The Saji Sea Forces (1)

     In Ancient Japan, the term “Eastern Provinces” meant those east to the Suzuka Mountain Range.  It means Owari, Ise, and Shima Provinces all belonged to Eastern Provinces.  In contrast to pirates in Western Provinces, such as the Murakami Clan in the Seto Inland Sea, we can scarcely find famous pirates in the East.  Even Kuki Yoshitaka (1542-1600) in Shima Province, who was famous as a pirate warlord at the time, was a descendant of Kumano Sea Forces in Kii Province, which used to belong to Nan-kai-do, literally South Sea Lane Region.

     However, let me introduce some sea forces in Eastern Provinces so as that you would not believe there used to be no sea forces or pirates in Eastern Japan.

     According to a half-legendary story, Taira Narikuni (?-?) was the son of Koretoki (?-?) and the younger brother of Naokata (?-?), and he came to live in Saji, Koga County, Omi Province in 1062.  Since then, his family called themselves Saji.  In 1470’s, Saji Tametsugu (?-?), the head of the family at the time, sent his third son, Tametsuna (?-?), to Chita County, Owari Province, to answer the request from Isshiki Yoshiharu (1466-1484), who belonged to a branch family of the Isshiki Clan, which was struggling to cling to the power at the time.  Tametsugu served Yoshiharu in the county.