What kind of person is Aihime? Tracing the path of Date Masamune's wise wife [Fukushima Prefecture]

In this article, we will explore history with the theme of the man named Megohime In fact, she was born in Miharu Town, Tamura District, Fukushima Prefecture . Miharu Town, which flourished as a castle town of Miharu Castle, still retains historic sites and monuments that retain their reminiscent of the time.

What kind of person is Aihime, and what kind of spots are there in Miharu Town? I will explain it while unraveling the history.

What kind of person is “Aihime”?

What kind of person was Aihime, who became the legal wife of Date Masamune, a famous warlord during the Sengoku period? First, I will explain Aihime's birth, the background behind her being brought into the Date family, and her achievements.

Background of “Aihime” marrying into the Date family

Aihime was born in Miharu Town, Tamura District, Fukushima Prefecture. Tamura Kiyoaki of Miharu Castle, who was holding this area .

As the only daughter born to Kiyoaki and her wife, Okita, Aihime grew up with love. By the way, "mego" means "cute" in the Fukushima dialect. Since she was named Aihime, you can imagine how her parents doted on her.

married to Date Masamune, the eldest son of Yonezawa Castle, when she was 12 years old This marriage was in a difficult situation where the Tamura family was in charge.

At the time, the Ashina family, which had been gaining strength in the Aizu region, came up with a plan to isolate the Tamura family in order to suppress the power of the Tamura family. There, they formed federation relationships with each family that had power in the southern part of Fukushima Prefecture, and established a siege to warn the Tamura family.

The Tamura family is in a situation where it would be strange if they were attacked by the enemy at any time and lost the war. For Kiyoaki, who has no heir, the defeat immediately leads to the fate of the Tamura family's survival. I was in an unstable situation where I didn't know how long I could continue to protect my house.

So Kiyoaki looked at the Date family, which had strong power in the north.

He pleaded that he would marry his daughter in order to make an agreement with the Date family. Even before he took over the family headship, rumors have been circulating everywhere that Masamune was a highly talented and popular figure.

It is apparently many people opposed marriage to the Tamura family, which had many enemies. However, Kim Qing Xing was a well-known man who was undefeated and excellent warrior. In the end, they concluded that connections with the Tamura family, which have excellent military strength, were a merit, and the Date family accepted Aihime's marriage.

Then, between the Tamura and Date families, the eldest son became the heir of the Date family, and the second son formed an alliance to adopt the Tamura family of children.

In this way, Aihime, whose survival of the Tamura family was decided, was decided to marry her. In terms of age 12, the age of 11 is about 11 years old. The pressure the girl felt must have been considerable.

After marriage, Aihime became a wise wife who left her mark on history.

The reason Aihime leaves a name in history "Date Masamune's wife," but also her "wise wife."

Masamune, who inherited the family headship at the age of 18, became the owner of Yonezawa Castle, and 17-year-old Aihime began to take over the internal affairs of the Date family. Masamune spread his hegemony through the war, and eventually built up a large force that took over the Nakadori area of ​​Fukushima Prefecture's Aizu region.

Around that time, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was about to unify the country, ordered the Date family to relinquish their Aizu territory, and the Tamura family, which did not respond to the war effort, was destroyed. After that, Hideyoshi ordered the wives and children of the feudal lords he served to live in Kyoto, where Hideyoshi was. In other words, they took hostages to prevent the feudal lords from betraying them. Aihime also lived in the Date mansion in Jurakudai, Kyoto, where she remained for a long time.

However, Aihime did not just stay in Kyoto, but also continued to convey detailed information about the situation in Kyoto to Masamune. He also sent a letter saying, ``Please don't worry about me and make decisions based on the cause. I always carry a sword in my pocket in case of emergency.'' You can feel Aihime's intelligence and core strength.

When Aihime was 27 years old, she gave birth to her first daughter, Irohahime. At the age of 32, she was blessed with her first son, Tadamune Date, and went on to give birth to two more boys. Unfortunately, the two younger boys died early. After that, Aihime moved to a mansion in Edo. It is said that the couple lived in separate buildings, and meetings were held in a strict atmosphere.

