was a Japanese samurai

Samurai

is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...

 of the Azuchi-Momoyama Period

Azuchi-Momoyama period

The came at the end of the Warring States Period in Japan, when the political unification that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate took place. It spans the years from approximately 1573 to 1603, during which time Oda Nobunaga and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, imposed order...

, in the service of the Toyotomi clan

Toyotomi clan

Originating in Owari Province, the served as retainers to the Oda clan throughout 16th-century Japan's Sengoku period. -Unity and Conflict:The most influential figure within the Toyotomi was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three "unifiers of Japan." Oda Nobunaga was another primary unifier and the...

. 2nd son of Kasuya Tadayasu, a retainer of the Bessho clan of Harima Province

Harima Province

or Banshu was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is the southwestern part of present-day Hyōgo Prefecture. Harima bordered on Tajima, Tamba, Settsu, Bizen, and Mimasaka Provinces. Its capital was Himeji....

. Held the title of Naizen no Kami (内膳正). Following the Chūgoku campaign, Takenori became a page of Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...

 due to the recommendation of Kuroda Kanbei

Kuroda Kanbei

, other name Kuroda Kanbei , was a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods. Renowned as a man of great ambition, he was a chief strategist under Toyotomi Hideyoshi.-Early Life:...

. Takenori achieved notoriety due to his distinguished combat at the Battle of Shizugatake

Battle of Shizugatake

The was a battle in Sengoku period Japan between supporters of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Oda Nobutaka.In May, 1583, a former general of Nobunaga's named Shibata Katsuie coordinated a number of simultaneous attacks on Shizugatake, a series of forts held by Hideyoshi's generals among whom was Nakagawa...

, where he was known as one of the Seven Spears of Shizugatake

Seven Spears of Shizugatake

The ' were mounted bodyguards for Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the battle of Shizugatake in 1583. At the decisive moment in the battle, Hideyoshi ordered them to leave the position and charge at the opposing army of Katsuie Shibata...

, and for this distinction he received a stipend of 3,000 koku from Hideyoshi. Also served in the Korean campaign, and subsequently was granted Kakogawa Castle in Harima Province

Harima Province

or Banshu was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is the southwestern part of present-day Hyōgo Prefecture. Harima bordered on Tajima, Tamba, Settsu, Bizen, and Mimasaka Provinces. Its capital was Himeji....

.

At the Battle of Sekigahara

Battle of Sekigahara

The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...

, he was to be the only one out of the "Seven Spears" to side with Ishida Mitsunari

Ishida Mitsunari

Ishida Mitsunari was a samurai who led the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi-Momoyama period of the 17th century. Also known by his court title, Jibunoshō...

's "western" army, and joined in the attack on Fushimi Castle

Fushimi Castle

', also known as Momoyama Castle or Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, is a castle in Kyoto's Fushimi Ward. The current structure is a 1964 replica of the original built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.-History:...

. While his holdings were confiscated after the battle, his family was later allowed a 500 koku stipend, and was given the status of hatamoto

Hatamoto

A was a samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as gokenin. However, in the Edo period, hatamoto were the upper vassals of the Tokugawa...

 under the Tokugawa family's care. Despite this slight restoration of family fortunes, soon after Takenori's death the Kasuya line would end.

Today, Takenori's extra-long yari is on display at the Nagahama City Museum, in Nagahama Castle

Nagahama Castle

is a hirashiro located in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.-History:Nagahama Castle was built in 1575-1576 by Hashiba Hideyoshi in the village then called Kunitomo, renaming the area Nagahama. Previously, he had ruled from Odani Castle, though found this hard to do as it was a yamashiro...

.

While greatly famous himself, Takenori had other famous relatives. His brother was fellow Sengoku-era warrior Kasuya Tomomasa, while his nephew was the famed archer and Aizu

Aizu

is an area comprising the westernmost third of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The principal city of the area is Aizuwakamatsu.During the Edo period, Aizu was a feudal domain known as and part of Mutsu Province.-History:...

 domain retainer Kasuya Takenari (糟屋 武成).