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Date Masamune

Photo Credits: samurai-archives.com

Date Masamune (伊達 政宗,5 Settembre 5, 1567 – 27 Giugno, 1636) governò durante il periodo Azuchi–Momoyama (ultima fase del periodo Sengoku) e per la prima parte del periodo Edo. Erede di una lunga stirpe di potenti daimyō nella regione di Tōhoku, fondò la città di Sendai. Eccezionale stratega, reso ancora più particolare ed iconico dalla mancanza di un occhio, per questo Masamune era spesso chiamato dokuganryū (独眼竜), o “Il Dragone da un Occhio Solo di Ōshu”.

I primi anni

Date Masamune nacque con il nome di Bontemaru (梵天丸) nel castello di Yonezawa (oggi prefettura di Yamagata). Egli era il figlio maggiore di Date Terumune, signore dell’area Rikuzen di Mutsu, e Yoshihime, figlia di Mogami Yoshimori daimyo della provincia di Dewa. Ricevette il nome di Tojirou (藤次郎) Masamune nel 1578, e l’anno successivo sposò Megohime, figlia di Tamura Kiyoaki, signore del castello di Miharu, nella provincia di Mutsu. All’età di 14 anni, nel 1581, Masamune guidò la sua prima campagna, aiutando suo padre a combattere la famiglia Sōma. Nel 1584, a 17 anni, Masamune ereditò la carica del padre che scelse di ritirarsi dal suo ruolo di daimyō.

L’armata di Masamune era riconoscibile per via dell’armatura nera e l’elmetto dorato. Masamune stesso è conosciuto per alcune caratteristiche che lo hanno fatto risaltare rispetto agli altri daimyō del periodo. In particolare, il suo famoso elmetto con la luna crescente gli valse una spaventosa reputazione.

Da bambino, il vaiolo gli fece perdere la vista all’occhio destro, ma nonostante questo rimane un mistero come abbia perso completamente l’organo. Ci sono varie teorie a riguardo. Alcune fonti dicono che si sia cavato l’occhio da solo quando un membro anziano del clan gli disse che un nemico avrebbe potuto afferrarlo in caso di combattimento. Altri dicono che sia stato il suo fidato servitore Katakura Kojūrō a farlo per lui, cosa che, assieme al suo temperamento aggressivo lo rese il ‘Dragone con un occhio solo di Ōshu’.

La campagna militare

Il clan Date aveva costruito alleanze con i clan vicini grazie ai matrimoni delle precedenti generazioni, ma le dispute locali era comuni. Poco dopo la successione di Masamune nel 1584, un servitore dei Date di nome Ōuchi Sadatsuna fuggì presso il clan Ashina, della regione di Aizu. Masamune dichiarò quindi guerra a Ōuchi e al clan Ashina per questo tradimenimento, cominciando una campagna per dare la caccia a Sadatsuna. Diversi clan anche alleati caddero. Prevedendo la sua sconfitta, nell’inverno del 1585 Hatakeyama Yoshitsugu si arrese a Date. Masamune avrebbe accettato la resa a patto che Hatakeyama gli consegnasse gran parte dei suoi territori. Questo risultò nel rapimento da parte di Yoshitsugu del padre di Masamune, Terumune, durante il loro incontro al castello di Miyamori dove Terumune risiedeva in quel momento. L’incidente finì con la morte di Terumune mentre gli uomini di Hatakeyama in fuga si scontrarono con le truppe di Date vicino al fiume Abukuma.

Seguì una guerra generale tra i Date e gli Hatakeyama sostenuti da Satake, Ashina, Soma ed altri clan locali. Gli alleati marciarono fino a meno di mezzo miglio dal castello Motomiya che era di Masamune, riunendo circa 30.000 soldati per l’attacco. Masamune, avendo solo 7.000 guerrieri, preparò una strategia difensiva facendo affidamento sulla serie di forti che proteggevano le vie di accesso a Motomiya. I combattimenti iniziarono il 17 novembre e non cominciarono bene per Date. Tre dei suoi preziosi forti furono presi e uno dei suoi principali servitori, Moniwa Yoshinao, fu ucciso in un duello con un comandante avversario. I nemici si dirigevano ora verso il fiume Seto, che rappresentava l’ultimo ostacolo tra loro e Motomiya. I Date cercarono di fermarli al ponte Hitadori, ma furono respinti. Masamune portò le sue restanti forze all’interno delle mura di Motomiya e si preparò per quella che sarebbe stata sicuramente una valorosa ma futile ultima resistenza. Ma la mattina dopo, il principale contingente nemico marciò in ritirata. Questi erano gli uomini di Satake Yoshishige. Il loro signore aveva ricevuto la notizia che in sua assenza i Satomi avevano attaccato le sue terre a Hitachi. Apparentemente, questo lasciò gli alleati con meno uomini di quanti credessero possibile per far cadere Motomiya, perché anch’essi si ritirarono entro la fine della giornata.

