Date Sodo
Encyclopedia
The Date Sōdō or Date Disturbance, was a noble family dispute
within the Date samurai clan, which occurred in 1671.
(feudal lord) of the Sendai Domain
, and clan head, Date Tsunamune
was arrested in Edo
, for drunkenness and debauchery. The charges are generally believed to have been true, but the arrest was probably encouraged heavily by certain vassals and kinsmen in the north. These vassals and kinsmen appealed to the Council of Elders
in Edo that Tsunamune was not fit to rule, and that his son Date Tsunamura
, great-grandson of Masamune
, should become the daimyō. Thus, Tsunamura became daimyō, under the guardianship of his uncles, Date Munekatsu and Muneyoshi.
Ten years of violence and conflict followed in the domain, reaching a climax in 1671 when Aki Muneshige, a powerful relative of the Date, complained to the shogunate
of the mismanagement of the fief under Tsunamura and his uncles. The Metsuke
(Inspector) for the region attempted to deal with the situation, and to act as a mediator, but was unsuccessful against Aki's determination.
The Metsuke reported back to Edo, and Aki was soon summoned there to argue his case before various councils and officials, including the Tairō
Sakai Tadakiyo
and members of the Rōjū
council. Following his arrival on the 13th day of the second lunar month
, he met with and was interrogated and examined, as were several other retainers of the Date on both sides of the dispute. One retainer in particular, a supporter of Tsunamura and his uncles, by the name of Harada Kai Munesuke made a particularly poor impression in his meetings, and is said to have left the interrogation in a sour mood.
Towards the end of the month, all the Date retainers involved were summoned to the Tairō's mansion for a further round of questioning. It is said that over the course of the day, Harada grew increasingly distressed as he realized the extent to which his answers clashed with those of Aki Muneshige. According to one version of events, Harada, following a series of questions, was waiting in another room when Aki came in and began to shout insults at him. Swords were then drawn, and Aki was killed. Harada was killed moments after, by the officials or their guards.
A trial was soon held, the murder being made a more severe crime for having been committed in the home of a high government official. The official verdict was that Harada drew first, and the punishment was severe. The Harada family was destroyed, Harada's sons and grandsons executed, and though Tsunamura was affirmed as the proper daimyō, his uncles were punished. Aki was judged to be a paragon of loyalty, and no action was taken against his family.
This story inspired a number of cultural productions, most notably the jōruri
(puppet theater) play, later adopted into kabuki
, Meiboku Sendai Hagi, by Chikamatsu. In this production, as in many other retellings of the tale, Harada is undoubtedly the villain, Aki the hero. Historians, however, are skeptical about the accuracy of this black-and-white approach, and claim that there were likely other elements to the narrative which are not clear from the formal records. One side or the other in the dispute may have bribed government officials in order to affect the government's handling of the situation, and it is known that Sakai Tadakiyo was a friend of Tsunamune, thus perhaps altering the shogunate's behavior in this matter further.
O-Ie Sodo
O-Ie Sōdō were noble family disputes within the samurai and aristocratic classes of Japan, particularly during the early Edo period...
within the Date samurai clan, which occurred in 1671.
History
In 1660, the daimyōDaimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
(feudal lord) of the Sendai Domain
Sendai Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. Most of its holdings were contiguous, covering all of modern-day Miyagi Prefecture, small portions of southern Iwate Prefecture, and a portion of northeastern Fukushima Prefecture. The domain's capital, and the ruling family's castle, were located in what...
, and clan head, Date Tsunamune
Date Tsunamune
was the daimyō of Sendai han for about two years, from 1658 to 1660. His father, Date Tadamune, died in 1658, but Tsunamune's succession and rule was soon opposed by a number of his kinsmen and vassals...
was arrested in Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
, for drunkenness and debauchery. The charges are generally believed to have been true, but the arrest was probably encouraged heavily by certain vassals and kinsmen in the north. These vassals and kinsmen appealed to the Council of Elders
Roju
The ', usually translated as Elder, was one of the highest-ranking government posts in Tokugawa Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council as a whole; under the first two shoguns, there were only two Rōjū...
in Edo that Tsunamune was not fit to rule, and that his son Date Tsunamura
Date Tsunamura
was a daimyo in mid-17th century Tokugawa Japan whose life was at the center of the Date Sōdō or "Date Disturbance", a very famous noble conflict of the period....
