Kunitomo

Japanese: 国友 - くにとも

A place name in Sakata County, Omi Province, now Nagahama City. Known for Kunitomo firearms. Relics from the end of the Yayoi period to the beginning of the Kofun period, the mid-8th century, and the mid-11th century were found at the Kunitomo ruins near the Anegawa River, and the remains of a large settlement were also noted. It is said that in 985, a monk's quarter was opened by Kusakabe Daishi in Kunitomo-go, but reliable historical documents show it as being as early as 1206, when it was the former territory of the Sakurashitamon gate of Enryaku-ji Temple. It also appears as part of Fukunaga Manor. It is unclear when firearm production began, but it is said that it began in 1544 when a group of local blacksmiths manufactured firearms based on samples received from Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiharu, or that it began around 1555 after absorbing the techniques of the Nanban Choshikō. It is believed that full-scale production took place during the Azuchi-Momoyama government period, when Kimura Tojiro was awarded 100 koku in 1574, and it seems that gunsmiths were protected and their organization progressed. At the beginning of the Edo period, gunsmiths were employed by various feudal lords, but came under the control of the shogunate. They were subsequently forced into decline, but in 1724, when the domain of Yamato Koriyama came into existence, there were 44 gunsmiths out of 77 artisans. Towards the end of the Edo period, Kunitomo Tobei Shigeyasu (pen name Ikkansai) was active. → Kunitomo Gunsmiths

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

近江国坂田郡，現長浜市にある地名。国友鉄砲で知られる。姉川に近い国友遺跡からは弥生時代終末期から古墳時代初頭，８世紀中頃，11世紀中頃の遺物が検出され，大規模の集落遺構も注目された。985年に国友郷に空晴大師が開いた僧房があったと伝えるが，確かな史料では1206年に延暦(えんりゃく)寺桜下門跡領としてみえるのが早い。また福永荘のうちとしても現れる。鉄砲生産の開始期は明らかでないが，1544年に当地の鍛冶集団が将軍足利義晴から受けた鉄砲を見本に製造したのが始まりとも，あるいは1555年頃に南蛮(なんばん)人の長子孔の技術を吸収してから始まったともいう。織豊政権期には本格的な生産があったと考えられ，1574年に木村藤二郎が100石を与えられたのをはじめ，鉄砲鍛冶が保護され，その組織化が進んだようである。江戸時代当初には諸大名から召し抱えられたが，幕府の統制下に置かれるようになった。のち衰退を余儀なくされたが，1724年から大和郡山(こおりやま)藩領となった当時は職人77人のうち鉄砲鍛冶は44人を数えている。幕末期にかけて国友藤兵衛重恭（号は一貫斎）が活躍した。→国友鉄砲鍛冶

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