Akamatsu Norimura

Japanese: 赤松則村 - あかまつ・のりむら

Year of death: Kan'o 1/Shohei 5.1.13 (1350.2.20)
Year of birth: Kenji 3 (1277)
A military commander from the Kamakura to the Nanboku-cho period. Son of Shigenori. Commonly known as Jiro. Buddhist name Enshin. A member of the family of the land steward of Sayo-sho in Harima Province, he was the first in the Sanyo region to side with the Imperial Court (the Southern Court) upon receiving an order from Prince Morinaga, and in January 1333, he raised an army at Kokenawa Castle. He then attacked the Sanyo road and captured Rokuhara together with Ashikaga Takauji (Takauji) in May. For this achievement, he was given the position of Harima Shugo in the Kenmu government, but it was soon taken away without reason, and he became dissatisfied with the new government. In 1335, when Takauji rebelled against the new government and headed for Kanto, Norimura agreed, and took his second son Sadanori with him. In February of the following year, when Takauji was defeated by Kitabatake Akiie and others in Kyoto and fled west to Kyushu, it is said that it was Norimura's idea to follow the imperial edict of the retired Emperor Kogon to avoid becoming an enemy of the court. He then barricaded himself in Shirahata Castle in Harima, blocking the advance of the army pursuing Takauji, led by Nitta Yoshisada, and helped Takauji return to Kyoto. When Takauji established the Muromachi Shogunate in November, he returned to his position as governor of Harima, and his eldest son Norisuke was appointed governor of Settsu, and his second son Sadanori was appointed governor of Mimasaka. During the Kan'o Disturbance of 1350 (Kan'o 1/Shohei 5), he sided with Takauji and Takanomoto Naokata, fortifying Funasaka Pass on the border between Harima and Japan in preparation for Ashikaga Tadafuyu's advance, but died of an illness at his own residence in Shichijo, Kyoto shortly thereafter. He was a deep believer in Zen, and invited Sesson Yubai from Kyoto to build Houn-ji Temple in Kosenawa. Furthermore, when Shuho Myocho established Daitoku-ji Temple in Murasakino, Kyoto, he became the first temple parishioner and supported the temple, which is thought to be due to the fact that Myocho was not only from Harima, but was also the son of his elder sister. <References> Kosaka Yoshi, Akamatsu Enshin and Mitsusuke

(Masaharu Enohara)

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

Japanese:

没年：観応1/正平5.1.13(1350.2.20)
生年：建治3(1277)
鎌倉から南北朝時代にかけての武将。茂則の子。通称次郎。法名円心。播磨国佐用荘の地頭の一族だったが,護良親王の令旨を受けて山陽地方では最も早く宮方(南朝方)につき,正慶2/元弘3(1333)年1月苔縄城に挙兵した。次いで山陽道を攻め上り,5月足利高氏(尊氏)と共に六波羅を攻め落とした。その功により建武政権で播磨守護職を与えられたが,まもなく理由なく取り上げられ新政に不満を抱くようになる。建武2(1335)年尊氏が新政権に反して関東に向かうとこれに応じ,次男貞範を同行させた。翌年2月尊氏が,京都で北畠顕家らに敗れて九州に西走するとき,光厳上皇の院宣を奉じて朝敵となるのを免れたのは則村の発案によるといわれる。次いで播磨白旗城に立てこもって新田義貞率いる尊氏追討軍の進撃を阻み,尊氏の再上洛を助けた。11月に尊氏が室町幕府を開くと播磨守護に復帰,長男範資は摂津,次男貞範は美作の守護に任ぜられた。観応1/正平5(1350)年の観応の擾乱では尊氏・高師直方に与し,播備国境の船坂峠を固めて足利直冬の進軍に備えたが,その直後京都七条の自邸で病死した。禅に深く帰依し,京都より雪村友梅を招いて苔縄に法雲寺を建てた。また宗峰妙超が京都紫野に大徳寺を開くと最初の檀越となってこれを援助するが,それは妙超が播磨出身であるのみならず,姉の子であったことにもよると思われる。<参考文献>高坂好『赤松円心・満祐』

(榎原雅治)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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