Probabilmente questa sfiorata sconfitta totale trasformò Masamune nel noto generale che un giorno sarebbe divenuto famoso. Arrivò anche la pace tra Hatakeyama e Soma, anche se questa si dimostrò di breve durata.

Nel 1589, i Date sconfissero i Soma e corruppero un importante servitore degli Ashina, Inawashiro Morikuni, per passare dalla loro parte. Quindi riunirono una potente forza e marciarono dritti verso il quartier generale degli Ashina a Kurokawa. Le forze di Date e Ashina si incontrarono a Suriagehara il 5 giugno. L’esercito di Masamune prese il sopravvento avventandosi contro i vacillanti ranghi degli Ashina, distruggendoli. Infatti, sfortunatamente per gli Ashina, gli uomini di Date avevano distrutto la loro via di fuga, un ponte sul fiume Nitsubashi, e quelli che non annegarono tentando di nuotare verso la salvezza, furono uccisi senza pietà. Alla fine del conflitto, Masamune poteva contare qualcosa come 2.300 teste nemiche, in una delle più sanguinose e decisive battaglie del periodo Sengoku. I ricchi domini appena conquistati ad Aizu divennero la sua base operativa

Questa però sarebbe anche stata l’ultima avventura espansionistica di Date Masamune.

Photo credits: wattention.com

Statua di Date Masamune nella città di Sendai sulle rovine del Castello di Sendai,

Il servizio sotto il comando di Toyotomi Hideyoshi e Tokugawa Ieyasu

Nel 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi si impadronì del Castello di Odawara e costrinse i daimyō della regione di Tōhoku a partecipare alla campagna. Nonostante all’inizio Masamune rifiutò l’ordine di Hideyoshi, si accorse presto di non aver altra scelta visto che quest’ultimo era di fatto il dominatore del Giappone. Il ritardo fece però infuriare Hideyoshi. Aspettandosi l’esecuzione, Masamune indossò i suoi migliori abiti mostrando sicurezza nell’affrontare la rabbia del suo signore. Ma Hideyoshi gli risparmiò la vita dicendo “Potrebbe servirmi”.

Ad assedio concluso, Masamune fu costretto a rinunciare ai territori di Aizu e gli furono consegnati Iwatesawa e le terre intorno. Terre che gli avrebbero però fruttato proventi minori. Masamune vi si trasferì nel 1591, ricostruendo il castello rinominato poi Iwadeyama, e incoraggiando la crescita della città sottostante. Masamune rimase all’Iwadeyama per 13 anni e trasformò la regione in un fiorente centro politico ed economico.

Lui e i suoi uomini si distinsero nell’invasione Coreana al servizio di Hideyoshi e, dopo la sua morte, Date cominciò a supportare Tokugawa Ieyasu, sembra sotto consiglio di Katakura Kojūrō. Per questo, Masamune fu premiato con il comando della regione di Sendai, cosa che lo rese uno dei più potenti daimyō del Giappone. Tokugawa aveva promesso a Masamune un dominio che avrebbe fruttato un milione di koku ma, anche dopo i vari miglioramenti,  le terre produssero solo 640,000 koku. E molti di questi proventi erano usati per sostenere la regione di Edo. Nel 1604, Masamune, accompagnato da 52,000 vassalli con le loro famiglie, si spostò nel piccolo villaggio di pescatori di Sendai, e lasciò il suo quarto figlio, Date Muneyasu, al comando di Iwadeyama. Masamune avrebbe trasformato Sendai in una grande e prosperosa città.

