Munakata Saikaku
Munakata Saikaku | |
|---|---|
宗像 才鶴 | |
 Munakata Shrine Shimmon Gate | |
| Munakata clan head | |
| In office 1586–Unknown | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 16th-century |
| Died | Unknown |
| Nationality |  Kyūshū Campaign |
Munakata Saikaku (宗像 才鶴) was a Japanese female samurai warlord, aristocrat and
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three ''Japan's Great unifier'', sent letters to Munakata Saikaku of the Munakata clan, famed for producing successive generations of "daiguji," the highest-ranking priest of Munakata Taisha shrine. Saikaku was the wife of Ujisada, the last daiguji of the Shinto shrine, which is a part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The letter sent by Hideyoshi, congratulated her on her military achievements during her fight against the
Hideyoshi's letter
The letter was discovered on September 18, 2019, attracting the attention of several people because of a peculiar fact in Japanese history: A woman being appointed as head of a clan by a powerful feudal lord. The two rare letters, one a "hanmotsu" official document signed with Hideyoshi's "kao" stylized signature, and a "shuinjo" letter with a red seal, were handed down through successive generations of the Munakata clan, which served the ruling
Munakata Ujisada died suddenly in 1586, a year before Hideyoshi conquered the Kyushu region. Hideyoshi praises the Munakata clan for preventing the Shimazu clan, which was in southern Kyushu, from going north. In gratitude, he issued "hanmotsu" that same year, ensuring that the clan can maintain its territories.[citation needed]
In the "shuinjo", the warlord instructs the Munakata clan to consult with his vassal, Asano Nagamasa, before sending troops to Kyoto. Both letters were addressed to Saikaku, showing that Hideyoshi acknowledged her as head of the Munakata clan. Although Saikaku is mentioned as the female lord of the Munakata clan in letters passed down to other samurai families, little had been known about her life and fate.[2]
See also
References
- ^ "秀吉認めた「女領主」 宗像大社大宮司への書状見つかる：朝日新聞デジタル". 朝日新聞デジタル (in Japanese). 20 September 2019. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
- ^ INC, SANKEI DIGITAL (2019-09-18). "宗像氏への秀吉文書発見 才鶴を後継者とみなし宛てたか". 産経ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-11-26.
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