Nakagawa Hidemasa facts for kids

Nakagawa Hidemasa (born in 1568 – died November 27, 1592) was a brave samurai commander during a time in Japan called the Azuchi–Momoyama period. He was the oldest son of Nakagawa Kiyohide, another important samurai. Hidemasa's younger brother was Nakagawa Hidenari. He was also married to Tsuruhime, who was the daughter of the famous leader Oda Nobunaga.

A Samurai's Journey

Hidemasa started his career serving Oda Nobunaga, a powerful leader. After Nobunaga passed away, Hidemasa and his family then served Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who became the new strong leader of Japan.

Taking Over the Family Role

In 1583, something sad happened: Hidemasa's father, Kiyohide, was killed in the Battle of Shizugatake. Because of this, Hidemasa took over his family's leadership and their land. This land was in Ibaraki, Settsu Province, and was worth 50,000 koku. (A "koku" was a way to measure the value of land based on how much rice it could produce.)

Important Battles and Rewards

Hidemasa was a very active and skilled commander. He fought bravely in the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute in 1584. He also took part in the expedition to Shikoku in 1585.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was very impressed with Hidemasa's loyalty and bravery. As a reward, Hideyoshi gave him new land in Miki, Harima Province, which was even bigger and worth 65,000 koku. This showed how much Hideyoshi trusted and valued Hidemasa.

After these events, Hidemasa continued to serve Hideyoshi. He joined the expedition to Kyushu in 1587. He also participated in the siege of Odawara in 1590, which was a major event where Hideyoshi took control of a powerful castle.

His Final Battle

In 1592, Nakagawa Hidemasa was fighting in the Battle of Bunroku, which was part of Japan's invasions of Korea. Sadly, he died during this battle when he was only 24 years old.