Kono Clan, a Pirate War Lord

The first entry in written document about Murakami Clans was Nojima Murakami Clan. To-ji Temple’s cashbooks in 1349, the fifth year of Jowa, remain and can read “a gift money for eating and drinking for Nojima”. It implies that Nojima Murakami Clan was guarding the To-ji Temple’s manor against villain forces’ embezzling. In the middle of 15th Century, however, another entry blames Nojima Murakami Clan for their embezzling the manor forcefully as a pirate. Pirate people guarded a manor when they were employed, but were ready to embezzle the manor when not employed. They were that type of medieval samurais on the sea. Murakami Bukichi, a well-known historical figure in the Age of Provincial Wars, became the leader of Murakami Clan, having defeated Murakami Yoshiyasu, his cousin, and Kurushima Michiyasu, who supported Yoshiyasu, with the help of Murakami Takashige, his uncle. After Yoshimasu died of illness, Bukichi negotiated a peace, married Michiyasu’s daughter as a lawful wife, became the leader of all Santo Murakami Clans, and made every possible effort as an important vassal of Kono Michinao. The next appearance was that of In’noshima Murakami Clan. On December 11, 1427, in the 34th year of Oei, Ashikaga Yoshimochi wrote a half-public letter of gratitude to Murakami Bicchu Nyudo (Yoshisuke), who is supposed to belong to the clan. In 1434, in the 6th year of Eikyo, “Murakami, a pirate in Bingo State” was appointed as a guard of ships to Ming Dynasty China on the recommendation of Yamana Clan. This “Murakami” is supposed to be In’noshima Murakami Clan. The indubitable historical document on which Kurushima Murakami Clan first appeared is munefuda (namely ridge plate), a kind of a list of donors of building expenses, of Ohama Yahata Shrine in the fourth year of Taiei, or in 1524. Later Kurushima Michiyasu granted the asylum of Kono Michinao, the then leader of Kono Clan, in Kurushima Island when Kono Clan’s family struggle broke out. Michinao rewarded Michiyasu with the license to use Kono Clan’s family crest. That means Kurushima Murakami Clan came to be treated nominally as a member of Kono Clan. Later even in Edo Period, Kurushima Clan’s leaders used “michi” in their first names. The documents mentioned above show that those three Murakami Clans were active as late as in Muromachi Period, but it surely suggests that they had been active for years before their appearances in the documents. Three Murakami Clans as pirate people placed Kono Clan as their master family. Kono Clan has its roots in Ochi Clan, and share the same ancestor with Ohofuri Clan, Shinto priests of Oyamazumi Shrine, which enshrine the god of the sea. It clearly suggests why and how Kono Clan, as a pirate war lord, kept the top of the pirate society. Pirate people are liable to have a quick eye for gain and to be too realistic to maintain strong relationship of lord and vassal. They are sometimes regarded as something like mercenary soldiers. They were certainly wide awake and were shifting their military alignment with Otomo Clan, to that with Ouchi Clan, Mori Clan, Uragami Clan, Miyoshi Clan and etc. However, although they sometimes conflicted, they were consistently regarding Kono Clan, the guardian of Iyo State, as their lord with no doubt. Their political maneuvers should be understood in this regard. The outstanding pirate lord was definitely Kono Clan, who used to organize Murakami Navies as their vassals. For example, as I described before, Murakami Clan’s meritorious services in the Battle of Kidu-gawa estuary was praised by Ashikaga Yoshiaki through giving a letter of appreciation to Kono Michinao. For another example, Kurushima Murakami Clan, when Michiyasu was the leader, enjoyed power as a main vassal of Kono Michinobu and climbed the power ladder by being treated as if they had been a member of Kono Clan. Even In’noshima Murakami Clan, whose stronghold was In’noshima Island in Bingo State and who enjoyed close relations with Yamana, Ouchi, and Mori Clans, received a letter of appreciation from Kono Norimichi, a guardian of Iyo State.