Prince Kaneyoshi

Japanese: 懐良親王 - かねよししんのう

Year of death: Eitoku 3/Kōwa 3.3.27 (1383.4.30)
Year of birth: Year of birth unknown. Son of Emperor Go-Daigo during the Northern and Southern Courts period. Kanenaga is also pronounced "Kanelaga." He was known as the Seiwa Shogunmiya. In 1336, Emperor Go-Daigo accepted the peace treaty made by Ashikaga Takauji and returned to Kyoto from Mount Hiei. The Kenmu Restoration collapsed, but at this time the Emperor dispatched his sons to various regions in an attempt to rise again. On this occasion, Prince Kanenaga was sent to Kyushu. There are various theories about when the prince went down to Kyushu, including that it was the same year, 1338, or 1339. The young prince went down with Gojo Yorimoto and others. The princes first arrived on Kutsunajima Island in Iyo (Ehime Prefecture), where they stayed for about three years, before landing in Satsuma (Kagoshima Prefecture) in 1342 and taking refuge with Kikuchi Takemitsu in Higo Province (Kumamoto Prefecture), making it their base for managing Kyushu, and immediately embarking on a campaign to conquer Chikugo. Reflecting the politics of the central government, the powers were divided between Kyushu Tandai Isshiki Noriuji and the army of Ashikaga Tadafuyu who had rebelled against Takauji, with the Southern Court side prevailing. In 1359, they fought against the army of Muto (Shoni) Yorinao at Ohohara in Chikugo, drove the Muto clan's forces out of Chikuzen, and moved their base to Dazaifu. The shogunate appointed Shiba Ujitsune, Shibukawa Yoshiyuki and others as Kyushu tandai to oppose them, but they were defeated one after another, and the Seisei Shogunate gained the upper hand. With the military power of the Kikuchi clan as a backing, the prince managed Kyushu for the next 10 years or so amidst the decline of the north and south. However, when Imagawa Sadayo was appointed as Kyushu tandai in 1371, his power was weakened, and the following year Dazaifu fell, and the prince and his men were forced to retreat to Takarayama in Chikugo and Kikuchi. Although the prince had aimed to conquer Kyushu and restore Kyoto, he retired from his position as Seisei Shogun at this point. Prince Yoshinari came down to succeed him, but the decline of the Southern Court's power could not be contained. There are various theories about when the prince retired from his position as shogun. He then retired to Chikugo Yabe (Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture) and is said to have died there at the age of just over 50. He left Kyoto at a young age and never returned to the capital.

(Masaaki Komori)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：永徳3/弘和3.3.27(1383.4.30)
生年：生年不詳
南北朝期の後醍醐天皇の皇子。懐良は「かねなが」ともよむ。征西将軍宮と称された。建武3/延元1(1336)年後醍醐天皇は足利尊氏の講和を受け入れて比叡山より帰京,建武新政は瓦解したが,このとき,天皇は諸皇子を各地に派遣し再挙を図ろうとした。この際,懐良親王は九州へ派遣されることとなった。親王の九州下向の時期については,同年,暦応1/延元3(1338)年,暦応2/延元4年などの諸説がある。幼少であった親王は五条頼元らと共に下向した。親王らはまず伊予(愛媛県)忽那島に到着し,約3年ほど同地に滞在し,康永1/興国3(1342)年薩摩(鹿児島県)に上陸,肥後国(熊本県)の菊池武光のもとに身を寄せ,九州経営のための本拠とし,すぐさま,筑後征討に着手した。中央の政治がそのまま反映して,九州探題の一色範氏と尊氏に反旗を翻した足利直冬軍と勢力が分立し,南朝方は優勢であった。延文4/正平14(1359)年武藤(少弐)頼尚の軍と筑後大保原で戦い,筑前より武藤氏の勢力を駆逐し,大宰府へと本拠を移した。幕府は,斯波氏経,渋川義行らを九州探題に任じて対抗させたが,相次いで敗退,征西将軍府は優位となり,親王は菊池氏の軍事力を背景に,南北衰退の状況のなか,これから10年余,九州経営を行っていった。しかし,応安4/建徳2(1371)年今川貞世が九州探題として赴任してくるにおよび,勢力を切り崩され翌年には大宰府は陥落,親王らは筑後高良山,菊池へと敗退を余儀なくされた。九州を征圧し,京都回復を目指した親王ではあったが,この期におよび征西将軍職を退いた。その後継として良成親王が下向してきたが,南朝勢力の衰退はおおうべくもなかった。親王が将軍職を退いた時期についても諸説がある。その後,筑後矢部(福岡県八女市)に隠退,この地で没したと伝えられており,50歳余であったという。幼少に京都を出発し,その後一度も京に戻ることのない生涯であった。<参考文献>森茂暁『皇子たちの南北朝』

(小森正明)

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