Toyotomi Hideyoshi—The Third Pirate King of Japan (0-12)

     The most remarkable contribution Nomi Munekatsu (1527-1592) made to the Mori Clan’s domination over the West Seto Inland Sea was that he mediated between the clan and Murakami Pirates.  Murakami Pirates were composed of In-no-shima Murakami Family, No-shima Murakami Family, and Kuru-shima Murakami Family from North to South.  Each family’s headquarters was based in In-no-shima Island, No-shima Island, and Kuru-shima Island respectively.  Munekatsu’s daughter was married to Murakami Yoshisuke (?-1596), who was the 7th head of In-no-shima Murakami Family.  Munekatsu made good use of the relationship by the marriage.

     Mori Motonari (1497-1571) and Sue Harukata (1521-1555), who had usurped the domain of the Ouchi Clan, clashed against each other around Itsuku-shima Island in 1555 over the hegemony in the Western Chugoku District.  Kuru-shima Murakami Family had been wavering between the 2 clans just until the battle broke out.

     Itsuku-shima Island was a holly island, and thus used not to be inhabitable.  It was, however, the Warring States Period, and wars were always shameless.

     In May, 1554, Motonari built Miya-no-o Castle at the north-east corner of Itsuku-shima Island, the nearest spot in the island from his domain.  After fighting some preludes on the mainland, Harukata sent out his large army of 20000 to Itsuku-shima Island on September the 21st, 1555, landed on the island on the 22nd, and pitched his main camp at To-no-oka, from where he could looked down at Miya-no-o Castle.  He started attacking the castle on the 23rd, and had cut the source of the water supply and had filled in the outer moats of the castle by the 27th.  On the very 27th, Motonari was still writing to Kobayakawa Takakage (1533-1597), his third son, grumbling whether Kuru-shima Murakami Pirates were going to support his clan or not.