Saitō Toshimitsu (斎藤 利三, 1534 – July 6, 1582) was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period. He was a castle commander of Kuroi Castle.[1] He was a retainer of Inaba Ittetsu,[2] but later joined Akechi Mitsuhide.
Saitō Toshimitsu | |
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斎藤 利三 | |
![]() Portrait of Saitō Toshimitsu from Utagawa Yoshiiku's Heroes of the Taiheiki | |
Lord of Kuroi Castle | |
In office 1579–1582 | |
Preceded by | Akai Naomasa |
Succeeded by | Horio Yoshiharu |
Personal details | |
Born | 1534 Mino Province |
Died | July 6, 1582 | (aged 47–48)
Children | Lady Kasuga |
Military service | |
Allegiance | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Commands | Kuroi Castle |
Battles/wars | Siege of Kuroi Castle (1579) Honnoji Incident (1582) Battle of Yamazaki (1582) |
Oda Nobunaga was not pleased that Toshimitsu chose to work under Mitsuhide, and if not for Mitsuhide's intervention Nobunaga would have killed him.
Toshimitsu was also vital for the Akechi action at Honnō-ji and the Battle of Yamazaki.[3]
He was the father of the Lady Kasuga, who became a preeminent retainer of the Tokugawa Shogunate.[3]