Imagawa Ryoshun

He was a military commander during the Nanboku-cho period, and was also famous as a poet. His real name was Sadayo, and he was the son of Imagawa Norikuni. He studied waka poetry under Reizei Tamehide, and renga poetry under Nijō Yoshimoto. He held the rank of Sakyo no Suke, Iyo no Kami, and then Shogoi no Ge. In 1367 (Shohei 22, Jōji 6) he became the head of the Muromachi shogunate, and also served as the head of the samurai office, and the guardian of Yamashiro. At the end of the same year, he took the opportunity of the death of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiakira to shave his head and take the name Ryōshun. In February 1371 (Kentoku 2, Oan 4), he took up his post as Kyushu Tandai. On his way westward, he became the governor of Aki and invited powerful clans from the Chugoku region to strengthen his military power. At that time, Kyushu was in the golden age of the Southern Court (Seiseifu) led by Prince Kaneyoshi and Kikuchi Takemitsu, but he also contacted the warriors in the area and, by pooling their power, captured Dazaifu, the base of Prince Kaneyoshi, in August of the following year. At the end of 74 (Bunchu 3, Oan 7), he pursued the retreating Kikuchi clan and set up camp in Mizushima, Higo. During this time, he murdered Muto (Shoni) Fuyusuke, which led to the betrayal of Shimazu Ujihisa, and the administration of Kyushu fell into difficulty at first, but he completely shut down the Muto clan, established his authority as a tandai, took control of Dazaifu, and gained real authority in foreign negotiations. In June 81 (Kōwa 1/Eitoku 1), he steadily advanced his Kyushu administration, taking the Kikuchi clan's base, and Shimazu Ujihisa, who had been the biggest obstacle in southern Kyushu, died shortly after. This marked the end of Ryōtoshi's Kyushu administration, as he subjugated the Southern Court forces. However, Ryōtoshi's long tenure as Tandai signified the emergence of a decentralized power based on Kyushu, which displeased the shogunate, and in July of the leap year of 95 (Oei 2), Ryōtoshi was recalled to Kyoto and relieved of his duties as Tandai. After failing to form an alliance with Ōuchi Yoshihiro and the Kamakura kubo during the Oei War, Ryōtoshi devoted the rest of his life to teaching and composing waka and renga. Although he was a warrior, he maintained the tradition of Reizei's waka studies, and left behind many works, including books on waka theory, renga studies, travel writings, and historical records. His books include "Nan Taiheiki."

[Junichi Ueda]

"Imagawa Ryoshun" by Keiichi Koyama (1944, Sanseido)" ▽ "Imagawa Ryoshun" by Shoji Kawazoe (1964, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

南北朝時代の武将で、歌人としても著名。俗名は貞世(さだよ)、今川範国(のりくに)の子。冷泉為秀(れいぜいためひで)に和歌を学び、二条良基(よしもと)に連歌を学ぶ。官位は左京亮(さきょうのすけ)を経て伊予守(いよのかみ)、正五位下。1367年（正平22・貞治6）室町幕府の引付頭人(ひきつけとうにん)となり、また侍所(さむらいどころ)頭人として山城(やましろ)守護を兼ねた。同年末、将軍足利義詮(あしかがよしあきら)が死去したのを機に剃髪(ていはつ)して了俊と号す。71年（建徳2・応安4）2月、九州探題としてその任についた。西下の途中、安芸(あき)守護となり、中国地方の諸雄族を招き軍事力を増強した。当時九州では懐良(かねよし)親王、菊池武光(たけみつ)を中心とした南朝方（征西府）の黄金時代であったが、同地の諸士にも連絡をつけ、これらの力を結集し翌年8月、懐良親王の拠(よ)る大宰府(だざいふ)を陥落させ、74年（文中3・応安7）末には撤退した菊池氏を追い、肥後水島に陣を張った。この間、武藤(むとう)（少弐(しょうに)）冬資(ふゆすけ)を謀殺したため、島津氏久(うじひさ)の背反にあい、九州経営がいったん困難に陥ったが、武藤氏を完封して、探題の権限を確立、大宰府を押さえて、対外交渉の実質的権限を握った。81年（弘和1・永徳1）6月には菊池氏の本拠を陥落させるなど着実に九州経営を進め、南九州では最大の障害であった島津氏久も続いて死去した。これにより了俊の九州経営は実を結び、南朝勢力を制圧。しかし長期にわたる了俊の探題在任は九州を単位とする分権的な勢力の出現を意味し、これが幕府の嫌うところとなり、95年（応永2）閏(うるう)7月、了俊は京都に召還され、探題の任を解かれた。応永(おうえい)の乱のおり、大内義弘(よしひろ)と鎌倉公方(くぼう)との提携を図って失敗したのを機に、残余の人生を和歌、連歌の指導と、述作に捧(ささ)げ、武門の人でありながら、冷泉歌学の伝統を守り、歌論書、連歌学書、紀行文、故実書など多くの著作を残した。著書に『難太平記』がある。

［上田純一］

『児山敬一著『今川了俊』（1944・三省堂）』▽『川添昭二著『今川了俊』（1964・吉川弘文館）』

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