Kusunoki Masashige became famous for defending Emperor Go-Daigo and fighting for imperial restoration in the 1330s.
Masashige was a warrior from Kawachi who supported Go-Daigo’s attempt to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate. He became celebrated for holding strategic strongholds with comparatively small forces and for using terrain, deception, and unconventional tactics against larger armies.
After the Kamakura shogunate fell, Ashikaga Takauji turned against the emperor and established a rival military power. Masashige remained loyal to Go-Daigo, even when the imperial cause became politically difficult. He was defeated and died at the Battle of Minatogawa in 1336.
Later generations treated Masashige as a model of loyalty and self-sacrifice. His reputation became especially influential in modern Japanese nationalism, so historical discussions should distinguish the medieval events from the later political uses of his image.