Ii Naotora facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ii Naotora 井伊 直虎
Head of Ii clan
In office 1563–1582
Preceded by	Ii Naochika
Succeeded by	Ii Naomasa
Personal details
Born	Probably 1530s
Died	September 12, 1582
Children	Ii Naomasa (adopted) Takase (adopted)
Relatives	Lady Tsukiyama (daughter of Ii Naohira's daughter)
Military service
Allegiance	Imagawa clan Tokugawa clan
Unit	Ii clan

Ii Naotora (井伊 直虎, died September 12, 1582) was a powerful leader, known as a daimyō, during Japan's Sengoku period. She was the only child of Ii Naomori, who was the eighteenth head of the Ii family. Naotora was mainly the leader of the Ii clan and worked for the Imagawa clan. Because of her hard work, Ii Naotora became a daimyō and earned the special title "Female Landlord" (女地頭).

Naotora is famous for saving her family from being destroyed and making sure their family line continued. She was related to Lady Tsukiyama, who was the first wife of Tokugawa Ieyasu. This connection helped Naotora switch her loyalty to the Matsudaira clan from Mikawa. The Ii family, protected by Naotora as the guardian of Ii Naomasa, became very successful for over 200 years. They grew into one of the most important samurai families that helped create the Tokugawa Shogunate government.

Early Life and Challenges

Ii Naotora was the daughter of Ii Naomori. Her father was a leader in Iinoya, a part of Tōtōmi. His family had been defeated by Imagawa Yoshimoto and became loyal to the Imagawa clan.

The Ii family had no male heir, meaning no son to take over. So, Naotora's great-uncle, Ii Naomitsu, tried to arrange for his son, Ii Naochika, to marry Naotora. This way, Naochika could inherit the family leadership. However, Naomitsu planned to rebel against the Imagawa family. Some people loyal to the Imagawa clan reported these plans. The Imagawa leader ordered Naomitsu and his son Naochika to end their lives. Naomitsu died, but Naochika, who was very young, was saved by a Buddhist priest named Nankei. Naochika managed to escape to Shinano. Naotora herself became a priestess at age ten and was given the name Jirō Hōshi (次郎法師) by Nankei.

In 1560, both Naomori and Imagawa Yoshimoto died in the Battle of Okehazama. The Imagawa clan lost much of its power, and the region became very chaotic. About ten years after he left, Naochika returned to Iinoya. He had already married another woman while he was away, so he could not marry Jirō Hōshi.

Naochika briefly led the Ii family. But, like his father, he also planned to rebel against the Imagawa. Again, someone reported his plans to the Imagawa. Naochika was killed by Imagawa Ujizane in 1560. It is believed that a person named Ono Michiyoshi made the anonymous report. In 1563, Ii Naohira (Naotora's grandfather) and other Ii men were ordered to attack Hikuma Castle. This was to prove their loyalty to Imagawa. Otazu no kata, who was the wife of Iio Tsurutatsu (the lord of Hikuma Castle), invited Naohira to a meeting. She planned to get rid of him to gain more power in Totomi. On September 18, Otazu no Kata poisoned Naohira's tea, and he died soon after. After Naohira's death and many other difficulties, Jirō Hōshi decided to leave her life as a nun. She took off her nun's robes, took on the male name Naotora, and declared herself the official head of the Ii clan.

Leading the Ii Clan

After the Imagawa clan killed several members of the Ii family, Naotora became one of the few survivors, along with her mother and niece (Takasehime). She adopted Naochika's daughter and son, Takase and Ii Naomasa. Naotora made sure that Naomasa would have a successful future when he took over after her. She managed a small area that was surrounded by some of the most powerful families of her time: the Matsudaira, Takeda, and Imagawa.

In the early days of her leadership, Naotora often tried to make peace with Imagawa Ujizane and his grandmother Jukei-ni. At this time, the Imagawa clan was fighting with the Ii clan. Meanwhile, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who used to work for the Imagawa clan, went to war with Ujizane. Ieyasu successfully formed an alliance with Oda Nobunaga after Imagawa Yoshimoto's death in 1560. Ieyasu's wife, Lady Tsukiyama, was from the Imagawa family and was related to Naotora.

In 1564, Niino Chikanori, a loyal follower of the Ii clan, led an attack on Hikuma Castle. This was to show Naotora's loyalty to Imagawa Ujizane. Otazu and Tsurutatsu fought to defend the castle, and Chikanori was killed. It is believed that Naotora had trouble securing her leadership because of constant resistance from Imagawa's followers. So, she secretly sought help from other clans. After many threats from Imagawa's followers to the Ii family, Naotora finally allied with Ieyasu. She actively helped in the successes of the Matsudaira clan in Totomi and Mikawa Province. She saw her former lord's power decrease as Ieyasu's clan grew stronger.

Naotora's grave and other Ii family members.

Naotora's actions were very important for her family. She helped the Ii clan become independent after more than two centuries of serving the Imagawa. In some stories, Naotora is shown as an "unconventional lord." This is because of her many clever plans and unusual ways to protect her land and people. It is recorded that Naotora, being a former nun, often tried to avoid battles. This earned her the respect of many ordinary people. She was responsible for improving farming and greatly expanding her family's lands in the Enshū region. She played an active part in Ieyasu's successful career, which later led him to become the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.

In 1568, Jukei-ni died, and the Imagawa clan faced another big crisis. A year later, Ujizane surrendered to Ieyasu's Matsudaira clan. Ieyasu led an attack on Hikuma Castle (also known as Hamamatsu Castle) and captured it from Otazu no kata. It is said that Naotora actively participated in this battle to get revenge for her great-grandfather's death. However, this is likely a story from the Edo period.

In the same year, Ono Michiyoshi, who was Naotora's ally and childhood friend, removed her from leadership in Iinoya. He did this with the help of former Imagawa followers. She escaped to Ryōtan-ji Temple in Hamamatsu. During her time in Hamamatsu, Naotora met with Ieyasu and sent Naomasa to his care. After that, she worked more closely with Ieyasu. She received Ieyasu's help and recaptured Iinoya Castle. During the time of resistance, Michiyoshi was finally captured and executed.

In 1572, Takeda Shingen personally invaded Iinoya and other castles in Totomi and Mikawa. The Battle of Mikatagahara happened near Naotora's land. After days of fighting, Naotora surrendered Iinoya Castle to the enemy to prevent more bloodshed. In 1573, Shingen became sick and died in Naotora's area. The Takeda clan army left Iinoya, and Naotora returned to being a daimyō. In 1582, she died from an illness and was buried in the Ryōtan-ji temple. Naochika's son, the famous Ii Naomasa, whom she adopted, took over after her death.