was a Japanese

daimyo were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominally to ...

during the

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

. He was the head of the

Saitō clan Saitō, Saito, Saitou or Saitoh (written: or ) are the 10th and 11th most common Japanese surnames respectively. Less common variants are , , and . Notable people with the surname include: Notable people with the surname *, Japanese footballer * ...

and uncle of daimyo

Saitō Dōsan , also known as Saitō Toshimasa (斎藤利政), was a Japanese samurai lord and daimyo during the Sengoku period.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Saitō Dōsan"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 809. He was also known as the f ...

Family

Toshinaga was the son of

Saitō Sōen Saitō, Saito, Saitou or Saitoh (written: or ) are the 10th and 11th most common Japanese surnames respectively. Less common variants are , , and . Notable people with the surname include: Notable people with the surname *, Japanese footballer * ...

(斎藤宗円), ''

shugo , commonly translated as ' ilitarygovernor', 'protector', or 'constable', was a title given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the shogun to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan. The position gave way to th ...

'' of

Mino Province was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today southern Gifu Prefecture. Mino was bordered by Ōmi to the west, Echizen and Hida to the north, Shinano to the east, and Ise, Mikawa, and Owari to the south. Its abbreviated fo ...

, and the older brother of

Saitō Myōchin was a Japanese daimyo and a monk during the Sengoku period.Uta de Megutta Shiro
. Gujo City. A ...

, making him the uncle of the daimyo

. By his first wife, he was the father of Saitō Toshifuji (斎藤利藤) and Saitō Noriaki (斎藤典明). His second wife, who was born into the

Akamatsu clan is a Japanese samurai family of direct descent from Minamoto no Morifusa of the Murakami-Genji (Minamoto clan). Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Akamatsu" at ''No ...

, birthed Saitō Myōjun (斎藤妙純), Saitō Toshiyasu (斎藤利安), Saitō Toshitsuna (斎藤利綱) and Saitō Toshitaka (斎藤利隆).

Life

In 1444, Sōen killed Mino Province's ''

shugodai were officials during feudal Japan. Shugodai were representatives of provincial shugo when the shugo could not virtually exercise his power, being often away from his province. Unlike shugo, who were appointed from the central power of the sa ...

'' from the Tomishima clan (富島氏 ''Tomishima-shi'') and started a civil war within the province. To support his father, Toshinaga built Izumii CastleGifu City Sightseeing Guide: Castle History
. City of Gifu. Accessed June 12, 2008. to serve as the base for the

. When Sōen was assassinated in 1450, Toshinaga assumed control of the clan and became the ''shugo'' of the province. When the son of Toki Mochimasa (土岐持益) died in 1456, there was a dispute over who would become Mochimasa's successor. Mochimasa's grandson, who was only three years old at the time, was nominated to be the successor, but Toshinaga objected. Toki Shigeyori was eventually selected as the successor. Toshinaga died a few years later in 1460 from complications related to paralysis. He was succeeded by his first son, Toshifuji.

References

1460 deaths Daimyo Toshinaga Year of birth unknown {{Samurai-stub