a retainer beneath the clan of Akechi

Akechi clan

The is a branch of the Toki clan, which is descended from the Seiwa Genji. The Akechi clan thrived around the later part of the Sengoku period of the 16th century. The Akechi became the head , soryo of the Toki after the Toki fell to the Saitō clan in 1540. The Akechi denied to be under Saito ...

 during 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...

 of Feudal Japan. Mitsuharu was also known and referred to as "Mitsutoshi," and was the cousin of the famed Akechi Mitsuhide

Akechi Mitsuhide

, nicknamed Jūbei or called from his clan name and title, was a samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan.Mitsuhide was a general under daimyo Oda Nobunaga, although he became infamous for his betrayal in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's death at Honno-ji...

. Mitsuharu assisted his cousin following the Incident at Honnō-ji during the year of 1582, but was too late to save his cousin's unfortunate death at the Battle of Yamazaki

Battle of Yamazaki

The was fought in 1582 in Yamazaki, Japan, located in current day Kyoto Prefecture. This battle is sometimes referred to as the Battle of Mt. Tennō ....

 following a certain battle at Uchide-hama, in which he was defeated by Hori Hidemasa

Hori Hidemasa

, also known as Hori Kyūtarō , was a samurai retainer of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi during Japan's Sengoku period. He was one of Hideyoshi's greatest generals, and commanded his forces in several of his most major battles....

. Throughout this event, Mitsuharu crossed the narrow neck of Lake Biwa

Lake Biwa

is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, located in Shiga Prefecture , northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Because of its proximity to the ancient capital, references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles.-...

 on his famous horse Okage to escape. This scene is very often depicted in many Japanese artworks. Mitsutoshi then performed his famous and unpredicted act of committing hara-kiri while writing a poem on a door with blood from his abdomen used as ink for his brush.