Japan's Interesting People:Masamune Date

This is another episode of *Japan's Interesting People*, where we talk about some of Japan's well-known figures from past and present.

On this page, we will talk about another great Samurai Warlord: *Masamune Date*. He was one of the greatest Samurai Warlords of the Northern Part of Honshu (Japan's biggest island in the Archipelago). He was a brilliant battle tactician and is also known for his distinct physical appearance, and that would be the patch over his right eye, with it and his tactician skills he was given the nickname *Dokuganryu* (*The One-Eyed Dragon*).

But what was his life about? This is what this page will try to cover.

## Birth and Early Life

Masamune Date was born in the castle which was in the small Japanese town of *Yonezawa*on September 5, 1567, under the name *Bontemaru*, he was the oldest son of the other Samurai Lord *Terumune*.

Now, little was known about Masamune's Life as a lot of it is rumors and half-truths and especially on how he lost his right eye. Some say he took the eye out, either have a loyal retainer remove it from the socket or he removed it himself, while others say that Masamune contracted Smallpox as a child which cost him the use of his right eye.

What is officially known is that his father gave him permission to lead troops in battle when he was only 14 years old as the Date Clan was fighting the Soma Clan in an unknown battle. Around 3 years later, his father would step down from his military duties, thus allowing Masamune to succeed him.

## Masamune and Western Stuff

Masamune was (like some other Samurai Warlords) were into the stuff that the Portuguese Merchants brought with them in 1543 which included guns and even Christianity. Along with Masamune converting to Christianity, he also saw the importance of the use in firearms in Japanese Warfare, and this would also allow him to gain the advantage of some of the rival clans of Northern Honshu such as these battles about to be mentioned.

### Battle of Hitotoribashi

According to Sengoku Jidai Legend, Masamune's father died by a rival warlord *Yoshitsugu Nihonmatsu* (now the legend of Masamune's father telling Masamune to shoot and kill him so that he's not a hostage to Yoshitsugu remains a myth to this day). Shortly after his father's death, Masamune sought revenge against the Nihonmatsu for what they did to his father. He leads troops to try to find the Nihonmatsu. The 2 clans met at a place which was called *Hitotoribashi* in October 1585.

Masamune's forces were heavily outnumbered (7,000 challenging the enemy's 30,000), and though Masamune's forces were at one time pinned down by the numerically superior enemy, once they fall back to *Motomiya Castle*, they fortified the walls around the castle, despite some problems the Date Clan were able to defeat Nihonmatsu and his allies and were forced to retreat.

### Battle of Surihagehara

Another clan in Northern Honshu was also on the rise to challenge the Date, this time it is the Ashina Clan. In the year 1589, the Ashina tried to take the castle of *Kurokawa,*one of the retainers of the Ashina Clan (*Morikuni Inawashiro*) switched sides and went to the Date, and Masamune easily won and took the castle.

For a few months, the Ashina wanted to get back the Date, on July 17 still in the year 1589. The Ashina along with the Satake Clan then met the Date at a place called *Surihagehara.* The Date easily outnumbering the Ashina-Satake alliance defeated the clans, this victory allowed Masamune to seize all of the Mutsu Province.

## Serving Hideyoshi

As 1590 came around, *Hideyoshi Toyotomi* was gradually becoming Japan's most powerful warlord and as he began his campaign for Odawara Castle in the same year, he also wanted the warlords in the Tohoku Region to help him in this siege (which included the Date Clan). Masamune at first refused the offer, but in the end, he had no choice but to serve the warlord, but Masamune delayed which didn't make Hideyoshi very happy, and so a meeting was arranged between Hideyoshi and Masamune.

At first, Masamune thought that Hideyoshi intends to execute him for his refusal to cooperate. But, with some negotiations, Masamune was able to convince Hideyoshi not kill Masamune as Hideyoshi was willing to give him a second chance, so Masamune decides to side with the Toyotomi, but in turn, Masamune must give up his family's regions to the Toyotomi. Masamune was forced to move to *Iwadesawa* (later would be re-named *Iwadeyama*) and built a new castle in the region. By 1591, Masamune has aided Hideyoshi for his campaign for mainland Asia, starting with *Koryu*and *Joseon* (modern-day North and South Korea respectively).

## Masamune and Western Influence

During the 1590s and along with helping Hideyoshi take Korea, Masamune also helped with Western Influence in the domains he had control over. He allowed foreigners to come into his controlled regions (which included Christian Missionaries), and due to his fascination with western weaponry, he also tried to form relations with Europe (which included Pope Paul the 5th. He also had western-style ships to be built and registered in Japan, one of them was called the *San Juan Bautista* (or *Date Maru* how it's known in Japan).

## Siding with Tokugawa

Following the death of Hideyoshi in 1598, the country was again fractured and the fate of Japan lied in Hideyoshi's 5 elders who swore to Hideyoshi to look after the 5-year old Hideyori. Masamune's loyal retainer *Kojiro Katakura* suggested to Masamune to side with the Tokugawa. By agreeing to join the Tokugawa, Ieyasu has given Masamune the domain of *Sendai,*thus making Masamune one of Japan's powerful warlords. Masamune would prove crucial in Tokugawa's rise to power, though he didn't actively help Ieyasu even when Ieyasu became the Shogun in 1603, but he did present aid to the Shogun in their campaign for Osaka Castle, but sometime before the campaign Ieyasu made practicing Christianity against the law and to prove his loyalty to Ieyasu, Masamune decided to give up the religion. A year after the siege of Osaka castle and with Ieyasu dying, Masamune attended the funeral and told him to read him a piece of Zen poetry.

## Death and Legacy

Masamune died on June 27, 1636, at the age of 68. However, not one of the greatest of Japanese warlords, but won some major battles in Northern Honshu as well as helping some of Japan's greatest warlords such as Hideyoshi and Ieyasu. Eventhough he would come under some suspicion from both his enemies and his allies, but still he remained loyal to other warlords whether or not he helped them.

Want to know about Ieyasu and his rise to power, just click on the link here.

This will conclude this page on *Japan's Interesting People*. Don't forget to check out my other pages as well as my Games and Movies wikis. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.