Masamune ended his life at the age of 70. For about three weeks from her illness to her death, Aihime wanted to visit her, but Masamune refused to let her meet, saying she didn't want to show her weakness due to illness. Along with the agarama and scrolls, he has been left with a will that bothers him about the future Date family, and a message that he would say, "I'll meet up within a few days to express my gratitude, so please wait a while." Masamune's body left Edo that night and headed to Sendai, so Aihime seemed unable to say goodbye.

Aihime later entered the Buddhist temple to commemorate Masamune's bodhi and changed her name to Yotokuin

Aihime who brought the Tamura family back to life

The Tamura family, who married Aihime into the Date family in order to survive the house, had their houses been scrapped in the Toyotomi era.

The former retainers were originally supposed to be taken over by the Date family, but many of the former retainers thought, "The Tamura family died out because Masamune deceived it," and few relied on the Date family.

The servants who were unable to use the Date family were scattered, scattered, as they were used by other daimyo families and became farmers. However, when Masamune passed away and Yotokuin (Aihime) became the pinnacle of the powerful Date family, the former Tamura family retainers all served in the Date family.

Yotokuin passed away at the age of 86 when he passed away. By this time, many former Tamura retainers gathered at the Date family and mourned the death of Yotokuin.

And it was Muneyoshi, Aihime's grandson, who revived the Tamura family. She is the third son of Aihime's eldest son, Tadamune. After Muneyoshi's death, his son Munenaga became the lord of Ichinoseki Domain, and he built 11 generations of history until the end of the Edo period.

The trajectory of Aihime that remains in Miharu Town

Miharu Town is famous for its waterfall cherry blossoms, and the path of Aihime remains in the town. We will introduce the shadow of history related to Aihime that still remains today.

Miharu Castle Ruins

This is the ruins of Miharu Castle, where Aihime was born and raised. Miharu Castle, located on Mt. Oshita in the center of town, was also called Maizuru Castle due to its beautiful appearance. It is said to have been built by Yoshiaki Tamura in 1504. It is said that during Aihime's lifetime, many moats, earthworks, and stone masonry were built, and it became a fort during the Sengoku period. It was used as the residence of the Miharu feudal lord until it was demolished after the Meiji Restoration.

The road leading to the castle ruins is surrounded by trees, giving you a sense of mysterious power.

At the site, stone walls and other structures remain that remind us of what it looked like back then. The view overlooking Miharu's townscape is probably one that was enjoyed by successive castle owners. I think it would be a good idea to take a walk and feel the romance of history.

A monument representing Aihime's birthplace stands quietly within the premises.

Information

• Name: Miharu Castle Ruins
• Location: Omachi, Miharu-cho, Tamura-gun, Fukushima Prefecture
• Website http://miharukoma.com/experience/238

Google Map

Aihimekoji

Aihime leaves Miharu Town with a small number of attendants for her wedding with Date Masamune. On her way to get married, Aihime seems to have headed north along the current route along National Route 349, heading towards Tamukai, Nihonmatsu City, Kawamata Town, Date District, and Yanagawa, Date City. At Shibuike Pond in Miharu Town, there is a stone monument called Aihime Koji on one of the roads that Aihime is thought to have taken when marrying into the Date family.

Information

• Name: Aihimekoji
• Location: Omachi, Miharu-cho, Tamura-gun, Fukushima Prefecture
• Website: http://miharukoma.com/experience/238

Google Map

A special website has been set up to commemorate the 450th anniversary of Aihime's birth.

Miharu Town has created a special website to commemorate the 450th anniversary of Aihime's birth in 2018. The site publishes many episodes related to Aihime. we are releasing PR characters designed by famous anime creators and the animation `` Aihime MEGOHIME

Information

• Name: Aihime 450th anniversary commemorative site
• Website: https://miharu-megohime.com/

A person named Aihime who was married from Miharu Town with the fate of the country on her shoulders.

This time I introduced a person called Aihime. Aihime, who was born in Miharu-cho, Tamura-gun, Fukushima Prefecture, held the fate of the Tamura family's survival and became Date Masamune's legal wife. She left her hometown of Miharu at the age of 12, endured an immeasurable burden, and dedicated her life to the prosperity of the Date and Tamura families. When you visit Miharu Town, be sure to look for traces of the history of the era in which she lived.