Who Was Saitō Yoshitatsu? How He Died, Why He Fought His Father Dōsan, and Was He a Capable Ruler?

Saitō Yoshitatsu was a daimyo (regional lord) who ruled Mino Province (today's southern Gifu Prefecture) in the Sengoku period. He was the eldest son of Saitō Dōsan, known as "the Viper of Mino," and in 1556 (Kōji 2) he defeated his father's army at the Battle of the Nagara River.

For the next five years or so, Yoshitatsu ruled Mino, won a high standing from the shogun's house, and in his last years took the family name "Isshiki" [Widely accepted]. Oda Nobunaga, Dōsan's son-in-law, could not take Mino while Yoshitatsu lived. But Yoshitatsu died of illness in 1561 (Eiroku 4).

This article explains what Yoshitatsu did, how and at what age he died, and why he fought his father.

Historical dates give the Western year with the Japanese era; months and days follow the Japanese lunisolar calendar unless otherwise stated. Modern dates use the Gregorian calendar. Ages use the traditional Japanese count, in which a person was counted as one at birth and gained a year at the start of each new year in the Japanese calendar.

Key points are tagged: [Fact] confirmed by records from the time, [Widely accepted] a view widely accepted by researchers, [Debated] accounts or interpretations differ, [Unknown] not established from the sources we checked, [Legend] stories found in later records or traditions, and [Folk belief] popular claims with little evidence.

I am Uesugi Kenshin. Today's story is about Saitō Yoshitatsu, the son of Saitō Dōsan.

I'm Date Masamune! He's the one who defeated his own father, right?

He is often seen that way, but historians have praised the way he governed Mino.

Jump to the part you want to read:

• Who was Saitō Yoshitatsu, and what did he do?
• How did Saitō Yoshitatsu die? When and at what age?
• Why did Yoshitatsu fight his father Dōsan?
• Was Yoshitatsu really 197 cm tall?
• Yoshitatsu, Oda Nobunaga and Akechi Mitsuhide
• Was Yoshitatsu a capable ruler? His government and the name Isshiki
• His family: his mother, his wife and his son Tatsuoki
• Yoshitatsu in TV dramas
• FAQ

The labels such as [Fact] and [Debated] show how certain each point is (their meanings are listed at the end of the article).

Who Was Saitō Yoshitatsu, and What Did He Do?

In a single sentence, Saitō Yoshitatsu was "the daimyo who defeated his father Dōsan to become master of Mino, held the province together for about five years, and kept Nobunaga from taking it". His base was Inabayama Castle (later Gifu Castle).

Here is his life in broad outline:

• Becomes head of the family: around 1554 (Tenbun 23), he succeeds his father Dōsan as head of the Saitō family [Widely accepted]
• Kills his brothers: in Kōji 1 (1555–56), he has his two younger brothers, his father's favorites, killed
• Defeats his father: in 1556 (Kōji 2), he defeats his father Dōsan's army at the Battle of the Nagara River
• Rules the province: he governs through documents issued jointly by his senior retainers, and receives the honor of Shōbanshū from the shogunate. In his last years he uses the name Isshiki
• Rivalry with Nobunaga: he fights Nobunaga, Dōsan's son-in-law, and holds Mino as long as he lives
• Dies of illness: in 1561 (Eiroku 4)

Image: Portrait of Saitō Yoshitatsu, handed down at Jōzaiji temple in Gifu City; an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Wikimedia Commons (public domain; from a plate in the Nagahama Castle History Museum's catalogue Sengoku Daimyō Azai-shi to Kita-Ōmi, 2008)

According to Gifu Prefecture's explanation, this portrait is thought to have been painted after Yoshitatsu's death, for a memorial service held twelve or sixteen years after his death (known in Japan as the 13th or 17th memorial observance), showing him as he was in his prime. It bears the date of his death, "the 11th day of the 5th month of Eiroku 4," and his Buddhist name after taking vows, 雲峯玄竜居士.

Incidentally, "Saitō Yoshitatsu" is the name best known today, but at different times he called himself "Hanka" and "Takamasa," and in his last years "Isshiki Yoshitatsu." His changes of name are summarized in a chart in the chapter on whether he was capable.