Nonostante Masamune fosse patrono delle arti e simpatizzasse per le cause straniere, era anche un aggressivo ed ambizioso daimyō. Quando prese per la prima volta il potere nel clan Date, soffrì numerose sconfitte da clan molto influenti come gli Ashina. Queste sconfitte furono causate maggiormente dal suo essere avventato.

Essendo molto potente nel nord del Giappone, Masamune era visto con sospetto. Toyotomi Hideyoshi aveva ridotto le dimensioni delle sue proprietà terriere dopo il suo ritardo nel partecipare all’assedio di Odawara contro Hōjō Ujimasa. In seguito, Tokugawa Ieyasu aumentò nuovamente la dimensione delle sue terre, rimanendo comunque sospettoso riguardo Masamune e la sua politica.

Nonostante i sospetti di Tokugawa Ieyasu ed altri alleati Date, Date Masamune per la maggiorate del tempo servì fedelmente sia Toyotomi che Tokugawa . Prese parte nella campagna di Hideyoshi in Corea, e poi nella campagna di Osaka. Quando Tokugawa Ieyasu fu sul letto di morte, Masamune gli fece visita leggendogli un poema Zen.

Masamune era sicuramente molto rispettato per la sua etica, e un aforisma quotato ancora oggi è “La rettitudine portata all’eccesso si trasforma in rigidità; la benevolenza oltre la misura si riduce a debolezza”

Patrono della Cultura e del Cristianesimo

Photo Credits: wikimedia.org

Una lettera scritta da Masamune al Papa Paolo V

Masamune espanse il commercio nella remota regione del Tōhoku. Sebbene inizialmente fu attaccato da clan ostili, riuscì a batterli pur dopo alcune sconfitte. Alla fine riuscì a governare su uno dei più grandi feudi del successivo shogunato Tokugawa. Costruì molti palazzi e lavorò su molti progetti per abbellire la regione. Per 270 anni, il Tōhoku è rimasto un luogo di turismo, commercio e prosperità. Matsushima ad esempio, una serie di minuscole isole, è stata elogiata per la sua bellezza e serenità dal poeta vagabondo scrittore di haiku Matsuo Bashō.

Oltre ad essere noto per aver incoraggiato gli stranieri a recarsi nella sua terra, Masamune mostrò simpatia per i missionari cristiani e i commercianti in Giappone. Oltre a permettere loro di venire a predicare nella sua provincia, liberò anche Padre Sotelo, missionario prigioniero di Tokugawa Ieyasu. Date Masamune permise a Sotelo e ad altri missionari di praticare la loro religione e di ottenere seguaci nel Tōhoku. Inoltre, finanziò e promosse una missione per stabilire relazioni con il Papa a Roma, anche se probabilmente fu motivato almeno in parte da un interesse per la tecnologia straniera. In questo fu molto simile ad altri signori, come Oda Nobunaga. Per la spedizione ordinò la costruzione della nave esplorativa Date Maru o San Juan Bautista, usando tecniche di costruzione navale europee. Sulla nave mandò uno dei suoi servitori, Hasekura Tsunenaga, Sotelo, e un’ambasceria di 180 persone, in un fruttuoso viaggio che comprese luoghi come Filippine, Messico, Spagna e appunto Roma. Prima di allora, i signori giapponesi non avevano mai finanziato imprese del genere, quindi fu probabilmente il primo viaggio di questo tipo. Almeno cinque membri della spedizione rimasero a Coria, in Spagna, per evitare la persecuzione dei cristiani in Giappone. 600 dei loro discendenti, con il cognome Japón, ora vivono in Spagna.

Quando il governo Tokugawa bandì il Cristianesimo, Masamune dovette obbedire alla legge invertendo la sua posizione e, sebbene non gli piacesse, lasciò che Ieyasu perseguitasse i cristiani nei suoi domini. Tuttavia, alcune fonti suggeriscono che la figlia maggiore di Masamune, Irohahime, fosse cristiana.

