[Iwate Prefecture] 3 Sengoku military commanders from Iwate Prefecture! Harumasa Nanbu, Nobunao Nanbu, Masazane Kunohe

Daiwa Consilio
2022.04.26
Last updated: 2024.08.6

table of contents

1 Nanbu Harumasa (1517-1582), the man who expanded his territory the most
- 1.1 Successor dispute turned into a quagmire
- 1.2 Sannohe Castle Ruins＜Information＞
2 Nanbu Nobunao (1546-1599), who built the foundation of the Morioka domain and Morioka Castle
3 Masazane Kunohe (1536-1591) who rebelled against Hideyoshi
- 3.1 Kunohe Castle Ruins＜Information＞
4 Summary (after that by Mr. Nanbu)
5 Famous military commanders from Tohoku and other prefectures

someone, ``Do you know any Sengoku military commanders associated with Iwate Prefecture?''
most people will answer, ``I don't know.''

However, even if Iwate does not have a military commander who is popular throughout the country, there are other military commanders who deserve more recognition.
Here, we would like to introduce you to Iwate Prefecture's Sengoku warlords, who are simple but tasteful.

Nanbu Harumasa (1517-1582), the man who expanded his territory the most

The Sengoku daimyo Nanbu clan of Iwate descended from the Kai-Genji clan and entered Mutsu Province from present-day Nanbu Town, Yamanashi Prefecture during the Kamakura period.

Statue of Harumasa Nanbu (Morioka History and Culture Museum collection)

The person who expanded the territory the most was Harumasa, the 24th head of the Nambu clan. Most of Aomori Prefecture and the northern half of Iwate Prefecture were combined, and it was said to be ``southern territory until the crescent moon becomes round.''The territory was so wide that when the crescent moon appeared when you entered the territory, it was full, making it difficult to pass through. It was said to take several days.

Harumasa's residence was Sannohe Castle (Sannohe Town, Aomori Prefecture), but his territory included most of Aomori Prefecture, the Kazuno region of Akita Prefecture, and the northern part of Iwate Prefecture, so he could be considered a military commander of Iwate Prefecture.

Although Harumasa was a military commander who was strong in war, it is said that he did not have great political power, as he caused conflict among the Nanbu clan over the issue of succession.

However, it seems that he had a lot of courage and was very popular.

Successor dispute turned into a quagmire

Harumasa, who had no biological children, married his cousin Nobunao Ishikawa, who was the son of his uncle Takanobu Ishikawa in Hirosaki, and adopted his daughter as his successor. Now you can keep away from.

Eventually, when Harumasa's daughter, whom he had married to Nobunao, died young, the movement towards disinheritance became obvious, and Nobunao moved from one vassal's house to another in order to escape from the assassins, and his family members were divided between Harutsugu's faction and Nobunao's faction. They are divided into two and conflict with each other.

Tamenobu Oura (Tsugaru) took advantage of this opportunity and attacked Hirosaki, losing Takanobu Ishikawa and taking over the Tsugaru region.

Sannohe Castle Ruins＜Information＞

Name: Sannohe Castle Ruins
Address: 34-2 Umeuchi Jonoshita, Sannohe-cho, Sannohe-gun, Aomori 039-0112
URL: Sannohe Town HP

Google Map

Nanbu Nobunao (1546-1599), who built the foundation of the Morioka domain and Morioka Castle

He is the first head of the Morioka Nambu family and is the 26th head of the Nambu clan, who is said to be the ``father of the revival of the Nambu family.''

Statue of Nanbu Nobunao (Morioka City Central Community Center collection)

The Morioka clan, which is considered a large domain and had good relations with Hideyoshi and Ieyasu, was cultivated by Nobunao, and although he did not have a spectacular military history, he was a military commander who was highly regarded for surviving turbulent times.

Inheriting the family headship and participating in the Tsugaru expedition and the Odawara conquest

After Harumasa's death, Haritsugu, who became the 25th head of the Nambu clan, died young (some say he was poisoned), and his vassals were divided into two groups, the Nobunao faction and the Kunohe Sanechika faction of the Nambu clan. became the 26th head of the Nanbu clan.

However, during this time, no action could be taken against Tamenobu Oura, who was rampaging through the Tsugaru region, and Tsugaru's territory was largely cut off.

In 1590, he finally invaded Tsugaru, but had a tough time, and in the middle of the attack, he responded to Hideyoshi's request to join the conquest of Odawara, and led 1,000 soldiers to invade Odawara.

Nobunao, who was relieved of his territory by Hideyoshi, appealed to Tamenobu Oura. However, by this time, Tamenobu had already been granted control of Tsugaru by Hideyoshi, and his appeal was dismissed.

Relocation of castles, Sannohe Castle, Kunohe Castle, Morioka Castle

In 1591, Masazane Kunohe, who supported Haritsugu to inherit the family headship, and then his younger brother Masazane, started a rebellion, and Nobunao, who was struggling to put it down, asked Hideyoshi for reinforcements.

Hideyoshi took this opportunity to send a large army of 100,000 men to suppress uprisings all over Oshu, destroy the Kunohe clan, and give Kunohe Castle to Nobunao, who renamed it Fukuoka Castle and made it his residence.

After that, Nobunao continued to complain about Tsugaru Tamenobu's wrongdoings, and in place of Tsugaru, two additional districts, Waga District and Hidenuki District in central Iwate Prefecture, were added to Nobunao's estate, making Nobunao a daimyo with 100,000 koku.

As the southern territory expanded to the south, Nobunao began building Morioka Castle (Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture) in Kozukata to the south, but in order to be wary of Date Masamune, whose territory bordered on him. There is also a theory that.

The dispatch of troops to Korea and the end of Nobunao

In 1592, Nobunao led 1,000 soldiers to take part in Hizen Nagoya Castle, but returned to Japan without crossing the sea.

After Hideyoshi died in 1598, he served Ieyasu, and died of illness at Fukuoka Castle in 1599, before Morioka Castle was completed.

Morioka Castle Ruins＜Information＞

Name: Morioka Castle Ruins
Address: 1-37 Ichimaru, Morioka, Iwate 020-0023
URL: Morioka City HP

Google Map

Masazane Kunohe (1536-1591) who rebelled against Hideyoshi

Lastly, let me introduce you to another strong military commander from northern Iwate Prefecture.

The Kunohe clan was a clan of the Nanbu clan whose territory was the Kunohe Village area in northern Iwate Prefecture.The Kunohe clan was strong in war and had great power as the elite of the elite of the Nanbu clan.

He was in conflict with Nobunao over succession to the Nambu clan, but in March 1591 he raised an army of 5,000 soldiers. He confined himself to Kunohe Castle (Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture) and fought bravely against Hideyoshi's army of 100,000 soldiers.

However, he was outnumbered and finally surrendered in response to the call to surrender the castle and was executed.

Kunohe Castle Ruins＜Information＞

Name: Historic Site Kunohe Castle Ruins
Address: Fukuoka Jonouchi, Ninohe City, Iwate Prefecture 028-6101
URL: Ninohe City HP

Google Map

Summary (after that by Mr. Nanbu)

After the Meiji Restoration, the Nanbu family was considered a peerage and became a count family.
Morioka Castle was dismantled in 1874, and in 1908, an equestrian statue of Riyoshi Nambu, the 42nd head of the Nambu clan, who died in the Russo-Japanese War, was erected at the site of the main enclosure, the bronze lieutenant statue of Nambu. .

However, in 1944 it was donated as a wartime metal donation, and now only the pedestal remains.

By the way, the lineage of the Nambu clan continues even today, and the current head of the family as of April 2022 is the 46th generation.