How Did Saitō Yoshitatsu Die? When and at What Age?

To give the conclusion first: Saitō Yoshitatsu died of illness on the 11th day of the 5th month of 1561 (Eiroku 4). That he died of illness is also recorded by a Kyoto monk of the time [Widely accepted]. The date comes from the date written on the portrait at Jōzaiji and similar sources [Widely accepted].

However, which illness it was is not written in the records from the time that we checked [Unknown]. Many explanations of his death can be found online and elsewhere, but if we sort them by the original records, they look like this:

What Did the Records Say About His Death?

The key clues are two records from the time: the Genjo Ōnenki and Kaisen's letter. Note that the chronicle reports hearsay, and Kaisen's letter reflects his hostility toward Yoshitatsu. The Genjo Ōnenki reports a death from illness, and Kaisen's letter calls it an "unexpected death." From the passages we checked, we cannot tell what the illness was or how long he was ill before he died.

Ōta Gyūichi's book presents the story of Dōsan and Yoshitatsu as a moral lesson that "one who kills a parent will be repaid." The story that his wife and child died around the same time is likewise what this book tells.

How Old Was Saitō Yoshitatsu When He Died?

Because his birth year is given as either 1527 (Daiei 7) or 1529 (Kyōroku 2), his age at death is given as either 35 by the traditional count or 33 by the traditional count [Debated]. The age of 35 is found in Edo-period books such as the Nōyō Shoshi Denki. An explanation introducing the research of the historian Kinoshita Satoshi gives 33.

In today's way of counting, he died in his early thirties, just five years after defeating his father Dōsan.

Why Is the Illness Unknown? What About the Hansen's Disease Theory?

In the passages from his time that we checked, the records say only "died of illness" or "unexpected death," and no symptoms are described. Some later books simply report illness, while Ōta Gyūichi tells a story of fox possession. None of these accounts allows us to identify the disease, so the illness is still unknown.

Online and elsewhere, one also sees the claim that he had Hansen's disease (leprosy). In the sources we checked, however, we found nothing that supports this claim [Folk belief].

What Were His Last Words?

Edo-period books record a Zen verse said to be his last words (a death poem) [Legend]. Whether he really left these words cannot be confirmed from records of the time.

What Happened to Mino After His Death?

Yoshitatsu was succeeded by his son Tatsuoki, who is said to have been 14 by the traditional count at the time [Widely accepted].

Image: Tatsuoki, who became head of the family at 14 by the traditional count

According to the Shinchō Kōki, on the 13th day of the 5th month, two days after Yoshitatsu's death, Nobunaga crossed the Kiso and Hida rivers by boat and invaded western Mino, and on the next day, the 14th, he defeated the Mino army at Moribe (in today's Anpachi, Gifu Prefecture). This battle is also known as the one in which Maeda Toshiie, who had been banished by Nobunaga, distinguished himself and was forgiven.

Why Did Yoshitatsu Fight His Father Dōsan?

Yoshitatsu succeeded his father Dōsan as head of the family around 1554 (Tenbun 23) [Widely accepted]. Dōsan, however, seems to have kept much of his power afterward, and a rift grew between father and son.

The Shinchō Kōki describes how the conflict began:

• Dōsan was convinced that his eldest son Yoshitatsu was a fool, and favored only his younger sons, Magoshirō and Kiheiji, as clever
• He had his third son, Kiheiji, take the distinguished family name Isshiki
• The younger brothers came to look down on their elder brother Yoshitatsu

Yoshitatsu responded with a bold move. According to the Shinchō Kōki, from the 13th day of the 10th month of Tenbun 24 (1555) he pretended to be seriously ill and shut himself away in the inner rooms of his residence. Then on the 22nd day of the 11th month of Kōji 1 (January 1556 in the Julian calendar; the era name had changed in the meantime), while Dōsan had moved to a residence at the foot of the mountain, Yoshitatsu sent his kinsman 長井道利 as messenger to call his two brothers, saying, "I do not have long to live, and I wish to speak with you," and had his retainers kill them.

