THE HISTORIOGRAPHICAL INSTITUTE THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
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#117
117. PRINCE KANENAGA'S PROMISE OF REWARD TO SHIBUYA
SHIGEYORI, 1373
(Iriki-in docs.; also KK, III.)
WHETHER in devotion to the Court of Yoshino or in opposition to the Shimadzu, the Iriki-in war-
riors had, as has been shown, already declared themselves in favor of the Southern party. It may
be recalled that in his documents of 1371 Shigekado used the Southern year-period Ken-toku1 (No.
115). When the first of Ryo-Shun's calls reached them, the Iriki-in had already fought gallantly
on the side of his enemy. Suddenly breaking the state of truce which had for a time obtained in
Satsuma, Shigekado led forces of the four branches of the Shibuya, namely, the Keto-in, the Togo,
the Taki, and the Iriki-in, and attacked, on 24 July 1372, the Mine fortress at Takae, near the
mouth of the river Sendai. This had been erected by Shimadzu Morohisa, and was guarded by his
kinsman Yamada Tadafusa. The besiegers were first repulsed, but "Shigekado descended into the
moat," say the memoirs of Yamada Sho-Yei, "and climbing upon the bank, attacked [the fortress],
when his helmet was broken [by a stone missile],2 and he sank to the bottom of the moat, and
perished."3 Undaunted the men of Shibuya invaded the fortress in successive assaults, and finally
took it. Tadafusa, the deputy shu-go Sakawa, and scores of other leaders on the Shimadzu side fell
in the unsuccessful defense.
At that time, one of the two Shimadzu shu-go, Morohisa, was at the fortress Ikari-yama by the
same river some seven miles east of Takae, while the other, Ujihisa, was far away at Shibushi, in
Osumi. The Shibuya, now augmented by reinforcements from Hishigari and Ushikuso in northern
Satsuma and from Kuma in southern Higo, turned to Morohisa's stronghold at Ikari-yama, and
closely invested it. The latter's situation became critical. Alarmed by the news, Ujihisa hastened by
sea and land to his brother's succor, halting more than once on the way to await recruits from his
vassals, and impeded in his progress by an unexpected resistance of the Ichiku. When at length he
came to the striking distance of the enemy, the latter raised the siege and cleared himself away
under cover of night, and Ikari-yama was saved.4 So was deferred for a time a decisive duel be-
tween the Shimadzu and the Iriki-in.
The following letter was written by order of Prince Kanenaga by his councillor Fujiwara Tane-
fusa; the Prince was sojourning with his supporters at Kikuchi, in Higo. Orders by an imperial
Prince or an empress were called ryo-shi.
"[HIS Imperial Highness] has heard with praise that your father died at the battle of
the Mine fortress, in Satsuma. You will be rewarded. By order, his word is transmitted
thus.
"Bun-chu 1 y. 12 m. 21 d. [11 January 1373]. Sa sho-zho,5 (monogram).
"Shibuya Tora-goro dono."
1Each Court chose its own year-periods, which were used by its adherents.
2Shimadzu koku-shi, vii, 3. 3Yamada Sho-yei zhi-ki.
4Ibid.
5An official title in the imperial guard; the bearer was Tanefusa.