Maeda Toshiie (1537/38-1599) was born at Arako Castle in Owari and first served Nobunaga in 1551. He made his baptism of fire at the Battle of Kayastu in 1552, where Nobunaga defeated Sakai Daizan and Oda Sanmi. He also participated in the Battle of Okehazama, but made his fame to claim at the Battle of Moribe in 1561 where took the head of Kubitori Adachi who was known as Headchopper Adachi. Toshiie was also one of Nobunaga's gun commissioners at the Battle of Nagashino in 1575.
Toshiie went through a lot of hell during the Sengoku Era. He killed a lot of people in battle, put to death a lot of people, and saw many others die in front of his face. It was the norm in the Sengoku Era. It was for the good of the order. This quote by Toshiie sends the message home.
David D. Neilson Society at War: Eyewitness Accounts of Sixteenth Century Japan, p. 309.
"I was born into this tumultuous age and I participated in many battles and killed many of the enemy. However, my killings were all done for good purposes. I have never killed or hurt anyone without good reason,...."
One must remember that the world that Nobunaga and Toshiie lived in, the sword was mightier than the pen. Bloodshed was king.
Owari ni hikari wo
Nobunaga no tame!
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