That year had a leap 10th month (an extra month added to the Japanese calendar), so his pretended illness lasted more than two months.

Image: Yoshitatsu, pretending to be ill, gives his kinsman 長井道利 a message for his brothers

Defeating His Father Dōsan at the Battle of the Nagara River

When he learned that his sons had been killed, Dōsan gathered troops, left Inabayama and withdrew into the mountains of Yamagata to the north (today's Yamagata City, Gifu Prefecture). Ōta Gyūichi writes that the warriors of the province all gathered to Yoshitatsu, and that Dōsan's forces gradually dwindled.

Then, on the 20th day of the 4th month of 1556 (Kōji 2), the two armies fought by the Nagara River. According to the Shinchō Kōki, Yoshitatsu's first wave crossed the river and attacked, and then Yoshitatsu himself crossed with his main army. The Shinchō Kōki says that Dōsan was killed in this battle. However, it was Yoshitatsu's retainers who killed Dōsan; Yoshitatsu did not do it with his own hands. The course of the battle is explained in detail in our article on Saitō Dōsan.

Did Dōsan Praise Yoshitatsu at the End?

Another work by Ōta Gyūichi, the Taikōsama Gunki no Uchi, contains a story not found in the Shinchō Kōki: seeing the fine movements of Yoshitatsu's army as it crossed the river, Dōsan could not help praising his son.

The manga panel below is a scene based on this story in the Taikōsama Gunki no Uchi [Legend].

Image: Dōsan, by the Nagara River, impressed by the sight of Yoshitatsu's army crossing the river

The Mystery of the Name "Hanka"

The Shinchō Kōki says that after killing his father at the Nagara River, Yoshitatsu called himself "Hanka" (范可). Gyūichi explains that in ancient China there was a man called Hanka who killed his father yet was regarded as a dutiful son. He then contrasts that story with Yoshitatsu's act, which he harshly condemns as unfilial.

However, a prohibition notice (a document setting out rules to protect a temple) addressed to Mieji temple (Gifu City) and dated to the 12th month of Kōji 1 (early 1556 in the Julian calendar), introduced in the Gifu Shishi (1928), already bears the name "Hanka." That was right after he had killed his brothers, and before the Battle of the Nagara River in the 4th month of Kōji 2 (in the Julian calendar, both the notice and the battle fall in 1556). We cannot simply call either account "false," but at least on paper, he was already using this name before the battle with his father.

Image: Mieji temple in Mieji-chō, Gifu City. The Gifu Shishi (1928) introduces the prohibition notice bearing the name "Hanka" as a document of this temple. Wikimedia Commons (photo: 先従隗始, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Was Yoshitatsu Not Really Dōsan's Son?

There is a story that "Yoshitatsu was really the son of Toki Yorinori, Dōsan's lord." According to this story, his mother, Miyoshino, was already pregnant with Yorinori's child when she was given to Dōsan. But this story comes from Edo-period books [Folk belief].

The Itsuya no Kakimono of 1669 (Kanbun 9) shows that by the early Edo period (around 1630), old people of Mino were already saying it was "doubtful whether he was the son of Lord Toki or of Dōsan." That alone, however, cannot establish his parentage. On the other hand, a letter written in 1560 (Eiroku 3), during Yoshitatsu's lifetime, by Rokkaku Jōtei, daimyo of Ōmi, treats Yoshitatsu as Dōsan's son.

Was Saitō Yoshitatsu Really 197 cm Tall?

It is often said that Yoshitatsu was "a giant 197 cm (about 6 ft 6 in) tall." The source is the Bushō Kanjōki, an Edo-period collection of anecdotes. It says that his mother was about six shaku (about 182 cm, or 6 ft) tall, and that Yoshitatsu was six shaku four or five sun (about 194–197 cm, or 6 ft 4 in to 6 ft 6 in) [Legend]. The Okinagusa of around 1791 (Kansei 3) tells the same story, giving "six shaku five sun (about 197 cm)."

