Akaza Naoyasu

Akaza Naoyasu was a Japanese daimyō of the Azuchi–Momoyama period, who served Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was also known as Kyūbei and Yoshiie, and held the title of Kokushi.

Biography

His father, Akaza Naonori, was a retainer of Oda Nobunaga. Naonori was killed in action when Akechi Mitsuhide attacked and killed Nobunaga at Honnō-ji in 1582. Naoyasu then served Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
In 1590, he took part in capturing Iwatsuki Castle and Oshi Castle at Musashi Province in the Odawara campaign, and was given 20,000 koku. After that, based in Imajo, Echizen Province, he supported Kobayakawa Hideaki and Horio Yoshiharu.
In 1600 at the Battle of Sekigahara, he was under Ōtani Yoshitsugu, who led part of Ishida Mitsunari's force. However, taking advantage of Kobayakawa Hideaki's betrayal, he switched sides with Wakisaka Yasuharu, Kutsuki Mototsuna, and Ogawa Suketada. Together, they defeated Yoshitsugu's force. After the battle, Tokugawa Ieyasu did not give Naoyasu credit and seized his domain. Because of that, Naoyasu became a retainer of Maeda Toshinaga, and was given a stipend of 7,000 koku.

Death

In 1606, looking over flooded Daimon River, in Etchū Province, he fell off a horse and died by drowning. Naoyasu was succeeded by his son, Akaza Takaharu. Takaharu changed his family name to Nagahara, and became a retainer of the Maeda clan of Kaga. The family remained retainers of the Maeda until the Meiji Restoration.