Photo credits: it.wikipedia.org

Replica del galeone Date Maru, o San Juan Bautista, a Ishinomaki, Giappone

Masamune ebbe 16 figli, due dei quali illegittimi, con sua moglie e sette concubine. Morì nel 1636 all’età di 69 anni. Nell’Ottobre del 1974, la sua tomba fu aperta. Dentro, insieme ai suoi resti, gli archeologi trovarono la sua spada tachi, una cassetta delle lettere con il simbolo di paulownia, e la sua armatura. Dallo studio dei suoi resti, i ricercatori hanno capito che la sua altezza era di 159.4cm, e che B era il suo gruppo sanguigno.

Essendo un leggendario guerriero e leader, Masamune è stato un personaggio di vari drama Giapponesi. E’ stato anche interpretato dal famoso Ken Watanabe nella popolare serie NHK del 1987 Dokuganryū Masamune.

Photo credits: wikimedia.org

La tomba di Masamune al mausoleo di Zuihōden[:en]

Date Masamune

Photo Credits: samurai-archives.com

Date Masamune (伊達 政宗, September 5, 1567 – June 27, 1636) was a regional ruler of Japan’s Azuchi–Momoyama period (last part of the Sengoku period) through early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful daimyōs in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he was made all the more iconic for his missing eye, as Masamune was often called dokuganryū (独眼竜), or the “One-Eyed Dragon of Ōshu”.

Early life

Date Masamune was born as Bontemaru (梵天丸) in Yonezawa Castle (in modern Yamagata Prefecture). He was the eldest son of Date Terumune, a lord of the Rikuzen area of Mutsu, and Yoshihime, a daughter of Mogami Yoshimori, daimyo of the Dewa province. He received the name Tojirou (藤次郎) Masamune in 1578, and the following year he married Megohime, the daughter of Tamura Kiyoaki,  lord of Miharu castle, in Mutsu Province. At the age of 14, in 1581, Masamune led his first campaign, helping his father fight the Sōma family. In 1584, at the age of 17, Masamune succeeded his father, Terumune, who chose to retire from his position as daimyō.

Masamune’s army was recognized by its black armour and golden headgear.  Masamune himself is known for a few things that made him stand out from other daimyōs of the time. In particular, his famous crescent-moon-bearing helmet won him a fearsome reputation.

As a child, smallpox robbed him of sight in his right eye, though it is unclear exactly how he lost the organ entirely. Various theories behind the eye’s condition exist. Some sources say he plucked out the eye himself when a senior member of the clan pointed out that an enemy could grab it in a fight. Others say that he had his trusted retainer Katakura Kojūrō gouge out the eye for him, and this, together with his fearsome temperament, made him the ‘One-Eyed Dragon’ of Ōshu.

Military campaign

The Date clan had built alliances with neighbouring clans through marriages over previous generations, but local disputes remained commonplace. Shortly after Masamune’s succession in 1584, a Date retainer named Ōuchi Sadatsuna defected to the Ashina clan of the Aizu region. Masamune declared war on Ōuchi and the Ashina for this betrayal and started a campaign to hunt down Sadatsuna. Many clans, even formerly amicable allies, fell. In the winter of 1585, one of these allies, Hatakeyama Yoshitsugu, felt defeat was approaching and chose to surrender to the Date. Masamune agreed to accept the surrender, but on the heavy condition that the Hatakeyama give up most of their territory to the Date. This resulted in Yoshitsugu kidnapping Masamune’s father, Terumune, during their meeting in Miyamori Castle, where Terumune was staying at during the time. The incident ended with the death of Terumune while fleeing Hatakeyama men clashed with the Date troops near the Abukuma river.

A general war ensued between the Date and Hatakeyama, the latter drawing on support from the Satake, Ashina, Soma, and other local clans. The allies marched to within a half-mile of Masamune’s Motomiya-jo, assembling some 30,000 troops for the attack. Masamune, having only 7,000 warriors, prepared a defensive strategy, relying on the series of forts that guarded the approaches to Motomiya. The fighting began on the 17th of November and did not progress well for the Date. Three of his valuable forts were taken, and one of his chief retainers, Moniwa Yoshinao, was killed in a duel with an opposing commander. The attackers pressed towards the Seto River, which was the last obstacle between them and Motomiya. Date attempted to turn them back at the Hitadori Bridge but was driven back. Masamune brought his remaining forces within Motomiya’s walls and prepared for what would surely be a gallant but futile last stand. But the next morning, the main enemy contingent picked up and marched away. These were Satake Yoshishige’s men. Their lord had received word that in his absence the Satomi had attacked his lands in Hitachi. Apparently, this left the allies with fewer men than they believed possible to bring down Motomiya, for they too retreated by the end of the day. This brush with utter defeat was likely a factor in turning Masamune into the renowned general he would one day be known as. In the wake of the battle, peace was struck with the Hatakeyama and Soma, although this was to prove short-lived.

