Akamatsu (clan)

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Akamatsu coat of arms (16-leaf chrysatheme with two bars)
Akamatsu coat of arms (5-7 paulownie with two bars)

The Akamatsu ( Japanese 赤松 氏 , Akamatsu-shi ) were a family of the Japanese sword nobility that belonged to the Harima daimyō. They were descended from Minamoto Morifusa ( Murakami Genji ).

Genealogy (selection)

  • Suefusa (季 房) descended from Morifusa in the sixth generation. He was the first to call himself Akamatsu , after the place in the province of Harima where he had settled and built the Shirahata Castle (白旗 城) around 1110.
  • Norimura (則 村; 1277-1350) was a great follower of Zen Buddhism . So he shaved young hair and called himself Enshin (圓心), that is the name by which he is best known. In 1333 he raised troops on the instructions of Prince Morinaga Shinnō, marched to Kyoto, struck Hōjō Nakatoki (北 條 仲 時; 1306-1333) and captured Rokuhara. Shortly afterwards, Emperor Go-Daigo also returned to the city and rewarded Norimura by giving him the title "Harima no Shugo" (播 磨 守護) and transferring the province of Harima to him. Shortly afterwards, however, his property was revoked, leaving only the area of ​​Sayo. Annoyed by this, Norimura switched to the Ashikaga side and became an irreplaceable advisor to the South Court. While Ashikaga Takauji was raising troops in Kyūshū, he stopped Nitta Yoshisada . Then he turned east with Takauji and fought at Minatogawa.
  • Norisuke (則 祐; 1312–1371), a son of Norimura, was a monk on the monastery mountain Hiei . But impressed by Prince Morinaga (護 良 親王; 1308–1335) he gave up his monastic life and supported his father in raising troops against the Hōjō. He later followed Norimura to the north camp and after his death became governor of Harima.
  • Yoshinori (義 則; 1358-1427) enjoyed a high reputation with Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu , who counted him among his ministers. After the end of the Yamana , Yoshinori was able to expand his holdings to include the province of Mimasaka and various areas of the provinces Inaba and Tamba . He later shaved his head and called himself "Shōsho" as a monk. Because he was of small stature, he was jokingly called "tripod monk" (三尺 入道, Sanshaku Nyūdō).
  • Mitsusuke (満 祐; 1381–1441) followed a father, but Mochisada, a relative, intrigued against him at the court of Shogun Yoshimochi to obtain the domains. When he heard that the shogun was about to agree, he returned to Harima and began to strengthen the fortifications of his Shirahata Castle. Yoshimochi sent Hosokawa Mochimoto and Yamana Tokinori against him, but when the majority of the daimyo spoke out in favor of Mitsusuke, it seemed to the shogun better to break it off. Mochisada had to commit Seppuku , Mitsusuke was able to return to Kyoto in 1427, shaved his hair and called himself Shogu. Yoshimochi died a short time later, his brother Yoshinori succeeded him. Sadamura, Mochisada's son, reported at court that his father had to commit suicide because of Mitsusuke's intrigue and that Mitsusuke had to pay for it. Mitsusuke, informed of this by his son, invited the Shogun to a banquet and had him murdered on this occasion. Mitsusuke fled to his castle, where he was promptly attacked by Hosokawa Mochiyuki, Akamatsu Sadamura, Takeda Nobukata, Yamana Mochitoyo, and others. Mitsusuke took his own life in a hopeless situation, and his son Noriyasu followed suit.

Remarks

  1. ↑ The chrysanthemum was taken over by the Akamatsu from Prince Morinaga.
  2. ↑ The Paulownie was taken over by the Akamatsu from the Ashikaga.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Takahashi, Ken'ichi: Akamatsu coat of arms . In: Kamon - Hatamoto Hachiman koma.

literature

  • Takahashi, Ken'ichi: Akamatsu . In: Kamon - Hatamoto Hachiman koma. Akita Shoten, 1976.
  • Papinot, Edmond: Akamatsu . In: Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan. Reprinted by Tuttle, 1972 edition of 1910 edition. ISBN 0-8048-0996-8 .