Shigenari Kimura - Shigenari Kimura

A military commander in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. He is said to be the son of Hitachi no Suke Shigekore, a descendant of the famous Sasaki clan of Omi (Shiga Prefecture), but this is not certain. His mother, Ukyo no Tsubone, was Toyotomi Hideyori's wet nurse, so Shigenari served Hideyori from an early age. During the Winter Siege of Osaka, even though it was his first battle, he fought alongside Goto Mototsugu against Uesugi Kagekatsu, Satake Yoshinobu, Shigino, and Imafuku, earning him a reputation as a warrior. During the peace negotiations, he went to Tokugawa Hidetada in Okayama as the chief envoy to exchange oath papers, and was praised for his dignified attitude. A popular belief holds that this happened under Ieyasu at Chausuyama, but this is incorrect. During the Summer Siege, he marched to Wakae to fight against the troops of Ii Naotaka, and after a fierce battle, he died heroically. He is said to have been 21 or 24 years old when he died. It is well known that, prepared to die in battle, he burned famous incense in his helmet, and when Ieyasu inspected his head, he was so impressed.

[Ryoichi Okamoto]

"Osaka Winter Campaign and Summer Campaign" by Ryoichi Okamoto (1972, Sogensha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

安土(あづち)桃山時代の武将。近江(おうみ)（滋賀県）の名家佐々木氏の末で常陸介重茲(ひたちのすけしげこれ)の子というが確かでない。母の右京大夫局(うきょうたいふのつぼね)が豊臣秀頼(とよとみひでより)の乳母(うば)であったので、重成も幼時から秀頼に仕えた。大坂冬の陣では、初陣ながら後藤基次(もとつぐ)とともに、上杉景勝(かげかつ)、佐竹義宣(よしのぶ)と鴫野(しぎの)、今福(いまふく)に戦って武名をあげ、和議にあたっては、誓紙交換の正使として岡山の徳川秀忠(ひでただ)のもとに赴き、その堂々たる態度を賞賛された。俗説ではこれを茶臼山(ちゃうすやま)の家康のもとでのこととするが誤りである。夏の陣では、若江(わかえ)に出撃して井伊直孝(いいなおたか)の兵と戦い、力戦のすえ壮烈な討ち死にを遂げた。行年21歳とも24歳ともいう。討ち死にを覚悟して、兜(かぶと)に名香をたき込め、首実検をした家康を感嘆させたという話は有名。

［岡本良一］

『岡本良一著『大坂冬の陣・夏の陣』（1972・創元社）』

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