[Aomori Prefecture] 3 Sengoku military commanders from Aomori Prefecture! Tamenobu Tsugaru, Takanobu Ishikawa, Tomonaga Namioka

Daiwa Consilio
2022.05.11
Last updated: 2024.08.6

table of contents

1 Why did Tsugaru and Nanbu have bad relations?
2 “Overcome with wisdom” Tsugaru (Oura) Tamenobu (1550-1608)
3 "Trust Number 2" Takanobu Ishikawa (1495 - year of death unknown)
- 3.1 Was it defeated by Tamenobu? Were you away?
- 3.2 Ishikawa Castle Ruins＜Information＞
4 "Noble Breed of Mutsu" Namioka (Kitabatake) Tomonaga (1487 - year of death unknown)
- 4.1 Namioka Castle Ruins＜Information＞
5 summary
6 Famous military commanders from Tohoku and other prefectures

During the Edo period, Aomori Prefecture was divided into the Tsugaru domain in the west and the Nanbu domain in the east, which became the current prefectural border in the Meiji era. These two domains have different languages and cultures, and are said to have various feuds and bad relations, and the reason for this is the Sengoku period.

Why did Tsugaru and Nanbu have bad relations?

Although they have been featured humorously on TV variety shows, it doesn't seem like they are on that bad terms now. However, it is said that they were not on really good terms until the Meiji period.

During the Sengoku period, most of Aomori Prefecture was southern territory, except for the territory of the Kitabatake family, descendants of Mutsu Province, but Tamenobu Oura (later Tamenobu Tsugaru), who was connected to the Nanbu clan, became independent in Tsugaru. .

The Nanbu family did not forgive this as a betrayal, and during the Edo period there were constant disputes such as an assassination attempt by a Morioka feudal retainer to Lord Tsugaru, and furthermore, at the end of the Edo period, during the Boshin War, the Tsugaru clan betrayed and attacked the Nanbu clan, which caused a major feud. Was born.

“Overcome with wisdom” Tsugaru (Oura) Tamenobu (1550-1608)

This person is probably the top Sengoku military commander in Aomori Prefecture. There are various theories about the origin of Mutsu's most resourceful military commander, Tamenobu Tsugaru, before being adopted by the Oura clan, including one in Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture, but all of them are said to have ties to the Nanbu clan.

Tsugaru Tamenobu statue (Kakushuji temple collection)

Capture Ishikawa Castle and achieve independence

In 1571, Tamenobu captured Ishikawa Castle of Takanobu Ishikawa, the ruler of the Tsugaru region, and succeeded in conquering the area.

Around this time, the Nannohe clan was in conflict between Harumasa and his biological son, the Haritsugu faction, and Takanobu Ishikawa's biological son and adopted Nobunao faction, and Harumasa, who was aiming to weaken the Ishikawa family, was working behind the scenes. It is also said that it moved people's faith.

Tamenobu took advantage of the internal strife within the Nanbu clan and took over surrounding castles one after another, establishing control over Tsugaru.

From Hideyoshi to Honryu Anto and the vow of brother-in-law

Sensing that Toyotomi Hideyoshi was going to take over the country, Tamenobu tried to go to Kyoto to pledge his servitude and failed many times, but eventually he sent his vassals to Kyoto and was relieved of his territory by Hideyoshi.

Furthermore, during Hideyoshi's conquest of Odawara, he met with Hideyoshi before Nobunao Nambu, was recognized as an independent daimyo, and succeeded in rejecting the accusations of land plunder brought by the Nambu family. Furthermore, he approached the Konoe family, who had given Hideyoshi the Fujiwara sex, and was allowed to have the Fujiwara sex, becoming nominal "brothers-in-law" with Hideyoshi, and changing his sex from Oura to Tsugaru.

Battle of Sekigahara against the Eastern Army

It is believed that he took his third son, Nobumaki, with him to join the Eastern Army and joined Ieyasu's headquarters at Sekigahara. However, his eldest son Nobuten was in Osaka Castle as Hideyoshi's page, and after the defeat of the Western army, he returned to Tsugaru with Mitsunari Ishida's son Shigenari and his daughter.

Tamenobu felt indebted to Ishida Mitsunari for meeting with Hideyoshi and dismissing the Nambu family's lawsuit, so he hid them in Ieyasu's house, and for this reason, local people believed that Tamenobu was not just a ruthless plotter, but a righteous one. He is respected as a military commander who valued the

Construction and later years of Hirosaki Castle

After Sekigahara, Tamenobu built the current Hirosaki Castle because his castle, Horikoshi Castle, was easily captured, but it was not completed during Tamenobu's time.

Around this time, his eldest son Nobuken, who was in Kyoto, became ill, and Tamenobu also went to Kyoto to visit him. However, before arriving, Nobuken died of illness in October 1607, and two months later, Tamenobu also passed away in Kyoto at the age of 58. Nobumaki took over as head of the Tsugaru family, and the Tsugaru domain continued until the Meiji era.

Hirosaki Castle＜Information＞

Name: Hirosaki Castle
Address: 1 Shimoshiroganecho, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture 036-8356
URL: Hirosaki Park HP

Google Map

"Trust Number 2" Takanobu Ishikawa (1495 - year of death unknown)

He is said to be the younger brother of Yasunobu Nambu, the 23rd head of the Nambu family, and is said to be a great general with wisdom and courage. He was trusted by his family and was entrusted with the governance of the Tsugaru region, and is said to have also acted as an assistant to Harumasa, although there is also a theory that he was Harumasa's younger brother, so the exact dates of his birth and death are unknown. Is not ...

Was it defeated by Tamenobu? Were you away?

On May 5, 1571, Ishikawa Castle was captured by Tamenobu Oura and the Tsugaru region was taken away. There are theories that Takanobu died in the battle and that he was away at this time, but even though he survived, it seems strange that Nobutaka, who was an honorable general despite his advanced age, does not appear in later records at all.

Having been robbed of the rich Tsugaru, the Nanbu family's power was greatly diminished.

Ishikawa Castle Ruins＜Information＞

Name: Ishikawa Castle Ruins (Dabutsugahana Castle Ruins)
Address: 1-3 Ishikawa Daibutsu Shita, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture 036-8124
URL: Hirosaki City Green Association HP

Google Map

"Noble Breed of Mutsu" Namioka (Kitabatake) Tomonaga (1487 - year of death unknown)

The Namioka clan is said to be a descendant of Kitabatake Akiie, the great general of the Nanbokucho Chinju, and his castle, Namioka Castle, was respectfully called ``Namioka Imperial Palace.''

Akiie Kitabatake was a famous general who brought Takauji Ashikaga into trouble twice, but he was killed in battle at the young age of only 20.

After that, the Kitabatake family prospered with the direct line ``Namioka Gosho'' subordinating the illegitimate line ``Kawahara Gosho'', and reached its peak during the reign of Guinaga and his son Gumune, but in 1562, the Kitabatake family flourished. When the ``Kawahara Gosho Rebellion'' broke out among the Kitabatake clan, the power of the Kitabatake clan rapidly declined and it was destroyed by Tsugaru Tamenobu.

Namioka Castle Ruins＜Information＞

Name: Namioka Castle Ruins
Address: 14-1 Namioka Gosho, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture, 038-1311
URL: Aomori City HP

Google Map

summary

The Tsugaru domain and the southern region are connected by the Oshu Highway, and the distance between Umamon (Noheji Town) on the southern side and Karibazawa (Hiranai Town) on the Tsugaru side from the domain border is about 1 km, but there is no exchange of culture and language, and the former domain's It is said to be the only place in Japan where the boundaries and dialects coincide.