[Miharu Town, Tamura District, Fukushima Prefecture] What kind of person is Megohime? Follow the trajectory of Aihime, who became the wise wife of a famous general.

In this article, we will delve into the history of Megohime Actually, her birthplace is Miharu-cho, Tamura-gun, Fukushima Prefecture. Miharu Town flourished as the castle town of Miharu Castle, and even now there are historical sites and monuments that retain the vestiges of those days.

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 is from Miharu-cho, Tamura-gun, Fukushima Prefecture. At that time, the lord of Miharu Castle, Kiyoaki Tamura, was in charge of this area. As the only daughter born to Prince Kiyoaki and his legal wife Ohoku, Aihime grew up surrounded by love. By the way, "mego" means "cute" in the Fukushima dialect. Since she was named Aihime, you can imagine how much her parents doted on her.

Aihime grew up quickly, and when she was 12 years old, she married Date Masamune, the eldest son of the lord of Yonezawa Castle at the time. This marriage was arranged because of the difficult situation the Tamura family was in.

At that time, the Ashina family was growing its power in the Aizu region, and in order to suppress the power of the Tamura family, they devised a plan to isolate the Tamura family. Therefore, they formed alliances with the powerful families in southern Fukushima Prefecture and built a siege network to keep the Tamura family in check. The Tamura family is in a situation where they could be invaded by the enemy at any time and lose the battle. For Kiyoaki, who had no heir, defeat in the war immediately affected the survival of the Tamura family. They found themselves in a precarious situation, not knowing how long they could continue to protect their home.

Prince Kiyoaki then set his sights on the Date family, which was powerful in the north. In order to make a pact with the Date family, he asked for his daughter to be his wife. Even before he took over as head of the family, rumors were circulating that Masamune was a man of great talent and attention. It is said that there were many people within the Date family who opposed her marriage to the Tamura family, which had many enemies. However, Kiyoaki was an excellent warrior who never lost, and was a well-known person. In the end, they came to the conclusion that the connection with the Tamura family, which had excellent military strength, was an advantage, and the Date family accepted Aihime's marriage. A pact was made between the Tamura family and the Date family that the eldest son of Aihime's children would be the heir to the Date family, and the second son would be adopted by the Tamura family.

In this way, it was decided that Aihime's marriage would depend on the survival of the Tamura family. 12 years old is about 11 years old in full age. The pressure the girl must have felt was considerable.

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

The reason why Aihime left her name in history is not only because she was Date Masamune's legal wife, but also because she was a wise wife. Masamune, who took over as head of the family at the age of 18, became the lord of Yonezawa Castle, and Aihime, who was 17 years old, began to manage the internal affairs of the Date family. Masamune expanded his supremacy through war, and eventually built up a major power that controlled the entire Nakadori area of ​​the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture.

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 passed away at the age of 70. For about three weeks from the time his condition deteriorated until his death, even though Aihime requested to visit him, Masamune did not allow her to see him, as he did not want her to show that he was weak due to illness. It is said that along with the Kyara and the scrolls, all that was left was a will that was concerned about the future of the Date family, and a message that said, ``I will meet you in a few days to express my gratitude, so please wait for a while.'' Masamune's body left Edo for Sendai that night, so it seems that Aihime was not able to say goodbye. Later, Aihime entered the Buddhist monastery to pray for Masamune's bodhi, and the name was changed to Yotoku-in.

Aihime who brought the Tamura family back to life

The Tamura family had married their princess into the Date family in order to survive the family, but in the Toyotomi era, the family was destroyed. Originally, the Date family was supposed to take over the former vassals, but many of the former vassals believed that ``the reason why the Tamura family died out was because Masamune deceived them,'' and it seems that there were few who relied on the Date family. . The servants who could not be used by the Date family dispersed, working for other daimyo families or becoming farmers. However, when Masamune died and Yotokuin (Aihime) became the most powerful person in the Date family, all of the Tamura family's former retainers joined the Date family.

Yotokuin passed away at the age of 86. Around this time, many former retainers of the Tamura family gathered at the Date family and are said to have mourned Yotokuin's death. The person who revived the Tamura family was Aihime's grandson Muneyoshi. He is Aihime's eldest son and Tadamune's third son. After Muneyoshi's death, his son Munenaga became the lord of the Ichinoseki domain, creating a history that spanned 11 generations 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

Google Map

Aihimekoji

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

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

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.

Articles that may be related to this article

Other articles