Ii Naotora

Ii Naotora
井伊 直虎
Head of Ii clan
In office
1563 – 1572 / 1582
Preceded byIi Naomori
Succeeded byIi Naomasa
Personal details
BornProbably 1530s
Died1572 / September 12, 1582
ChildrenIi Naomasa (adopted)
Takase (adopted)
Parent
RelativesLady Tsukiyama (daughter of Ii Naohira's daughter)
Military service
Allegiance Imagawa clan
Tokugawa clan
Unit Ii clan
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Ii Naotora (井伊 直虎, d. 12 September 1582) was a daimyō of the Sengoku period and head of the Ii clan, a feudal samurai clan of medieval Japan.

There are two theories regarding Naotora's identity:

  • The classical theory from Edo period stated Naotora was Jirō Hōshi daughter of Ii Naomori, the eighteenth head of their clan. She was primarily the head of Ii clan and retainer of the Imagawa clan, and because of her efforts, Ii Naotora became a daimyō and received the nickname "Female Jitō" (女地頭). This theory is the most popular and accepted, as several other women became clan leaders during the Sengoku period.
  • The second theory was that Ii Naotora was actually a son of an Imagawa clan retainer named Sekiguchi Ujitsune (関口氏経). According to this theory, the son of Ujitsune became temporary head of the Ii clan until Ii Naomasa, the son of Ii Naochika, reached adulthood and could inherit the position.