#106
106. ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY PRINCE KANENAGA OF A PROMISE
                               OF SERVICE, 1358 
                             (Okamoto docs.; also KK, VII.)
ABOUT 1355-1357, Shimadzu Sadahisa seemed to have sunk to the lowest depths of his difficulties.
His inveterate enemy Hatakeyama Nao-aki was active over a great part of Hiuga and Osumi, and
carried war to the very gate of Kagoshima,1 which was defended by Sadahisa's son Ujihisa. The
latter was so harassed that, late in 1355, he temporarily capitulated to the Prince's lieutenant,
Sanjo;2 by a process of reaction, Nao-aki reverted to the side of the sho-gun. In the same year, the
enemy in Satsuma of the Shimadzu had besieged Kushikino,3 though unsuccessfully, and attacked
the fortresses of Ki-mure and Chishiki4 in the north, where Sadahisa and his son Morohisa, re-
spectively, had their headquarters. On 9 December 1355, Morohisa appealed to Takauji and
Yoshiakira, at Kyoto, personally to come to his succor, for else, said he, "he would abandon the
kuni and come to the Capital";3 but Takauji's promise to lead an expedition to Satsuma5 failed of
fulfilment. At last in the Spring of 1358 Sadahisa temporarily joined his forces with Kikuchi
Takemitsu, the champion of the valiant Prince, and aided in the extension of the sphere of the
latter's influence in middle and north Kyu-shu, Where he had at this time become paramount. In
return, Takemitsu assisted Sadahisa in defeating Hatakeyama Nao-aki at Mukasa. Sadahisa proba-
bly considered that the aim of his alliance with the Kikuchi was thus accomplished: his further
service could hardly be expected by the Prince.
  Documents do not exist which refer to the conduct of the Shibuya during these eventful years.
In his appeal to the sho-gun, dated 3 May 1354,6 Shimadzu Morohisa Suggested that orders be issued
to the Shibuya tribe and the ji-to and go ke-nin to serve with Morohisa. It is likely that the
Shibuya were on the whole inactive and regarded by the shu-go with s sort of apprehensive solici-
tude. In the following letter by a councillor of the Prince addressed in 1358 to Okamoto Shigeoki,
it is implied that the latter had indicated his intention to serve for the Prince, but it is unknown 
whether Shigeoki had been constant in his support of the Prince since 1352, (cf. No. 102).

    "[HIS Highness] has heard that you would hasten to his side and render service
in arms. Stated thus.
P263
  "Sho-hei 13 y. 3 m. 6 d. [14 April 1358].      Shu-ri dai-bu, (monogram).
  "[To] the residence of Shibuya Kuro Saemon no zho."


1Yamada Sho-yei zhi-ki. 2Ujihisa returned to the Northern side in 1360, which event brought about a brief truce between the Shimadzu and Nao-aki. 3Morohisa's letter, Bunna 4 y. 11 m. 5 d.: Shimadzu docs. 4Ujihisa's letter, Bunna 4 y. 6 m. 18 d.: Rui-zhu kan-rin shu. 5Takauji's order, 11 m. 10 d.: SK, XIX. 6Bunna 3 y. 4 m. 10 d.: Nan-zan zhun-shu roku, supp.