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Date
Date-mon
Historical Information
Located at: Minamitōhoku, Tōhoku region
Served:
Crest(s)/Banner(s): Two sparrows surrounded by bamboo (pictured)
Sixteen petal chrysanthemum
Go-shichi (five-seven) paulownia
Nine rays of sunlight
A shepherd's-purse
Snow on maiden grass
Talent(s): Bountiful wealth
Prized horses and cavalry
Expert swordsmiths
Early foreign trade
Major Figure(s): Masamune (1st), Narimune, Tanemune, Terumune, Masamune (2nd), Munenari

The Date clan, also known as the Idate clan, is a prominent samurai family in Japan. Originating from the Fujiwara Hokke, the clan's origins can be traced back to Hitatchi Ninyoudosai, a servant of Minamoto no Yoritomo. The clan broke off into several parts of the land by the Kamakura period, with the seventh head destroying the Nagai family and taking their territory. The clan eventually surrendered to the Ashikaga shogunate. However, the first Masamune, who opposed the family's lands being cut, made a quiet rebellion and allied with the Ōsaki clan.

His family's reputation was boosted, and by the late 1400s, the Date were recognized as a powerful clan. During the Warring States Period, Masamune expanded his land's borders and subjugated several retainer families. After Hideyoshi Toyotomi subdued the Hōjō, Hideyoshi set his sights on the Date, but negotiations with Ieyasu Tokugawa prevented an all-out war. The Date clan continued to be influential figures in Sendai.

Clan Heads[]

  1. Tomomune
  2. Munemura (1173~?)
  3. Yoshihiro
  4. Masayori
  5. Munetsune
  6. Motomune
  7. Yukitomo
  8. Munetō
  9. Masamune (1353~1405)
  10. Ujimune
  11. Mochimune
  12. Narimune
  13. Hisamune
  14. Tanemune
  15. Harumune
  16. Terumune
  17. Masamune
  18. Tadamune
  19. Tsunamune
  20. Tsunamura
  21. Yoshimura
  22. Munemura
  23. Shigemura
  24. Narimura
  25. Chikamune
  26. Narimune
  27. Nariyoshi
  28. Narikuni
  29. Yoshikuni
  30. Munemoto
  31. Kunimune
  32. Okimune
  33. Sadamune
  34. Yasumune (February 9, 1959~present)

Yasumune was born in Tokyo and succeeded his family estate in Sendai after his father's passing. He supervised the 1987 NHK Taiga drama, Dokuganryu Masamune; his name can be seen in the opening credits. He leads the Sendai Aouba Festival parade each year in May, dressed in traditional samurai armor.

Other Figures[]

  • Masamichi
  • Hideo
  • Hidemune
  • Munekiyo
  • Sanemoto
  • Muneshige
  • Munefusa
  • Munenari
  • Kuninao
  • Kunishige

Ladies[]

  • Yoshihime - Masamune's mother
  • Megohime (Yoshihime) - Masamune's wife
  • Shinzo no Kata - Masamune's concubine
  • Iisaka no Tsubone - Masamune's concubine
  • Hanawashi - Ban Naoyuki's daughter, Masamune's concubine
  • Ayama no Kata - Shibata Muneyoshi's daughter, Masamune's concubine
  • Hirokohime - Shibata Tsunehiro's daughter, Masamune's concubine
  • Shoujohime - Tada Yoshihiro's daughter, Masamune's concubine
  • Taetomo - Muragami Masashige's daughter, Masamune's concubine
  • Okaji no Kata - Masamune's favorite mistress
  • Irohahime - Masamune's eldest daughter, Matsudaira Tadateru's wife
  • Kitako (Katakura Kita) - Katakura Kagetsuna's older sister, Masamune's wet nurse
  • Senshihime - Terumune's daughter, Masamune's sister

Deviated Families[]

The following families are among the many whom originated from the same roots as the Date family.

  • Funao
  • Kinu
  • Tsukanome
  • Iizaka
  • Yabei
  • Ishida
  • Tate
  • Noyama
  • Teramoto
  • Tokue
  • Kōri
  • Yahada
  • Handa
  • Awano
  • Shiomori
  • Furuta
  • Hienuki
  • Koyanagawa
  • Segami
  • Isaoka
  • Ooeshi
  • Okamura
  • Sukime
  • Yanagawa
  • Kamiyama
  • Sugawara
  • Nakamura
  • Mutsu

Major Vassals[]

Three Heroes of Date[]

The Three Heroes of Date (伊達三傑) were three reputable retainers who served under Masamune. Each were greatly distinguished and equally earned high honors during their lifetime.

  1. Katakura Kagetsuna/Katakura Kojuro
  2. Date Shigezane
  3. Oniniwa Tsunamoto

Other Vassals[]

  • Rusu Masakage
  • Nakano Munetoki
  • Oniniwa Yoshinao
  • Endō Munenobu
  • Katakura Shigenaga
  • Koori Sadanaga
  • Yashiro Kageyori
  • Shiroishi Munezane
  • Hasekura Tsunenaga
  • Harada Munetoki
  • Sakurada Motochika
  • Goto Nobuyasu
  • Kakeda Toshimune
  • Koyanagawa Munetomo
  • Koyanagawa Munehide
  • Koyanagawa Morimune
  • Makino Hisanaka
  • Ishikawa Akimitsu
  • Rusu Munetoshi/Date Munetoshi
  • Misawa Munenao
  • Ishikawa Munehiro
  • Harada Munesuke
  • Shibata Tomooki
  • Furuuchi Yoshiyuki
  • Ishida Takajun/Ishida Shougen
  • Izumida Shigemitsu
  • Tsuda Tageyasu
  • Suzuki Motonobu
  • Watari Tomomune
  • Watari Shigemune
  • Yamaoka Shigenaga
  • Gokubun Morishige
  • Inawa Shirokuni
  • Ōuchi Sadatsuna
  • Hamada Kagetaka
  • Kawamura Shigeyoshi

Family Creed[]

According to the Tokugawa Ieyasu Kyuin, Masamune created these ideals for his clan to follow. The legitimacy of these articles are debated, but they are used in fiction to build a contrast between the Date and Uesugi during the Keicho-Dewa Conflict. Here are rough translations of the mentioned articles.

  1. First, permitting generosity allows weakness. Passing on duty hardens one. Giving into gratitude promotes flattery. Indulging in intelligence makes one spout nonsense. Trusting too much in others will only injure one.
  2. First, an abundance in gold and silver certainly has promise to create a calm and patient mind. Indeed, the wait for such an amount requires a straining endurance, but inviting guests without reservation erases the suffering.
  3. First, if the food one eats in the morning is delicious, praise solely by devouring it. Previous visitors have already shared their opinions of the food's taste by eating it.
  4. First, if one is going out today, paying respects to past brothers is a good way to use one's spare time in this world.

Major Castles[]

This list is limited for the duration of Masamune's lifetime.

  • Iwateyama Castle
  • Sendai Castle
  • Ryozen Castle
  • Ishimoda Castle
  • Ōeda Castle
  • Kakeda Castle
  • Marumori Castle
  • Obama Castle
  • Tateyama Castle
  • Wakabayashi Castle
  • Shiroishi Castle
  • Kurogawa Castle
  • Yonezawa Castle

Gallery[]

External links[]

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