An explanation of Gifu Castle (in the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual commentary database) also gives "197 cm," but the figure comes from such Edo-period books, not from any record of an actual measurement. We found no description of his height in the records from his own time that we checked [Unknown].

Image: The giant Yoshitatsu stooping at the entrance of a room (a story told in Edo-period books)

The same book also says that although Yoshitatsu looked slow-witted, he was in fact very clever, took good care of his retainers and won people's hearts [Legend].

197 cm? That's as tall as a basketball player today!

But that is a story from an Edo-period book, not a measured record.

Yoshitatsu, Oda Nobunaga and Akechi Mitsuhide

Nobunaga was the husband of Dōsan's daughter (Nōhime). To Yoshitatsu, then, Nobunaga was his sister's husband and the man who had taken his father Dōsan's side. At the time of the Battle of the Nagara River, Nobunaga set out to help Dōsan but arrived too late, and withdrew to Owari, guarding the rear himself while pursued by Yoshitatsu's forces (Shinchō Kōki).

After that, Yoshitatsu and Nobunaga remained enemies. The records tell stories such as these:

• Yoshitatsu plotted with Nobunaga's half-brother Oda Nobuhiro to seize Kiyosu Castle while Nobunaga was away on campaign. Nobunaga noticed and the plan failed (Shinchō Kōki; no year given)
• He allied with Oda Ise-no-kami of Iwakura Castle in Owari against Nobunaga [Widely accepted]
• While Nobunaga was in Kyoto, assassins came from Mino (Shinchō Kōki; who sent them is not stated; more)

Image: Yoshitatsu glaring from Inabayama Castle toward Owari

Did Yoshitatsu Send Assassins After Nobunaga?

The Shinchō Kōki tells this story: when Nobunaga went up to Kyoto, Niwa Hyōzō, a retainer of Nagoya Yagorō of Kiyosu, grew suspicious of a group of five or six leading men from Mino (about thirty with their attendants) and looked into them. He learned that they "had come up to kill Nobunaga," and that they had even discussed shooting him with guns. However, the Shinchō Kōki does not name the person who sent the assassins. Many explanations say it was Yoshitatsu, but the records do not allow us to say so for certain. The event is usually dated to 1559 (Eiroku 2), but this section of the Shinchō Kōki does not give the year either.

Was Nobunaga Afraid of Yoshitatsu?

Some explanations say that "Nobunaga feared Yoshitatsu," but we have not found any record of the time that says so. What the records do show is that Nobunaga could not take Mino while Yoshitatsu was alive.

When Yoshitatsu died, Nobunaga invaded western Mino two days later (the Battle of Moribe). Even so, the conquest of Mino took time, and Inabayama Castle fell only in 1567 (Eiroku 10), in Tatsuoki's time [Widely accepted]. Nobunaga named the place "Gifu" and made it his base for unifying the country (see our articles on Oda Nobunaga and Inabayama Castle).

Image: The Nagara River and Mt. Kinka. On the summit stands today's Gifu Castle, built on the site of Inabayama Castle (the keep was rebuilt in the Shōwa era). Wikimedia Commons (photo: そらみみ, CC BY-SA 3.0)

What Was His Relationship with Akechi Mitsuhide?

The Mino no Kuni Shokyūki, an Edo-period book, says that in the 9th month of 1556 (Kōji 2), after the Battle of the Nagara River, Akechi Mitsuyasu (said to be Mitsuhide's uncle), who had sided with Dōsan, held out in Akechi Castle; Yoshitatsu's army attacked and took the castle, and Mitsuhide escaped [Legend].

However, Mitsuhide's name first appears in reliable records in 1566 (Eiroku 9). How Mitsuhide may have been connected with Yoshitatsu in Mino before then cannot be known from the records of the time [Unknown]. For more, see our article on Akechi Mitsuhide.

Image: The monument in Akechi Castle Ruins Park, Kani, Gifu Prefecture. It is inscribed "fell to Saitō Yoshitatsu in 1556 (Kōji 2)," but this is what Edo-period books and similar sources tell. Wikimedia Commons (photo: KKPCW, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Was Saitō Yoshitatsu a Capable Ruler? His Government and the Name Isshiki

To give the conclusion first: the way Yoshitatsu governed his province is rated highly by historians [Widely accepted]. A Japanese biographical dictionary also says that he "held off Oda Nobunaga's invasions well" (Nihon Jinmei Daijiten). There are three main points on which he is rated highly, and one thing that did not go well.

