Mr. Murakami

A group of pirates active in the Seto Inland Sea from the Northern and Southern Courts period to the Warring States period. They consisted of three families based in Noshima, Iyo Province (Miyakubo Town, Ehime Prefecture), Kurushima, Iyo Province (Imabari City, Iyo Province), and Innoshima, Bingo Province (Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture). The three families were bound together by a strong sense of kinship, and in later generations they were also called the Santo Murakami clan. Records show that Murakami Yoshihiro was active on the side of the Southern Court during the Northern and Southern Courts period, but the actual circumstances are unclear. They were most active during the Warring States period, and their powerful naval force was feared by the warring lords along the Seto Inland Sea coast. The Noshima and Innoshima Murakami clans had close ties with the Mori clan, and the Kurushima Murakami clan had close ties with the Iyo Kono clan. In the clan's hometown of Miyakubocho, Imabari City, and Onomichi City, there are museums that collect materials related to the navy.

[Yoshiyuki Yamauchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

南北朝時代から戦国時代にかけて瀬戸内海で活躍した海賊衆。伊予国能島(のしま)（愛媛県宮窪(みやくぼ)町）、同来島(くるしま)（同今治(いまばり)市）、備後(びんご)国因島(いんのしま)（広島県尾道(おのみち)市）にそれぞれ根拠地を置く三家からなる。三家は互いに強固な同族意識で結ばれ、後世には三島(さんとう)村上氏とも称された。南北朝時代には村上義弘(よしひろ)が南朝方として活躍したことが記録にみえるが、その実態は明らかではない。戦国期における活躍がもっとも目覚ましく、その強力な水軍力は瀬戸内海沿岸の戦国大名から恐れられた。能島、因島両村上氏は毛利氏と、来島村上氏は伊予河野(こうの)氏との関係が深い。一族の故地である今治市宮窪町と尾道市には、水軍関係の資料を集めた資料館がある。

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