In 1589, Date defeated the Soma and bribed an important Ashina retainer, Inawashiro Morikuni, over to his side. He then assembled a powerful force and marched straight for the Ashina’s headquarters at Kurokawa. The Date and Ashina forces met at Suriagehara on 5 June when Masamune’s forces overcame the faltering Ashina ranks, breaking them. Unfortunately for the Ashina, Date men had destroyed their avenue of escape, a bridge over the Nitsubashi River, and those who did not drown attempting to swim to safety were mercilessly put to the sword.

By the battle’s end, Masamune could count something like 2,300 enemy heads in one of the more bloody and decisive battles of the Sengoku period. Masamune then proceeded to make the rich Aizu domain his base of operations.

However, this would be Date Masamune’s last expansionist adventure.

Photo credits: wattention.com

Statue of Date Masamune in the city of Sendai in the ruins of the Sendai Castle

Service under Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu

In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi seized Odawara Castle and compelled the Tōhoku-region daimyōs to participate in the campaign. Although Masamune refused Hideyoshi’s demands at first, he had no real choice in the matter since Hideyoshi was the virtual ruler of Japan. However, the delay infuriated Hideyoshi. Expecting to be executed, Masamune, wore his finest clothes showing no fear in facing his angry overlord. But Hideyoshi spared his life, saying that “He could be of some use”.

Following the conclusion of the siege, Masamune was forced to relinquish his newly won holdings in Aizu and was give Iwatesawa and the surrounding lands. Lands that would have earned him less, though. Masamune moved there in 1591, rebuilt the castle renaming it Iwadeyama, and encouraged the growth of a town at its base. Masamune stayed at Iwadeyama for 13 years and turned the region into a major political and economic centre.

He and his men served with distinction in the Korean invasions under Hideyoshi and, after Hideyoshi’s death, he began to support Tokugawa Ieyasu, apparently at the advice of Katakura Kojūrō. For this reason, Masamune was awarded the lordship of the huge and profitable Sendai Domain, which made Masamune one of Japan’s most powerful daimyōs. Tokugawa had promised Masamune a one-million koku domain but, even after substantial improvements were made, the land only produced 640,000 koku and most of the earnings were used to feed the Edo region. In 1604, Masamune, accompanied by 52,000 vassals and their families, moved to what was then the small fishing village of Sendai. He left his fourth son, Date Muneyasu, to rule Iwadeyama.

Masamune would turn Sendai into a large and prosperous city.

Although Masamune was a patron of the arts and sympathized with foreign causes, he was also an aggressive and ambitious daimyō. When he first took over the Date clan, he suffered a few major defeats from powerful and influential clans such as the Ashina. These defeats were arguably caused by recklessness on Masamune’s part.

Being a major power in northern Japan, Masamune was naturally viewed with suspicion. Toyotomi Hideyoshi had reduced the size of his land after his tardiness in coming to the Siege of Odawara against Hōjō Ujimasa. Later, Tokugawa Ieyasu increased the size of his lands again but was constantly suspicious of Masamune and his policies.

Although Tokugawa Ieyasu and other Date allies were always suspicious of him, Date Masamune, for the most part, served both Toyotomi and Tokugawa loyally. He took part in Hideyoshi’s campaigns in Korea, and in the Osaka campaigns too. When Tokugawa Ieyasu was on his deathbed, Masamune visited him and read him a piece of Zen poetry.

Masamune was highly respected for his ethics, and a still-quoted aphorism is, “Rectitude carried to excess hardens into stiffness; benevolence indulged beyond measure sinks into weakness.”