Image: Timeline of Saitō Yoshitatsu (made by Samurai Lord based on the Shinchō Kōki, the Genjo Ōnenki and other sources). Tap (click) the image to enlarge it

① Governing Through Documents Signed by Six Senior Retainers

Research has shown that in Yoshitatsu's time, six senior retainers issued documents jointly and took charge of government [Widely accepted]. They were Hineno Hironari, 竹腰尚光, 日比野清実, 長井衛安, Kuwabara Naomoto (later Ujiie Bokuzen) and Andō Morinari (names in Japanese characters are given as written, because we have not verified how they are read). Rather than relying only on Yoshitatsu's own orders, it seems to have been a system in which the senior retainers ran the province together.

For Yoshitatsu, who had become master of the province by killing his father, holding his senior retainers together must have mattered more than anything.

Image: Yoshitatsu preparing a document to be issued jointly by six senior retainers

② Winning High Honors from the Shogun's House

Yoshitatsu strengthened his ties with the imperial court and the shogunate in Kyoto, and gained the following positions. Note that titles from the court and honors within the shogunate are different things.

On the Shōbanshū, the Genjo Ōnenki, the record of a monk of Daigoji temple in Kyoto, says, in summary, that "Saitō, the son of Dōsan of Mino, was granted the status of Shōbanshū, and his representative went up to Kyoto and presented a gift of money in thanks." Note that the person this entry says went to Kyoto was a representative, not Yoshitatsu himself. It shows that Yoshitatsu, who had killed his father, was recognized by the shogunate as a daimyo.

In the same month of that same year, I too, then Nagao Kagetora of Echigo, went up to Kyoto. Yoshitatsu was deepening his ties with the shogun's house at about the same time as I was.

Image: Yoshitatsu delighted at the news that he is to join the Shōbanshū

③ Why Did He Take the Name Isshiki?

In his last years, Yoshitatsu changed his family name from Saitō to Isshiki. The diary of a court noble, the Tokitsugu Kyōki, refers to him in 1569 (Eiroku 12) as "the late Isshiki Yoshitatsu" [Fact].

The Isshiki were a distinguished branch of the Ashikaga shogun's family, ranked above the Toki, who had been the governors of Mino. The reason is not clearly recorded, but the historian Kinoshita Satoshi thinks it was to show a standing above the Toki. Some Edo-period books explain that it was to cut his ties with Dōsan [Legend]. However, we could not confirm any record in which Yoshitatsu himself gave his reason. He is also said to have had his senior retainers change their family names to those of the Isshiki family's retainers; Kuwabara Naomoto becoming "Ujiie" is one example.

Exactly when he began to use the name Isshiki cannot be settled from the sources we checked.

How His Names Changed

Image: How Saitō Yoshitatsu's names changed (made by Samurai Lord based on the Shinchō Kōki, the Gifu Shishi (1928), Gifu Prefecture's explanation and other sources). Tap (click) the image to enlarge it

"Saitō Yoshitatsu" is the name best known today, but some researchers think he never actually used this exact combination himself. "Takamasa," the name of his younger years, was also used for him in the TV drama Kirin ga Kuru.

What Did Not Go Well: The Betsuden Affair

Yoshitatsu held a Zen monk named Betsuden in high regard. He built a temple called 伝灯護国寺 (伝灯寺 for short; we have not verified how the name is read) near his castle town and welcomed Betsuden as the monk who founded it, called kaisan (founding abbot). Then, in the 12th month of 1560 (Eiroku 3), he ordered that all the Zen temples of Mino be placed under 伝灯寺 [Widely accepted]. His aim seems to have been to bring the province's temples under a temple he trusted, and so tighten his rule.