, great-grandson of Masamune
Date Masamune
was a regional strongman of Japan's Azuchi-Momoyama period through early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful daimyo in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai...
, should become the daimyō. Thus, Tsunamura became daimyō, under the guardianship of his uncles, Date Munekatsu and Muneyoshi.
Ten years of violence and conflict followed in the domain, reaching a climax in 1671 when Aki Muneshige, a powerful relative of the Date, complained to the shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
of the mismanagement of the fief under Tsunamura and his uncles. The Metsuke
Metsuke
' were the censors or the inspectors of Tokugawa Japan. They were bakufu officials ranking somewhat lower than the bugyō. The metsuke were charged with the special duty of detecting and investigating instances of maladministration, corruption or disaffection anywhere in Japan; and particularly...
(Inspector) for the region attempted to deal with the situation, and to act as a mediator, but was unsuccessful against Aki's determination.
The Metsuke reported back to Edo, and Aki was soon summoned there to argue his case before various councils and officials, including the Tairō
Tairo
Tairō was a high-ranking official position in the bakuhan taisei government of Japan. The tairō would preside over the governing Rōjū council in the event of an emergency. A tairō would be nominated from among a group of samurai families who supported Tokugawa Ieyasu...
Sakai Tadakiyo
Sakai Tadakiyo
, also known as Uta-no-kami, was a daimyō in Kōzuke Province, and a high-ranking government advisor and official in the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan....
and members of the Rōjū
Roju
The ', usually translated as Elder, was one of the highest-ranking government posts in Tokugawa Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council as a whole; under the first two shoguns, there were only two Rōjū...
council. Following his arrival on the 13th day of the second lunar month
Lunar month
In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two identical syzygies . There are many variations. In Middle-Eastern and European traditions, the month starts when the young crescent moon becomes first visible at evening after conjunction with the Sun one or two days before that evening...
, he met with and was interrogated and examined, as were several other retainers of the Date on both sides of the dispute. One retainer in particular, a supporter of Tsunamura and his uncles, by the name of Harada Kai Munesuke made a particularly poor impression in his meetings, and is said to have left the interrogation in a sour mood.
Towards the end of the month, all the Date retainers involved were summoned to the Tairō's mansion for a further round of questioning. It is said that over the course of the day, Harada grew increasingly distressed as he realized the extent to which his answers clashed with those of Aki Muneshige. According to one version of events, Harada, following a series of questions, was waiting in another room when Aki came in and began to shout insults at him. Swords were then drawn, and Aki was killed. Harada was killed moments after, by the officials or their guards.
A trial was soon held, the murder being made a more severe crime for having been committed in the home of a high government official. The official verdict was that Harada drew first, and the punishment was severe. The Harada family was destroyed, Harada's sons and grandsons executed, and though Tsunamura was affirmed as the proper daimyō, his uncles were punished. Aki was judged to be a paragon of loyalty, and no action was taken against his family.
This story inspired a number of cultural productions, most notably the jōruri
Bunraku
, also known as Ningyō jōruri , is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684.Three kinds of performers take part in a bunraku performance:* Ningyōtsukai or Ningyōzukai—puppeteers* Tayū—the chanters* Shamisen players...
(puppet theater) play, later adopted into kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
, Meiboku Sendai Hagi, by Chikamatsu. In this production, as in many other retellings of the tale, Harada is undoubtedly the villain, Aki the hero. Historians, however, are skeptical about the accuracy of this black-and-white approach, and claim that there were likely other elements to the narrative which are not clear from the formal records. One side or the other in the dispute may have bribed government officials in order to affect the government's handling of the situation, and it is known that Sakai Tadakiyo was a friend of Tsunamune, thus perhaps altering the shogunate's behavior in this matter further.