Igamono - Igamono

A general term for those who were local samurai or local samurai (kokushu) of Iga (Mie Prefecture) and were employed by the Edo Shogunate or various feudal lords with their ninja skills, as well as those of their families. The Iga-ryu people left the country in large numbers after Oda Nobunaga attacked Iga in 1581 (Tensho 9), but even before that, there were many who were not satisfied with their small country and sought employment in other countries. Among them, the Hattori clan of Senga-ji, a high-ranking ninja, had a close relationship with the Tokugawa clan since Hanzo Yasunaga served Matsudaira Kiyoyasu (Ieyasu's grandfather) during the Tenbun era (1532-1555), and his son Hanzo Masanari led his subordinate ninjas in many brave battles and was highly valued as a close aide to Ieyasu. He was especially notable for his contributions to the escape from Sakai in Senshu in May 1582 (Tensho 10), one of Ieyasu's greatest crises, especially the escape at Kabutogoe. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ieyasu recruited 200 Iga samurai with a stipend of 1,000 kan in June of the same year and made them subordinate to Hanzo. This was the origin of the Iga group of police officers known as the Narumi Iga-shu. Their heroic battles in various battles up until the Siege of Osaka in 1615 (Genwa 1) are detailed in the Igamono Daiyuoki (Iga-mono Daiyuoki) (published in 1692). After Hanzo Masanari died in 1596 (Keicho 1), his son Masanari took over, but he lacked the ability, and there was also an appeal by his subordinate Iga police officers, so he was finally stripped of his title in 1605 (Keicho 10). The Iga constables were divided and controlled by four people, including Okubo Tadanao, head of the foot soldiers. In 1618 (Genwa 4), 12 elders were appointed as Ohiroshikiban (guard of the inner palace), and in addition to their original duties as spies and secret agents, they were assigned to odd jobs such as official residence guards, mountain construction officers, and mountain village gate guards. When the Teppo Hyakunin-gumi (gun-wielding 100-unit unit) was organized in 1633 (Kan'ei 10), the Iga-gumi, with 20 yoriki and 100 constables, became the third unit after the Koga-gumi and Negoro-gumi. Two years later, they were ordered to move from their gifted residence at Koshuguchi to what would later become Minami-Iga-cho and Kita-Iga-cho due to the expansion work on Edo Castle.

Meanwhile, their homeland of Iga became the territory of Todo Takatora in 1608 (Keicho 13). Takatora dispatched 50 Iga warriors to the Summer Siege of Osaka, and after the battle, he recruited 20 of them, including Awa Shoemon, as official ninja. Other Iga warriors played an active role under feudal lords such as Maeda Toshiie and Fukushima Masanori.

[Ichiro Watanabe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

伊賀（三重県）の地侍・郷士（国衆）の出身で、忍びの術をもって、江戸幕府や諸大名に採用された者、およびその家筋の者の総称。伊賀流の者が国外に大量に流出したのは1581年（天正9）の織田信長の伊賀攻めによるが、それ以前にも狭小な国に飽き足らず自ら奉公を他国に求める者が少なくなかった。なかでも千賀(せんが)地の上忍服部(はっとり)氏は天文(てんぶん)年間（1532～1555）半三保長(はんぞうやすなが)が松平清康（家康の祖父）に仕えて以来、徳川氏と密接な関係をもち、その子半蔵正成(まさなり)は、配下の忍びを率いて勇戦を重ね、家康の側近として重用された。なかでも、家康の最大の危機の一つであった1582年（天正10）5月の泉州堺(さかい)からの脱出行、とくに鹿伏兎越(かぶとごえ)に功をたてた。これを契機に、家康は同年6月禄(ろく)1000貫をもって伊賀の郷士200人を召し抱え半蔵に付属させた。これが鳴海(なるみ)伊賀衆とよばれる伊賀組同心のおこりである。それ以後、1615年（元和1）の大坂の陣までの諸役での彼らの奮戦は『伊賀者大由緒記』（1692刊）に詳しい。半蔵正成が1596年（慶長1）死去したのち、子正就(まさなり)が後を継いだが器量に欠け、配下の伊賀同心の上訴事件もあり、1605年（慶長10）ついに改易となった。伊賀同心は足軽組頭大久保忠直(ただなお)ら4人に分割支配せられた。1618年（元和4）年寄12人が大奥御広敷番(おひろしきばん)に任用されたのをはじめ、本来の間諜(かんちょう)・隠密(おんみつ)の役から、御用明屋敷番、山普請方、山里門番などの雑用についた。1633年（寛永10）鉄炮(てっぽう)百人組が編成されると、伊賀組は与力20騎・同心100人をもって、甲賀組、根来(ねごろ)組に次ぎ三番組を称した。翌々年、江戸城拡張工事のため甲州口の拝領屋敷から後の南・北伊賀町に替地移転を命ぜられた。

　一方、故地の伊賀は、1608年（慶長13）藤堂高虎(とうどうたかとら)の所領となった。高虎は、大坂夏の陣に伊賀者50人を出兵させ、役後に阿波(あわ)庄右衛門以下20人を正式の忍之衆(しのびのしゅう)に採用している。そのほか、伊賀者は前田利家(としいえ)や福島正則(まさのり)などの大名の下で活躍した。

［渡邉一郎］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例