Kaisen Jōki and the other Zen monks of Mino, however, strongly opposed this and left the province. Myōshinji temple in Kyoto also refused to recognize Betsuden. It was not a battle, but this uproar, which turned the province's important temples against him, is called the "Betsuden affair" (Betsuden no Ran). Yoshitatsu asked the shogun to raise the rank of 伝灯寺, but he died before this was achieved.

Image: A Zen monk leaving the province in protest against the order to unite the Zen temples, and a troubled Yoshitatsu

Saitō Yoshitatsu's Family: His Mother, His Wife and His Son Tatsuoki

Image: Saitō Yoshitatsu's family tree (solid lines show the parent–child and marriage links used in this chart; dotted lines show links whose certainty needs care; made by Samurai Lord). Tap (click) the image to enlarge it

Yoshitatsu's father was Saitō Dōsan. His younger brothers were Magoshirō and Kiheiji, whom Yoshitatsu had killed. One of his sisters was the woman who became Oda Nobunaga's principal wife (Nōhime).

His mother is not known from the records of the time [Unknown]. Edo-period books say either that she was Miyoshino, said to have been a concubine of Toki Yorinori, or that she was a sister of Dōsan's retainer Inaba Ittetsu [Legend].

As for his wife, some say she was from the Azai family, and Ōta Gyūichi writes that she was "a daughter of the Ichijō family" [Debated]. She is sometimes introduced as "Lady Ōmi" (Ōmi no Kata), but in Edo-period books this name appears as that of his son Tatsuoki's wife, and we could not confirm any basis for using it as the name of Yoshitatsu's wife. A court noble's diary records that in 1569 (Eiroku 12), after Yoshitatsu's death, his widow was still alive and was asked by Nobunaga to hand over a tea jar (see our article on Nōhime).

What Became of His Son Tatsuoki?

Tatsuoki, who succeeded Yoshitatsu, became head of the Saitō family at 14 by the traditional count [Widely accepted]. But in 1564 (Eiroku 7), retainers including Takenaka Hanbei briefly seized Inabayama Castle (see our article on Takenaka Hanbei), and in 1567 (Eiroku 10) Nobunaga took Inabayama Castle, and Tatsuoki lost Mino.

Tatsuoki went on fighting Nobunaga and turned to Asakura Yoshikage of Echizen (today's Fukui Prefecture), but in 1573 (Tenshō 1) he was killed in battle in Echizen.

Does Saitō Yoshitatsu Have Descendants?

The main line of the Saitō as daimyo ended with Tatsuoki's death. In the sources we checked, we could not confirm any descendants of Yoshitatsu living today.

His Grave and Related Places

The family temple of the Saitō (the temple that holds memorial services for the family's ancestors) is Jōzaiji in Kajikawa-chō, Gifu City. Yoshitatsu's portrait (an Important Cultural Property) is handed down there; a reproduction is usually on view.

Image: The main hall of Jōzaiji in Kajikawa-chō, Gifu City. Wikimedia Commons (photo: 杉山宣嗣, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Yoshitatsu in TV Dramas

In NHK's 2026 historical drama Toyotomi Kyōdai! (Toyotomi Brothers!), Saitō Yoshitatsu appears from the first episode (broadcast January 4, 2026) as the daimyo of Mino plotting to have Nobunaga assassinated. This is thought to draw on the assassin story in the Shinchō Kōki, which does not name who sent the assassins (more). The real Yoshitatsu died in 1561 (Eiroku 4), about two years after that story (more).

"Saitō Takamasa," who appeared in the 2020 historical drama Kirin ga Kuru, is the same person as Yoshitatsu. Yoshitatsu seems to have called himself "Takamasa" when young, and the drama used this name.

FAQ

Summary: Who Was Saitō Yoshitatsu?

Saitō Yoshitatsu was Saitō Dōsan's eldest son. In 1556 (Kōji 2), he defeated his father's army at the Battle of the Nagara River and went on to rule Mino. He is known for killing his father, but in the five or so years that followed he governed through documents issued jointly by his senior retainers, received the honor of Shōbanshū from the shogunate, and in his last years took the distinguished name Isshiki.

