son succeeded him, but his son was killed in the Honnoji Incident fighting alongside Nobunaga’s son, Nobutada, ending the family line.