Famous People of Japan
Japanese people database × places of origin

Ii Naomasa (井伊 直政; March 4, 1561 – March 24, 1602) was a Japanese samurai general and daimyo under the Sengoku period daimyō, and later shōgun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. He led the clan after the death of Ii Naotora. He married Tobai-in, Matsudaira Yasuchika's daughter and adopted daughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ii Naomasa joined the ranks of the Tokugawa clan in the mid-1570s, rising swiftly through the ranks and became particularly famous after the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute, as he is recognized as one of the Four Guardians of the Tokugawa along with Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa, and Sakai Tadatsugu. Ii Naomasa then eventually became the master of a sizable holding in Ōmi Province, following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. His office in the Imperial Japan ministries was Hyōbu-daifū. Ii Naomasa was also notable for his command over elite troops Red Guards (赤備え) (akazonae) that formerly served the Takeda clan.

Source: “Ii Naomasa”, English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), excerpt