Oda Nobunaga, Dōsan's son-in-law, could not take Mino while Yoshitatsu lived. But Yoshitatsu died of illness on the 11th day of the 5th month of 1561 (Eiroku 4). The records from his time that we checked do not identify the illness.

Yoshitatsu is often portrayed as "the villain who killed his father," but following the records reveals a daimyo who held his province together in a short time.

For the people involved, see also our articles on Saitō Dōsan, Nōhime, Oda Nobunaga, Akechi Mitsuhide, Takenaka Hanbei and Maeda Toshiie.

He killed his father, but his ability to govern a province seems to have been real.

If he had lived a little longer, Nobunaga's story might have turned out differently!

Sources & How This Article Was Written

This article is based mainly on the following records and references:

• Records from the time: Genjo Ōnenki (in Shiseki Shūran; National Diet Library Digital Collections); a letter of Kaisen Jōki (as quoted in the Gifu Shishi, 1928); the prohibition notice addressed to Mieji (same); Tokitsugu Kyōki; a copy of the Rokkaku Jōtei letter (based on Kusatsu City's explanation)
• Material made after his death: the ink inscription on the portrait of Saitō Yoshitatsu at Jōzaiji, which Gifu Prefecture considers to have been painted for a later memorial service (based on Gifu Prefecture's explanation)
• Somewhat later and later records: Ōta Gyūichi, Shinchō Kōki, opening book (1881 printed edition on Wikisource; available in English as The Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga, translated by J. S. A. Elisonas and J. P. Lamers, Brill, 2011); Ōta Gyūichi, Taikōsama Gunki no Uchi (transcription in Okuda Hisashi's paper); Itsuya no Kakimono (as cited in Hagihara Daisuke's paper); Nōyō Shoshi Denki, Mino no Kuni Shokyūki, Bushō Kanjōki and Okinagusa (National Diet Library Digital Collections)
• Studies (in Japanese; titles translated by us): Okuda Hisashi, "The Story of Saitō Dōsan and Yoshitatsu in the Printed Tenshō Gunki" (Ajia Gakka Nenpō no. 4, Otemon Gakuin University, 2011); Hagihara Daisuke, "The Tradition of Saitō Dōsan's 'Seizure of the Province' Recorded in the Itsuya no Kakimono" (Kagahan Kenkyū no. 12, 2022); Gifu Shishi (1928); the views of Kinoshita Satoshi, Saitō-shi Yondai (2020), as introduced by others; Nihon Jinmei Daijiten (Kotobank)
• Official materials (in Japanese unless noted): Gifu Prefecture, "Portraits of Saitō Dōsan and Saitō Yoshitatsu"; Japan Tourism Agency, multilingual commentary database, "Successive Lords of Gifu Castle 4: Saitō Yoshitatsu"; Kusatsu City, "An Angry Letter Reveals a Surprising Profile" (2020); Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "Information on Hansen's Disease"; Gifu City, "Notice of the Long-Term Closure of the Gifu Castle Keep" (May 15, 2026); Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties, "Taikōsama Gunki no Uchi"; guides by the Gifu Prefecture Tourism Federation and the Gifu Convention & Visitors Bureau
• On the drama: press reports on the first episode of Toyotomi Kyōdai! (January 2026)
• Images: the portrait of Saitō Yoshitatsu (public domain) and the photos of Mieji (先従隗始, CC BY-SA 4.0), Gifu Castle from a distance (そらみみ, CC BY-SA 3.0), the Akechi Castle monument (KKPCW, CC BY-SA 4.0) and the main hall of Jōzaiji (杉山宣嗣, CC BY-SA 4.0) are from Wikimedia Commons. The timeline, name chart, family tree, manga panels and illustrations are original works by Samurai Lord

We keep "what a record says" separate from "what actually happened." What is written in records compiled in later times is named in the text by the name of the record, and is not all treated as [Fact]. Translations of the source excerpts in this article are by the Samurai Lord editorial team.

This article was written by the Samurai Lord editorial team and is revised as new research and reader feedback come in. If you spot an error, please let us know through our contact form (in Japanese) and we will check and correct it.