Yoshiaki Mogami

Japanese: 最上義光 - もがみ・よしあき

Year of death: January 18, 1614 (February 26, 1614)
Year of birth: Tenbun 15 (1546)
A military commander in the late Sengoku and early modern periods. Kaneyori, the son of Oshu Kanrei Shiba Iekane, entered Yamagata as Kanrei of Ushu (later Tandai) in 1356 and took the name of Mogami clan. The Mogami clan took control of the two counties of Mogami and Murayama (forming separate counties) and established their influence by placing members of the family within the territory. Yoshimitsu was born as Yoshimori's eldest son, but because his father Yoshimori favored his second son Yoshitoki, two disputes arose within the Mogami family over the succession to the family headship in 1570 and 1574. The family and local lords joined in this, and Date Terumune also invaded the Mogami territory under the pretext of helping his father-in-law Yoshimori (whose daughter married Terumune and gave birth to Masamune). However, Yoshimitsu won this succession war, and by around 1582 he had defeated the Shiratori and Sagae (Oe) clans, as well as the Tendo clan, the core of the Tendo Hachidate clan, and established his position as a Sengoku daimyo. Meanwhile, in the Shonai area, in 1583, Maemori Kuranomoto, who had been in league with Yoshimitsu, attacked Muto Yoshiuji of Daihoji and forced him to commit suicide, and Yoshimitsu advanced into Shonai to help the Maemori clan, but was defeated in the Battle of Jyugori-ga-hara in 1584, losing Shonai. He also came into conflict with his nephew, Date Masamune, and formed an alliance to surround the Date clan with the Satake, Ashina, and Osaki clans, but was later isolated. During the Siege of Odawara, he arrived later than Masamune due to the death of his father Yoshimori, but with the mediation of Tokugawa Ieyasu, his main territory was secured. During the Korean invasion, he led the campaign at Nagoya, and gave his daughter, Princess Koma, to Toyotomi Hidetsugu, but when Hidetsugu was overthrown, Princess Koma was also beheaded, and Senshoji Temple was built to commemorate her soul. During the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (Keicho 5), the Dewa War broke out in the Tohoku region, and the Mogami clan was attacked by the forces of Uesugi Kagekatsu, falling into a difficult situation, but barely managed to hold out, and after the war, Ieyasu granted them a fief of 570,000 koku, including Shonai and Yuri. He also worked hard on the construction of Yamagata Castle and the castle town, as well as on forestry and irrigation. He was buried at Keichoji Temple (later Kozenji Temple). However, in 1622 (Genna 8), during the reign of his grandson Yoshitoshi, the Mogami clan was stripped of their title due to internal disputes among their vassals, and they were given a fief of 10,000 koku in Omi. <References> Yamagata Prefecture History, Vol. 1

(Kiyoo Ito)

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

Japanese:

没年：慶長19.1.18(1614.2.26)
生年：天文15(1546)
戦国末・近世初期の武将。奥州管領斯波家兼の子兼頼は延文1/正平11(1356)年羽州管領(のち探題)として山形に入部し,最上氏を名乗る。最上氏は最上,村山2郡を掌握し(分郡の形成),一族を領内に配して勢力を扶植していった。義光は義守の長子として生まれたが,父義守は次男義時を偏寵したため元亀1(1570)年,天正2(1574)年の2回にわたり家督相続をめぐる争いが最上家内に生じた。これに一族,国人衆も加わり,さらに伊達輝宗も義父義守(娘が輝宗に嫁して政宗を生む)を助ける口実で最上領内に侵入。が,義光はこの相続内乱を勝ちぬき,天正12年ごろまでには白鳥,寒河江(大江)各氏や天童八楯の中核天童氏も打倒して戦国大名としての地位を確立。一方庄内方面でも11年義光と通じた前森蔵人が大宝寺武藤義氏を攻め自刃させ,義光はこの前森氏を助けるため庄内に進出したが,16年十五里ケ原合戦で敗北したため庄内を失う。また,甥の伊達政宗とも対立し,佐竹,蘆名,大崎各氏らと伊達包囲網をつくったが,のち孤立。小田原征伐の際には,父義守の死もあって政宗よりも遅参したが,徳川家康の仲介もあって本領は安堵。朝鮮出兵の際は名護屋に出陣,豊臣秀次には娘駒姫を出したが,秀次失脚の際駒姫も斬首され,菩提をとむらい専称寺を建立した。慶長5(1600)年の関ケ原の戦では,東北でも出羽合戦が起き,上杉景勝軍に攻めこまれて苦境におちいるが辛うじてもちこたえ,戦後,家康から庄内,由利も含む57万石の領地を認められた。山形城や城下町の建設,治山,灌漑にも尽力した。慶長寺(のち光禅寺)に葬られた。しかし孫の義俊の代,元和8(1622)年に最上氏は家臣内部の紛争で改易,近江1万石の知行となる。<参考文献>『山形県史』1巻

(伊藤清郎)

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

<<: Tiger fall - Magari

>>: Mogami Tokunai - Mogami Tokunai