Patron of culture and Christianity

Photo Credits: wikimedia.org

A letter written by Masamune to Pope Paul V

Masamune expanded trade in the otherwise remote, backwater Tōhoku region. Although initially faced with attacks by hostile clans, he managed to overcome them after a few defeats. In the end, he eventually ruled one of the largest fiefdoms of the later Tokugawa shogunate. He built many palaces and worked on many projects to beautify the region. For 270 years, Tōhoku remained a place of tourism, trade and prosperity. Matsushima, for instance, a series of tiny islands, was praised for its beauty and serenity by the wandering haiku poet Matsuo Bashō.

Other than being known to have encouraged foreigners to come to his land, Masamune also showed sympathy for Christian missionaries and traders in Japan. In addition to allowing them to come and preach in his province, he also released the prisoner and missionary Padre Sotelo from the hands of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Date Masamune allowed Sotelo as well as other missionaries to practice their religion and win converts in Tōhoku.

Moreover, he funded and promoted an expedition to establish diplomatic relations with the Pope in Rome, even though he was likely motivated at least in part by a desire for foreign technology. In this, he was similar to other lords, such as Oda Nobunaga. For the expedition he ordered the building of the exploration ship Date Maru or San Juan Bautista, using European ship-building techniques. He sent one of his retainers, Hasekura Tsunenaga, Sotelo, and an embassy numbering 180 people on a successful voyage that included places as the Philippines, Mexico, Spain and Rome, of course. Previously, Japanese lords had never funded this sort of venture, so it was probably the first of such voyages. At least five members of the expedition stayed in Coria, Spain, to avoid the persecution of Christians in Japan. 600 of their descendants, with the surname Japón (Japan), now live in Spain.

When the Tokugawa government banned Christianity, Masamune had to obey the law reversing his position, and though disliking it, let Ieyasu persecute Christians in his domain. However, some sources suggest that Masamune’s eldest daughter, Irohahime, was a Christian.

Photo credits: it.wikipedia.org

Replica of the galleon Date Maru, or San Juan Bautista, at Ishinomaki, Japan

Masamune had 16 children, two of whom were illegitimate, with his wife and seven concubines. He died in 1636 at the age of 69. In October 1974, Date Masamune’s grave was opened. Inside, along with his remains, archaeologists discovered his tachi sword, a letterbox with a paulownia crest, and his armour. From the study of those remains, they determined Masamune to have stood 159.4cm tall, and having type B blood.

As a legendary warrior and leader, Masamune is the character of various Japanese dramas. He was also played by the famous Ken Watanabe in the popular 1987 NHK series Dokuganryū Masamune.

Photo credits: wikimedia.org

La tomba di Masamune al mausoleo di Zuihōden[:ja]

Date Masamune

Photo Credits: samurai-archives.com

Date Masamune (伊達 政宗, September 5, 1567 – June 27, 1636) was a regional ruler of Japan’s Azuchi–Momoyama period (last part of the Sengoku period) through early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful daimyōs in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he was made all the more iconic for his missing eye, as Masamune was often called dokuganryū (独眼竜), or the “One-Eyed Dragon of Ōshu”.

Early life

Date Masamune was born as Bontemaru (梵天丸) in Yonezawa Castle (in modern Yamagata Prefecture). He was the eldest son of Date Terumune, a lord of the Rikuzen area of Mutsu, and Yoshihime, a daughter of Mogami Yoshimori, daimyo of the Dewa province. He recieved the name Tojirou (藤次郎) Masamune in 1578, and the following year he married Megohime, the daughter of Tamura Kiyoaki,  lord of Miharu castle, in Mutsu Province. At the age of 14, in 1581, Masamune led his first campaign, helping his father fight the Sōma family. In 1584, at the age of 17, Masamune succeeded his father, Terumune, who chose to retire from his position as daimyō.

Masamune’s army was recognized by its black armor and golden headgear.  Masamune himself is known for a few things that made him stand out from other daimyōs of the time. In particular, his famous crescent-moon-bearing helmet won him a fearsome reputation.

As a child, smallpox robbed him of sight in his right eye, though it is unclear exactly how he lost the organ entirely. Various theories behind the eye’s condition exist. Some sources say he plucked out the eye himself when a senior member of the clan pointed out that an enemy could grab it in a fight. Others say that he had his trusted retainer Katakura Kojūrō gouge out the eye for him, and this, together with his fearsome temperament, made him the ‘One-Eyed Dragon’ of Ōshu.

