also known as (1522 – June 29, 1575) was a Japanese samurai 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 ...

. He was known as one of the "

Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen 24 (twenty-four) is the natural number following 23 and preceding 25. The SI prefix for 1024 is yotta (Y), and for 10−24 (i.e., the reciprocal of 1024) yocto (y). These numbers are the largest and smallest number to receive an SI prefix to da ...

". Masatoyo was the second son of

Takeda Nobutora was a Japanese ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) who controlled the Province of Kai, and fought in a number of battles of the Sengoku period. He was the father of the famous Takeda Shingen. Biography Nobutora’s son was Harunobu, later known as Take ...

's senior retainer, Kudō Toratoyo. He was first called Kudō Sukenaga. The family's fortunes fell when Toratoyo lost favor with Nobutora and was killed by him. Sukenaga and his brother escaped the Takeda clan and, according to the predominant theory, they wandered around the

Kantō region The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa. Slight ...

. After Nobutora was exiled by his son

Takeda Shingen , of Kai Province, was a pre-eminent ''daimyō'' in feudal Japan. Known as the "Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyō with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period. Shingen was a warlord of great ...

, Shingen recalled the Kudō brothers, reinstating their lands and permitting the family's restoration. Shingen also formally excused Toratoyo of any wrongdoing and sent a letter of apology and money to the family. Furthermore, the Kudō were given command of 50 cavalry and granted the rank of ''samurai-taishō'' (侍大将). In 1566 he was given

Minowa Castle was a "hirayama"-style ( castle located in the Misato neighborhood of the city of Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. The ruins have been protected by the central government as a National Historic Site since 1987. Background Minowa Castle is l ...

Kōzuke Province was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today Gunma Prefecture. Kōzuke bordered by Echigo, Shinano, Musashi and Shimotsuke Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . Under the ''Engishiki'' classification system, Kōzuke was ran ...

after it fell to the

Takeda is a Japanese family name.1990 Census Name Files< ...

. At Mikatagahara (1573) he led a charge into the Tokugawa ranks and was at the forefront of the fighting at Nagashino (1575). He had opposed the attack at Nagashino and, in the course of the battle, was shot many times by arrows before being beheaded by Asahina Yasukatsu. He had been noted for his warm disposition and his equally impressive talents in warfare and administration. He had even been a mentor to the young Katsuyori, Takeda Shingen's fourth son. At Nagashino, after disagreeing with Katsuyori, he rushed into battle, dying an honorable death.

References

External links

"Legendary Takeda's 24 Generals" at Yamanashi-kankou.jp
Samurai 1522 births 1575 deaths Japanese warriors killed in battle Takeda retainers {{samurai-stub