Quick Facts
Biography
Ii Naotora (井伊 直虎, d. 12 September 1582) was a daimyō of the Sengoku period. She was the daughter and only child of Ii Naomori, the eighteenth head of their clan. Her real name is unknown.
Life
Ii Naotora was a daughter of Ii Naomori, who was a leader of Iinoya-is a part of Tōtōmi. But he had been defeated by Imagawa Yoshimoto and became a vassal of Imagawa. There wasn't a male successor for Ii family, so her uncle Ii Naomitsu tried to make his son Ii Naochika to marry her so that he could inherit the clan. However, Naomitsu planned a rebellion to Imagawa. A rebellion came out by anonymous report from Imagawa clan retainers, Naomitsu and Naochika were ordered to commit seppuku. Naomitsu died, but Naochika was very young. He was protected by a buddhist priest named Nankei. Naochika managed to flee to Shinano. About ten years later, he returned to Iinoya, but he had already married another woman while in exile. Naotora became a priest, and was named Jiro Houshi by Nankei.
Naochika momentarily ruled the clan, but he planned a rebellion to Imagawa. A rebellion came out by anonymous report and he was killed by Imagawa Ujizane in 1560. It is said that he was killed by a cause of anonymous report of Ono Michiyoshi. Following his death and many obstacles, Naotora returned to secular life and became the nominal head of the clan. She fought in various battle alongside Tokugawa clan. Naochika's son, whom she adopted, the famed Ii Naomasa, succeeded her after her demise in 1582.
In popular culture
Ko Shibasaki portrayed her in the 2017 NHK Taiga drama Onna Jōshu Naotora (おんな城主 直虎).
Ii Naotora appears in the Capcom video games Sengoku Basara 4 and Sengoku Basara: Sanada Yukimura-Den, voiced by Maaya Sakamoto.
Ii Naotara appears in the Tecmo Keoi video games Samurai Warriors 4, Dead or Alive 5 Last Round and Warriors All-Stars, voiced by Yuka Saitō.