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Aomori warriors

Three Sengoku warlords from Aomori Prefecture! Tsugaru Tamenobu, Ishikawa Takanobu, Namioka Togenaga

During the Edo period, Aomori Prefecture was largely divided into the Tsugaru Domain in the west and the Nanbu Domain in the east, and the current prefectural border was established in the Meiji period. These two domains differed in language and culture, and are said to have had various feuds and not gotten along, but the reason for this lies in the Sengoku period

Why did Tsugaru and Nanbu become on bad terms?

Although they are often featured in humorous TV variety shows, they don't seem to get along that badly now. However, it is said that they really didn't get along until the Meiji period

During the Sengoku period, almost all of Aomori Prefecture was under Nanbu control, except for the territory of the Kitabatake family, descendants of the Mutsu provincial governor. However, Oura Narinobu (later Tsugaru Narinobu), who was connected to the Nanbu clan, established his own domain in Tsugaru

The Nanbu clan could not forgive this as a betrayal, and there were constant disputes during the Edo period, including an attempted assassination of Lord Tsugaru by a Morioka domain samurai, and furthermore, during the Boshin War at the end of the Edo period, the Tsugaru domain betrayed and attacked the Nanbu clan, which led to a major feud

"Using cleverness to rise above the powerful" - Tsugaru (Oura) Tamenobu (1550-1608)

The most prominent Sengoku warlord from Aomori Prefecture is undoubtedly this man. Tsugaru Tamenobu, the most intelligent warlord in Mutsu, has various theories about his birthplace before being adopted by the Oura clan, including one that he was born in Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture, but all theories suggest he has ties to the Nanbu clan

Statue of Tsugaru Tamenobu (owned by Kakushuji Temple)
Statue of Tsugaru Tamenobu (owned by Kakushuji Temple)

Captured Ishikawa Castle and achieved independence

In 1571, Narinobu captured Ishikawa Castle, the castle of Ishikawa Takanobu, who ruled the Tsugaru region, and achieved a coup d'état

At that time, the Sannohe Nanbu clan was in conflict between the faction of Harumasa and his biological son Harutsugu, and the faction of Ishikawa Takanobu's biological and adopted son Nobunao, and it is said that Harumasa, who was aiming to weaken the Ishikawa clan, manipulated Narinobu behind the scenes

Taking advantage of the internal conflicts within the Nanbu clan, Narinobu took over the surrounding castles one after another, establishing his control over Tsugaru

Hideyoshi gives him assurance of his territory and swears him a blood oath

Sensing that Toyotomi Hideyoshi was about to take over the country, Narinobu attempted to go to Kyoto to pledge his allegiance, but failed many times. However, he eventually led his retainers to Kyoto, and Hideyoshi assured him of his territory

Furthermore, during Hideyoshi's Odawara Campaign, he met with Hideyoshi before Nanbu Nobunao and was recognized as an independent daimyo, successfully dismissing the Nanbu family's complaint of land plunder. Furthermore, he approached the Konoe family, who had given Hideyoshi the Fujiwara title, and was granted the title, becoming Hideyoshi's nominal "brother-in-law," and changed his name from Oura to Tsugaru

The Battle of Sekigahara, where he sided with the Eastern Army

He is believed to have participated in the Battle of Sekigahara on the side of the Eastern Army, accompanied by his third son, Nobumaki, and accompanied Ieyasu to the main camp. However, his eldest son, Nobutake, was in Osaka Castle as Hideyoshi's page, and after the defeat of the Western Army, he returned to Tsugaru with Ishida Mitsunari's son, Shigenari, and his daughter

Because Narinobu felt indebted to Ishida Mitsunari for meeting with Hideyoshi and dismissing the lawsuit filed by the Nanbu clan, he hid the two men from Ieyasu, and for this reason, Narinobu is loved locally as a military commander who valued righteousness, rather than simply a ruthless schemer

The construction of Hirosaki Castle and his later years

After the Battle of Sekigahara, because his castle, Horikoshi Castle, was vulnerable to attack, Narinobu built the current Hirosaki Castle, but it was not completed during his reign

Around this time, his eldest son, Nobutake, fell ill while on a trip to Kyoto, and Narinobu also traveled to Kyoto to visit him. However, before he arrived, Nobutake died of illness in October 1607, and two months later, Narinobu also passed away in Kyoto at the age of 58. Nobumaki inherited the Tsugaru family headship, and the Tsugaru domain continued to exist until the Meiji period

Hirosaki Castle <Information>

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

Google Map

"The Number Two in Trust" Ishikawa (Nambu) Takanobu (1495-year-old)

He was said to be the younger brother of Nanbu Yasunobu, the 23rd head of the Nanbu clan, and is said to have been a renowned general who combined wisdom and bravery. He was highly trusted by the clan and was entrusted with governing the Tsugaru region. He is also said to have served as an advisor to Harumasa, but there is also a theory that he was Harumasa's younger brother, and his exact dates of birth and death are unknown

Was he killed by Narinobu? Was he away?

On May 5, 1571, Ishikawa Castle was taken by Oura Tamenobu, and the Tsugaru region was taken from him. There are theories that Takanobu was killed in battle, and that he was away at home, but even if he survived, it seems strange that Nobutaka, who was a renowned general despite his advanced age, does not appear in any subsequent records

The Nanbu clan, who had lost the prosperous Tsugaru region, saw their power greatly weakened

Ishikawa Castle Ruins <Information>

Google Map

"Nobleman of Mutsu" by Namioka (Kitabatake) Tomonaga (1487-year-old, year of death unknown)

The Namioka clan is said to be descendants of Kitabatake Akiie, the commander of the Southern Court's Chinjufu during the Northern and Southern Courts period, and their castle, Namioka Castle, was respectfully called the "Namioka Imperial Palace."

Kitabatake Akiie was a famous general who twice put Ashikaga Takauji in difficult situations, but he was killed in battle at the young age of just 20

The Kitabatake family flourished thereafter, with the main line, the Namioka Gosho, controlling the branch line, the Kawahara Gosho, and reached its peak during the reign of Tomonaga and his son, Tomonori. However, in 1562, the Kawahara Gosho Rebellion broke out among the Kitabatake clan, and the clan's power rapidly declined, eventually being destroyed by Tsugaru Tamenobu

Namioka Castle Ruins <Information>

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

Google Map

summary

The Tsugaru domain and the Nanbu region are connected by the Oshu Kaido road, and the distance from the domain border between Umamon (Noheji Town) on the Nanbu side and Karibasawa (Hiranai Town) on the Tsugaru side is about 1 km, but the cultures and languages ​​do not intersect, and the boundary of the former domain and the boundary of the dialect coincide, making this the only place in Japan where this happens

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