(1564–1651), also known as , was a Rōnin, and a Japanese samurai daimyō of the late Sengoku and early Edo periods.Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du Japon; Papinot, (2003). "Mizuno" at Nobiliare du Japon, pp. 35–36; retrieved 2013-5-25. Mizuno Katsushige was known for his participations in battles against Takeda clan, Tenshō-Jingo war, Kyūshū campaign, Battle of Komaki and Nagakute, Battle of Sekigahara, Siege of Osaka, and Shimabara Rebellion.
During his life, Katsunari often changed his allegiance. However, in the end he returned to serve his original lord, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and continued his service to the Tokugawa shogunate for 3 generations until Tokugawa Iemitsu. Katsunari tendency to change his allegiance quite often has garnered him a nickname , which etymologically means "too awesome to serve (only) one lord". Katsunari died on May 4, 1651.
His court title was . It was said that since Akechi Mitsuhide, no one wanted the title of Hyūga no Kami until Katsunari, as Katsunari did not bother with Mitsuhide's bad reputation as a traitor and the superstitious belief about the title. Since then, Katsunari got the nickname . Katsunari's journeys during his life and his friendship with the legendary Rōnin Miyamoto Musashi has produced many anecdotes about him.
Early life Born as a son of Mizuno Tadashige.
Early battles
His first battle was in the 7th year of Tensho ( 1579 ), when he still 15 years old. when he followed Tadashige to attack Takatenjin Castle in Totomi, but due to Katsuyori Takeda 's retreat, the battle did not take place.
In 1580, his father Tadashige was appointed by Oda Nobunaga and became the daimyo of Kariya. In 1581, Katsunari participated in the siege of Takatenjin once again, where the Tokugawa forces manage to subdue this castle. Yuki city historical record wrote that following the capture of Tenjin Castle, Katsunari personally received a letter of commendation from Oda Nobunaga for his military exploits in this battle.
In 1582, Katsunari participated in the Tenshō-Jingo war, on the side of Tokugawa. During this conflict, at the battle of Wakamiko, Katsunari was wounded. Later, Hōjō Ujitada trying to attack the Tokugawa army position by leading a detachment to the rear of the latter's position. Then, Torii Mototada led 2,000 soldiers in raid operation to repel the 10,000 Hōjō army attempt to flank the Tokugawa army position. Katsunari participated in this assault together with colleague Yasusada Miyake. Hōjō Ujikatsu saw this and went to Ujitada's rescue, but Katsunari and Miyake manage to repel Ujikatsu's reinforcements. Katsunari charging his horse without pause, while being aided by Sakakibara Yasumasa and Okabe Nagamori, until the enemy forces retreated. Despite some quarrel with Mototada as he viewed Katsunari being reckless and not following order, Katsunari were praised for his outstanding performance and received some rewards. Due to this setback, Hōjō army failed to launch attack on Tokugawa army's rear.
On October 29, during the peace negotiation between Tokugawa clan with the Hojo clan, Ieyasu decided that hostages were unnecessary and sent Katsunari, Mototada Torii, and Yasumasa Sakakibara to escort the supposed hostage from the Hōjō clan to return from Misaka Castle.
In February 1584, Toyotomi Hideyoshi planned to attack the rebels from Negoro-ji temple and the Saiga Ikki in Izumi Province and Kii Province respectively. Hideyoshi ordered his generals to assemble in Osaka, and requested Oda Nobukatsu to join him. Nobukatsu did not take part himself, but instead sent Katsunari and Yoshimura Ujiyoshi to march to attack the Saiga Ikki under Hideyoshi's command on March 27.
Komaki-Nagakute campaign
In 1584, Katsunari participated along with his father in the conflict between Tokugawa against Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Komaki-Nagakute. Katsunari were tasked to assist his father and Ishikawa Kazumasa in the siege of the Hoshizaki Castle which defended by Okada Yoshiatsu. In this operation Katsunari stormed the castle and capturing it.
Later, After arriving in Kiyosu, Ieyasu dispatched Mizuno Katsunari to Kuwana, Ise, to reinforce Kobe Castle, which was being defended by Nobukatsu's vassal, Kobe Masatake. shortly after, Katsunari moved from mount Komaki, to Obata Castle, where he and his father rendezvous with Sakai Tadatsugu, Sakakibara Yasumasa, Osuga Yasutaka, Honda Yasushige, and others to strike Toyotomi Hidetsugu army. During this moment, he was berated by Tadashige for not wearing helmet, as Katsunari argues that he had ailment on his eyes which forcing him to bandage his head and preventing him to wear helmet.
Later, during the main engagement in Nagakute, Katsunari and his father leading reinforcement troops along with Okabe Nagamori, and Niwa Ujitsugu with 5,300 soldiers to assist Ieyasu's force at Obata castle, where they manage to crush Hidetsugu's forces together with Osuga Yasutaka and Yasumasa. Later, Katsunari took action in ambushing the camp of Toyotomi general named Shirae Narisada who did not expect the attack, and personally presented many heads of the enemies he slain to Ieyasu. Later, while Ii Naomasa's army clashing against the army of Mori Nagayoshi. sharing the glory of the victory with Naomasa after the end of campaign. However, Mizuno Tadayoshi rather annoyed with his son's conduct of disobeying the central command and took the initiative independently by attacking the enemy before being commanded, thus prompting Tadayoshi to further criticize Katsunari.
