Mizuno Katsushige

Mizuno Katsunari (水野 勝成) (1564–1651), also known as Mizuno Rokuzaemon (水野 六左衛門), was a Rōnin, and a Japanese samuraidaimyō of the late Sengoku and early Edo periods. Mizuno Katsushige was known for his participations in battles against Takeda clan, Tenshō-Jingo war, Kyūshū campaign, Battle of Komaki and Nagakute, Battle of Sekigahara, Siege of Osaka, and Shimabara Rebellion.

During his life, Katsunari often changed his allegiance. However, in the end he returned to serve his original lord, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and continued his service to the Tokugawa shogunate for 3 generations until Tokugawa Iemitsu. Katsunari tendency to change his allegiance quite often has garnered him a nickname Rin kai fuki (倫魁不羈), which etymologically means "too awesome to serve (only) one lord". Katsunari died on May 4, 1651.

His court title was Koretō Hyūga no Kami (惟任日向守). It was said that since Akechi Mitsuhide, no one wanted the title of Hyūga no Kami until Katsunari, as Katsunari did not bother with Mitsuhide's bad reputation as a traitor and the superstitious belief about the title. Since then, Katsunari got the nickname Hyūga Demon (鬼日向). Katsunari's journeys during his life and his friendship with the legendary Rōnin Miyamoto Musashi has produced many anecdotes about him.