The Four Heavenly Kings of Tokugawa: Masanobu Honda, a scheming vassal who worked hard as Ieyasu’s brain

Masanobu was a newcomer, but he and Ieyasu had a “mutual” relationship

Just as there are two streams in the Sakai family, there are also two streams in the Honda family. The “Honda family” of Masanobu Honda, while sharing the same ancestor as Tadakatsu’s Honda family, has been known as “Heihachiro” since the eldest son of Honda Sukehisa, Sadamichi, and “Yahachiro” since the second son, Sadamasa. Tadakatsu is of the “Heihachiro” line and Masanobu is of the “Yahachiro” line.

Masanobu was born in 1538 (Tenbun 7). He was four years older than Ieyasu. Masanobu’s grandfather, Masasada, served Ieyasu’s grandfather Kiyoyasu, and his father Toshimasa served Ieyasu’s father Hirotada. Masanobu has been serving Ieyasu (Motoyasu) since he was a child.

However, in 1563 (Eiroku 6), Masanobu, a devout follower of the Ikko sect, abandoned his wife and children and joined the Mikawa Ikki uprising against Ieyasu. When the uprising surrendered to Ieyasu, Masanobu sought refuge with Danjo Hisahide Matsunaga at Shigisan Castle in Yamato. At this time, Hisahide seems to have smelled something similar to himself in Masanobu and said, “There are many brave warriors in the Tokugawa family, but Masanobu is not strong or soft or lowly. He does not seem like an ordinary person.” He must have seen the qualities of a scheming vassal in Masanobu.

After leaving Hisahide’s side, Masanobu traveled as far as Kaga and Echigo, broadening his horizons and developing his ability to judge people and deal with the world as he wandered through various countries. It was Tadayo Okubo who reached out to help such a man. Tadayo took in and raised Masanobu’s wife and children while he was away and in 1569 (Eiroku 12) mediated between Masanobu and Ieyasu. The reason was that it would be a waste to let Masanobu’s talents go to waste. Masanobu was allowed to re-serve Ieyasu at the age of 32 after apologizing to him.

As a returning newcomer, Masanobu was given 40 koku as a falconer. At the Battle of Anegawa he overreached himself and almost got captured; at the Battle of Nagakute he did not participate actively. In other words, Masanobu was better suited as a bureaucrat than a warrior. However, he showed remarkable ability in the administration of the Tokugawa family thereafter. He was ridiculed behind his back by military men as “the coward of Sado” and “the man with rotten guts,” but Ieyasu saw through his abilities as a bureaucrat and used him accordingly. Here we see Ieyasu’s keen eye.

Ieyasu and Masanobu became “mutually responsive” partners. And when Ieyasu asked something, if he disagreed with it he would pretend to fall asleep (tanuki-neiri), but if he agreed with it he would praise it greatly. Masanobu’s tanuki-neiri was a well-regarded method among both Ieyasu and his close associates.

Masanobu was appointed to Jugoige no Sado Mamoru. As a scheming vassal, he participated in the Battle of Sekigahara and the Siege of Osaka, bringing about Ieyasu’s domination of Japan and building up the rock-solid foundation of the Tokugawa family. In April 1616 (Genna 2), fifty days after Ieyasu died, Masanobu also died of illness as if following him. Masanobu lived to be 79 years old.

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