Azai Sukemasa

{{Short description|Daimyo of the Sengoku period}}

{{More citations needed|date=February 2022}}

{{Infobox noble

|name=Azai Sukemasa

|native_name=浅井 亮政

|birth_date=1491

|death_date=January 21, 1542

|title=Daimyo

|noble family={{Unbulleted list|Kyōgoku|Azai}}

|house-type=Japanese clan

}}

{{family name hatnote|Azai|lang=Japanese}}

{{nihongo|Azai Sukemasa|浅井 亮政||1491 – January 21, 1542}} was the Sengoku era head of the Azai clan. Sukemasa was a retainer of the Kyōgoku clan but when the Kyōgoku clan declined for conflicts over the succession, the Azai clan came to power with Sukemasa as its daimyō.{{cite web|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%B5%85%E4%BA%95%E4%BA%AE%E6%94%BF-24961|title=Azai Sukemasa|publisher=koobank|language=ja|access-date=25 November 2021}}

After Sukemasa died, his son Azai Hisamasa became the head of the clan in 1542, but unlike his father, he was never a strong leader. Losing domains against Rokkaku clan, he instead became a Rokkaku retainer.