Hayashi Hidesada

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Hayashi Hidesada(林秀貞; ?-1575?) is a retainer of Oda clan. He has been long and widely known as Michikatsu(通勝) but Hidesada is his actual name. He is also known as Shingoro(新五郎).

One of the most powerful retainer under Oda Nobuhide, he became the head karo under Oda Nobunaga when Nobunaga was given Nagoya Castle to live. The second karo was Hirate Masahide and it was clear that he would be tasked with looking and taking care of Nobunaga. On 1546, Hidesada hosted Nobunaga's gempuku ceremony. Like most retainers of Oda clan, Hidesada was unsatisfied with Nobunaga's quirky behaviors and after Nobuhide died in 1552, Hidesada started to secretly work to have the younger brother of Nobunaga, Oda Nobuyuki as the head of the clan.

On 1555, Nobunaga killed Oda Nobutomo and captured Kiyosu Castle and Hidesada was made to defend Nagoya Castle. Nobunaga unified Oda clan by defeating opponents and took control of Owari Province but Hidesada was still deeply dissatisfied with Nobunaga. On 1556, Hidesada together with Shibata Katsuie gathered troop to oust Nobunaga and replace him with Nobuyuki. They lost in the battle of Inou and a temporally truce would be made by Nobunaga who did not want to continue a fight that might draw an invasion from neighboring daimyo. Hidesada and Katsuie were both pardoned and retained their positions to work for Oda clan. Two years later, Nobuyuki would be tricked and killed by Nobunaga.

On November 1575, after Nobunaga decided to retire to have Oda Nobutada be the head of the clan, Hidesada was made to take care of Nobutada. On August 1580, Nobunaga suddenly decided to vanish Hidesada from all positions for having supported Nobuyuki in the past. The reason seems to be highly trivial and it is most likely that Nobunaga decided that Hidesada had outlived his usefulness and decided to trim down the number of retainers. He probably lived in Kyoto from here but died in few years.