Akaza Shichirōemon

Akaza Shichirōemon (赤座七郎右衛門, ? - 1582) was a retainer beneath the clan of Oda throughout the latter Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan. As Shichirōemon was originally a subordinate retainer to the Saitō, he surmiseably began his service beneath the powerful Saitō Dōsan, then expanding his loyalties to the young and incompetent Saitō Tatsuoki following the brief rulership of Yoshitatsu. As Oda Nobunaga had captured Inabayama castle in 1567 and relatively spelled an end to both Tatsuoki and the Saitō, Shichirōemon was resolved to become a retainer beneath the Oda, who he assisted with notable valiance during the 1569 attacks against the Miyoshi, earning for himself a moderate name and land within the province of Ezhizen. Gaining some means of political favor to Nobunaga, Shichirōemon never hesitated to support his respective lord within any variable circumstance, and at length fought at the Honnō-ji in 1582, which would be his true and final stand. Initially during this incident, Shichirōemon had been specifically defending the lower palace region of Honnō-ji – known as Nijō Gosho – against the invading Akechi forces, but was ultimately overwhelmed by the element of surprise, leading to his unfortunate and honorable death.

References

1. Akaza Shichiroemon - SamuraiWiki. (Samurai Archives) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005