Military campaign

The Date clan had built alliances with neighboring clans through marriages over previous generations, but local disputes remained commonplace. Shortly after Masamune’s succession in 1584, a Date retainer named Ōuchi Sadatsuna defected to the Ashina clan of the Aizu region. Masamune declared war on Ōuchi and the Ashina for this betrayal, and started a campaign to hunt down Sadatsuna. Many clans, even formerly amicable allies, fell. In the winter of 1585, one of these allies, Hatakeyama Yoshitsugu, felt defeat was approaching and chose to surrender to the Date. Masamune agreed to accept the surrender, but on the heavy condition that the Hatakeyama give up most of their territory to the Date. This resulted in Yoshitsugu kidnapping Masamune’s father, Terumune, during their meeting in Miyamori Castle, where Terumune was staying at during the time. The incident ended with the death of Terumune, while fleeing Hatakeyama men clashed with the Date troops near the Abukuma river.

A general war ensued between the Date and Hatakeyama, the latter drawing on support from the Satake, Ashina, Soma, and other local clans. The allies marched to within a half-mile of Masamune’s Motomiya-jo, assembling some 30,000 troops for the attack. Masamune, having only 7,000 warriors, prepared a defensive strategy, relying on the series of forts that guarded the approaches to Motomiya. The fighting began on the 17th of November, and did not progress well for the Date. Three of his valuable forts were taken, and one of his chief retainers, Moniwa Yoshinao, was killed in a duel with an opposing commander. The attackers pressed towards the Seto River, which was the last obstacle between them and Motomiya. Date attempted to turn them back at the Hitadori Bridge, but was driven back. Masamune brought his remaining forces within Motomiya’s walls, and prepared for what would surely be a gallant but futile last stand. But the next morning,the main enemy contingent picked up and marched away. These were Satake Yoshishige’s men. Their lord had received word that in his absence the Satomi had attacked his lands in Hitachi. Apparently this left the allies with fewer men than they believed possible to bring down Motomiya, for they too retreated by the end of the day. This brush with utter defeat was likely a factor in turning Masamune into the renowned general he would one day be known as. In the wake of the battle, peace was struck with the Hatakeyama and Soma, although this was to prove short-lived.

In 1589, Date defeated the Soma, and bribed an important Ashina retainer, Inawashiro Morikuni, over to his side. He then assembled a powerful force and marched straight for the Ashina’s headquarters at Kurokawa. The Date and Ashina forces met at Suriagehara on 5 June when Masamune’s forces overcame the faltering Ashina ranks, breaking them. Unfortunately for the Ashina, Date men had destroyed their avenue of escape, a bridge over the Nitsubashi River, and those who did not drown attempting to swim to safety were mercilessly put to the sword.

By the battle’s end, Masamune could count something like 2,300 enemy heads in one of the more bloody and decisive battles of the Sengoku period. Masamune then proceeded to make the rich Aizu domain his base of operations.

However, this would be Date Masamune’s last expansionist adventure.

Photo credits: wattention.com

Statua di Date Masamune nella città di Sendai sulle rovine del Castello di Sendai,

Service under Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu

In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi seized Odawara Castle and compelled the Tōhoku-region daimyōs to participate in the campaign. Although Masamune refused Hideyoshi’s demands at first, he had no real choice in the matter since Hideyoshi was the virtual ruler of Japan. However, the delay infuriated Hideyoshi. Expecting to be executed, Masamune, wore his finest clothes showing no fear in facing  his angry overlord. But Hideyoshi spared his life, saying that “He could be of some use”.

Following the conclusion of the siege, Masamune was forced to relinquish his newly won holdings in Aizu and was give Iwatesawa and the surrounding lands. Lands that would have earned him less, though. Masamune moved there in 1591, rebuilt the castle renaming it Iwadeyama, and encouraged the growth of a town at its base. Masamune stayed at Iwadeyama for 13 years and turned the region into a major political and economic center.

