Pirate War Lords during the Age of Provincial Wars

I pay attention to Kono Clan, especially Kono Michinao (? – 1587), who was the last head of the clan. Kono Clan was a major pirate war lord, but sank into obscurity in the history in the shadow of Mori Clan, one of the most powerful war lords. Let me introduce Kono Clan’s profile. Some of successive heads of the clan at the time were invalid or short-lived (Michinao, for example, is said to have died at the age of 24), and the clan was having power games for its headship. As a result, even local scholars have regarded the clan as a minor small and weak war lord. However, after all, Kono Clan was a medieval distinguished family who ruled Iyo. Kono Clan’s hongan (the surname’s place) was Kono, Kazahaya Couty, Iyo Country (today’s Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture). The clan produced Kono Michinobu, who played an important role in Gen-Pei Battle (battles between Minamoto Clan and Taira Clan), and who also was a grandfather of Ippen Chishin, a founder of the Ji Sect; also Kono Michiari, who was reputed as a brave during the attack by Yuan Dynasty; and etc. In Chugoku and Shikoku areas, Kono Clan was the only guardian lord who could maintain their territory even after Ouchi Clan in Suo was ruined. Moreover, in the end of the Age of Provincial Wars, Kono Clan organized powerful pirate clans such as Murakami Clan and Kurushima Clan as senior vassals, ruled Iyo country, and had power over the Inland Sea areas. Kono Clan’s distinguished character can be proved with the fact that they were given such high-ranking honors. For instance, the heads of Kono Clan during the Age of Provincial Wars were allowed to use the yakata title. The title was permitted to those such as Ashikaga Clan, who were treated as highly as guardian lords, clans who had been guardian clans for generations and who could attain important positions in the shogunate, and clans who rendered distinguished service to the shogunate. They also joined in shoban-shu, a member of suite or retinue, a second-high position next to shogun aide who can attend a banquet in shogun’s palace and who can accompany shogun when he visited other families. They were also given a public position, sakyo-no-daibu, equal to sishiki-ke who provided a chief officer in judicature /prosecution/police. Recent studies have shed light on the fact that Muromachi Shogunate’s honoring hierarchy deeply penetrated into local samurai societies, and was meaningful for war lords in justifying their authority in the Age of Provincial Wars. Kono Clan’s social status and authority were very high compared with those of Chosokabe Clan, who were at war with Kono Clan. Let me introduce Kono Clan in Mino, today’s Gifu. Inaba Yoshimichi, who had another name Iyo-no-kami Ittetsu and whose son, Sadamichi made the first lord of Usuki Domain in Bungo (a part of today’s Oita); Hitotsuyanagi Naosue (the lord of Karuminishi Castle in Mino) and Hitotsuyanagi Naomori (the first lord of Saijo Domain in Iyo); and some other powerful lords of manors in Mino were in search of their roots in Kono Clan, a noble family. Recently, Kono Clan in Kai (today’s Yamanishi) was brought to light, who were descendants of Kono Clan’s branch family, Yoshu Family, moved to Kai, served Takeda Clan, and made a direct retainer of Tokugawa Shogun. As our studies progress, the expansion of the clan will be revealed. Recent excavations show that Kono Clan’s main castle, Yuduki-jo Castle, was an advanced castle on a low hill surrounded in a plain with massive-scale inner moat, outer moat, and earthen ramparts. I was shocked when I made a field trip to Yuduki-jo Castle to find the remnants of its large-scale citadel excavated and repaired, and to observe a large quantity of relics including high-quality imported ceramics with a markedly international character. I realized that the image of Kono Clan, which had been built hitherto on surviving texts, and which is hence much biased, should be eradicated. It is also important that Yuduki-jo Castle’s surrounding areas attracted travelers and pilgrims nationwide. Its castle town, Dogo, has a nationwide famous hot spring, and has many well-known religious institutions, such as Ishite-ji Temple, which is connected to Kono Clan and the 51st of the 88 Kwannon Temples in Shikoku; Hogon-ji Temple, where Ippen Shonin, the founder of Ji-shu Sect of Buddhism, was born; and Isaniwa Shrine, which is one of the oldest shrines that were listed in a law enforced in 967, and which was removed due to the construction of Yuduki-jo Castle.