Several months later, Katsunari also participated the Siege of Kanie Castle, where he joined the ranks of Ieyasu's Hatamoto retainers in blockading the port of the castle, and hijacked two ships belongs to Kuki Yoshitaka. During this siege, Katsunari was recorded to fight in one-on-one combat against Takigawa Sankurō, son of Takigawa Kazumasu. Although both of them were injured, but no one died in this duel as both retreated safely. Katsunari units also manage other achieve good performance here, including one which Hattori Yasuhide(Hattori Hanzō's nephew), who at that time served under Katsunari, has participated.and achieved military exploits.
Later, Katsunari followed the Tokugawa operations in Kuwana, Mie, in Ise Province, against Nobuo Oda who now making peace with Toyotomi Hideyoshi. However, during this time Katsunari committed a huge crime by murdering his father's vassal who reported Katsunari's misconduct. Tadashige, who has lost his patience in dealing with his son's unruly behavior, immediately disown and disinherit Katsunari from the Mizuno clan.
Wandering years
After being disowned by his own father, he moved around with relatives from town to town Mino, Owari, and finally went to Kyoto. In Kyoto, he strode around without any attendants, sleeping at the temple gate of Nanzen-ji Temple, and when he went out into town, interacted with many outlaws. Katsunari also reported to have a big fight and killed many people in Shimizu.
Serving Oda Nobukatsu
On March 27, 1585, Katsunari entered service of Oda Nobukatsu, who now on good terms with Hideyoshi. Katsunari participated in the Conquest of Kishu, particularly in the subjugation of Saika Ikki rebellion. Later, Katsunari participated in the Invasion of Shikoku which held in the same year, as he served under the command of Sengoku Hidehisa, who appoint Katsunari a control of Domain with 728 Koku. However, soon Katsunari going renegade again by abandoned his post and fled to Chūgoku region, It was said that during this period, Katsunari had a quarrel with one of his lord's vassal and ended killing him in the ensuing fight. Thus this accident prompting Katsunari to escape and became fugitive, as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who become angry for this incident, sent an executioner to kill Katsunari. From then on, Katsunari adopted a pseudonym name "Rokuzaemon" to escape justice.
Serving Sassa Narimasa
In 1587, Katsunari changed entered the service under a daimyo of Higo Province, Sassa Narimasa, where he awarded a control of domain with 1,000 koku. Katsunari followed participated in the suppression of Kumabe Chikanaga rebellion. that Katsunari spearheading the attack towards Kikuchi Castle and also participated as a relief force to the Kumamoto Castle to repel the rebel's siege. It was said that in during this operation to save Kumamoto castle, Katsunari once competing in military merit with Awa Narutonosuke, one of Narimasa's most famous vassal who are listed in the later era period as member of semi-mythical legendary warriors group known as "Ten Braves of Amago". Here, Katsunari worked in cooperation with the Tachibana clan commanders such as Tachibana Muneshige, Totoki Tsuresada, and Yasuda Kunitsugu to relieve the cadtle from rebel's threat and he personally slay the rebel general named Kumabe Chikayasu together with his son.
During his time serving Narimasa, Katsunari also accepted Ibara Tomomasa, a former Ii Naomasa vassal who also run away from his lord due to troubles, into his rank. Later, in 1588, Katsunari would mediate the reconciliation of Tomomasa with Naomasa, so he returned to the service of Ii clan. However, later Sassa Narimasa was executed as he was blamed for Kumabe Chikanaga rebellion's outbreak. Later in the same year, prompting Katsunari to enter the service of Kuroda Yoshitaka and participated in the Kyūshū Campaign.
Aftermath of servitude to Narimasa
Later, Katsunari once again changing his allegiance of service to Katō Kiyomasa, then changed again to serve Konishi Yukinaga.
In 1589, Katsunari was appointed to control domain of 1,000 under Yukinaga, Then he participated in the suppression of five Christian clans of Amakusa (not the 1637 Christians Shimabara Rebellion), where he served under the command of Yukinaga who brought 6,500 soldiers. with reinforcements from Katō Kiyomasa, He captured Shiki Castle, the stronghold of Shiki clan of Shimabara, and also captured Hondo Castle which defendede by Amakusa Tanemoto. After that, Katsunari left Yukinaga's rank and temporarily serving Kiyomasa and then later Muneshige Tachibana. However, the tenure of Katsunari's service under those two were short, before he changed his allegiance again.
On the aftermath of his service under Muneshige, Katsunari life was obscured with various legendary tales without veracity. The only light during his journey was when he started serving as a guest of Mimura Chikanari, a Mōri clan's vassal in 1594. During his stay here it was recorded that he was betrothed to a woman who later gave birth to Katsunari's son, Mizuno Katsutoshi, who will inherit the Mizuno clan in the future.
Return to serve the Tokugawa clan
In 1599, Katsunari returned to Tokugawa service, as he reconciled with his father and Ieyasu Tokugawa. At this time, Katsunari was given him domain worth of approximately 10,000 koku worth.武功雑記』（明治36年（1903年）、青山清吉出版 On April 22 of the same year, Katsunari's younger sister, Kanahime (later known as Seijoin), became Ieyasu's adopted daughter and married to Katō Kiyomasa. In 1600, Katsunari participated in Eastern army during Sekigahara Campaign and being entrusted to lead the army of Mino Province to the campaign of Aizu. However, on July 18, Tadashige was murdered by Kaganoi Shigemochi, an ally of Mitsunari. Then Katsunari were appointed to inherit the position of his father as the head of Mizuno clan. Katsunari, who became the head of the Mizuno family, returned to Kariya castle due to the cancellation of the Aizu conquest and went to the Battle of Sekigahara.