was a Japanese
samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
of the
Sengoku period
The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615.
The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...
, who served the
Asakura clan
The is a Japanese kin group. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003).html" ;"title="DF 7 of 80">"Asakura", ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 3 ._He_was_also_known_as_._Magara_was_a_big_man_with_a_height_of_7_Shaku_(unit).html" "title="DF 7 of 80/nowiki>">DF 7 of 80">"Asa ...
. He was also known as . Magara was a big man with a height of 7 Shaku (unit)">shaku
Shaku may refer to:
* Shaku (unit)
* Shaku (ritual baton)
* Buddhist surname
In East Asian Buddhism, monks and nuns usually adopt a Buddhist surname and a Dharma name, which are combined in the surname-first East-Asian naming order. Since the 4th c ...
() and was famed for his skill with the ''ōdachi''.
, he served on the front lines, together with his son Naomoto. They supported the Asakura army's retreat from the forces of
. As the Asakura continued to presently retreat to their original stronghold, Naotaka lost his blade, and after attempting to continue fighting bare-handed, was killed together with his son.
owns ''Taro tachi (太郎太刀)'', a ōdachi with a blade length of ) which is said to be the sword he used. The historical book ''Akechi Gunki (明智軍記) ''states that he used a ōdachi of 7 shaku 8 sun (), and ''Asakura Shimatsuki (朝倉始末記)'' states that he used a ōdachi of about 9 shaku 5 sun ().
*Turnbull, Stephen. ''Warriors of Medieval Japan''.
(18 Feb. 2008)