He and his men served with distinction in the Korean invasions under Hideyoshi and, after Hideyoshi’s death, he began to support Tokugawa Ieyasu, apparently at the advice of Katakura Kojūrō. For this reason Masamune was awarded with the lordship of the huge and profitable Sendai Domain, which made Masamune one of Japan’s most powerful daimyōs. Tokugawa had promised Masamune a one-million koku domain but, even after substantial improvements were made, the land only produced 640,000 koku. And most of the earnings were used to feed the Edo region. In 1604, Masamune, accompanied by 52,000 vassals and their families, moved to what was then the small fishing village of Sendai. He left his fourth son, Date Muneyasu, to rule Iwadeyama.

Masamune would turn Sendai into a large and prosperous city.

Although Masamune was a patron of the arts and sympathized with foreign causes, he was also an aggressive and ambitious daimyō. When he first took over the Date clan, he suffered a few major defeats from powerful and influential clans such as the Ashina. These defeats were arguably caused by recklessness on Masamune’s part.

Being a major power in northern Japan, Masamune was naturally viewed with suspicion. Toyotomi Hideyoshi had reduced the size of his land after his tardiness in coming to the Siege of Odawara against Hōjō Ujimasa. Later, Tokugawa Ieyasu increased the size of his lands again, but was constantly suspicious of Masamune and his policies.

Although Tokugawa Ieyasu and other Date allies were always suspicious of him, Date Masamune for the most part served both Toyotomi and Tokugawa loyally. He took part in Hideyoshi’s campaigns in Korea, and in the Osaka campaigns too. When Tokugawa Ieyasu was on his deathbed, Masamune visited him and read him a piece of Zen poetry.

Masamune was highly respected for his ethics, and a still-quoted aphorism is, “Rectitude carried to excess hardens into stiffness; benevolence indulged beyond measure sinks into weakness.”

Patron of culture and Christianity

Photo Credits: wikimedia.org

Una lettera scritta da Masamune al Papa Paolo V

Masamune expanded trade in the otherwise remote, backwater Tōhoku region. Although initially faced with attacks by hostile clans, he managed to overcome them after a few defeats. In the end, he eventually ruled one of the largest fiefdoms of the later Tokugawa shogunate. He built many palaces and worked on many projects to beautify the region. For 270 years, Tōhoku remained a place of tourism, trade and prosperity. Matsushima, for instance, a series of tiny islands, was praised for its beauty and serenity by the wandering haiku poet Matsuo Bashō.

Other than being known to have encourage foreigners to come to his land, Masamune also showed sympathy for Christian missionaries and traders in Japan. In addition to allowing them to come and preach in his province, he also released the prisoner and missionary Padre Sotelo from the hands of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Date Masamune allowed Sotelo as well as other missionaries to practice their religion and win converts in Tōhoku.

Moreover, he funded and promoted an expedition to establish diplomatic relations with the Pope in Rome, even though he was likely motivated at least in part by a desire for foreign technology. In this, he was similar to other lords, such as Oda Nobunaga. For the expedition he ordered the building of the exploration ship Date Maru or San Juan Bautista, using European ship-building techniques. He sent one of his retainers, Hasekura Tsunenaga, Sotelo, and an embassy numbering 180 people on a successful voyage that included places as the Philippines, Mexico, Spain and Rome, of course. Previously, Japanese lords had never funded this sort of venture, so it was probably the first of such voyages. At least five members of the expedition stayed in Coria, Spain, to avoid the persecution of Christians in Japan. 600 of their descendants, with the surname Japón (Japan), are now living in Spain.

When the Tokugawa government banned Christianity, Masamune had to obey the law reversing his position, and though disliking it, let Ieyasu persecute Christians in his domain. However, some sources suggest that Masamune’s eldest daughter, Irohahime, was a Christian.

Photo credits: it.wikipedia.org

Replica del galeone Date Maru, o San Juan Bautista, a Ishinomaki, Giappone

Masamune had 16 children, two of whom were illegitimate, with his wife and seven concubines. He died in 1636 at the age of 69. In October 1974, Date Masamune’s grave was opened. Inside, along with his remains, archaeologists discovered his tachi sword, a letter box with a paulownia crest, and his armor. From the study of those remains, they determined Masamune to have stood 159.4cm tall, and having type B blood.

As legendary warrior and leader, Masamune is the character of various Japanese dramas. He was also played by the famous Ken Watanabe in the popular 1987 NHK series Dokuganryū Masamune.

Photo credits: wikimedia.org

La tomba di Masamune al mausoleo di Zuihōden[:]