Akechi Mitsuhide

A military commander in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Son of Mitsutsuna, commonly known as Jubei. A native of Mino Province (Gifu Prefecture). Though it is said that he was a branch of the Toki clan, the military governor, it is unclear. He served Asakura Yoshikage of Echizen, and later followed Oda Nobunaga. Along with Hosokawa Fujitaka (Yusai), a vassal of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki, he always mediated between Yoshiaki and Nobunaga, and also demonstrated his brilliant skills in negotiations with the nobles. In 1571 (Genki 2), he built a castle in Sakamoto, Omi, and participated in battles in various places while also managing the civil administration of Kyoto. Among these, he was particularly devoted to strategy in the Tamba and Tango regions as a warrior. In June 1575 (Tensho 3), he was ordered by Nobunaga to begin his conquest of Tamba. At first, many local lords were on his side, and by November he had advanced as far as Kuroi Castle in central Hikami County. However, in January of the following year, 1576, Hatano Hideharu of Yagami Castle rebelled, and resistance intensified throughout Tamba. After that, he was mobilized from time to time in other areas as well, but he continued to attack Tamba with all his might, and four years later, in 1579, he captured Yagami Castle, which offered the strongest resistance. He then assisted Hosokawa Fujitaka in pacifying the Tango region as well. In May 1582, when he was ordered to dispatch troops to the Chugoku region to subjugate the Mori clan, he had directly controlled the Saigō and Tamba territories, and had under his command the generals of Hosokawa Fujitaka of Tango, Tsutsui Junkei of Yamato, and Takayama, Nakagawa, and Ikeda of Settsu, and had risen to a position of commanding the Kinki region. However, on June 2nd of the same year, he took advantage of the lack of security for Nobunaga, who was staying at Honno-ji Temple, and suddenly attacked him, forcing him to commit suicide, and then killed his eldest son, Nobutada, at Nijō Castle. However, his plan was thrown off when Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi made peace with the Mori clan too early and marched east, and he fought against Hideyoshi's allied forces at Yamazaki, where he was defeated and killed on the night of the 13th. He was said to have died at the age of 55 or 57. This was known as "Akechi's three-day reign." The site of Mitsuhide's main camp during the Battle of Yamazaki is thought to be near the public cemetery in Shimoueno, Oyamazaki Town, Kyoto Prefecture, and the remains of the earthworks and moat that are thought to have been his base have also been confirmed through excavation surveys within the Suntory factory.

[Shuichi Nakayama]

"Akechi Mitsuhide" by Takayanagi Mitsutoshi (1958, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)" ▽ "Akechi Mitsuhide" by Kuwata Tadachika (1973, Shinjinbutsu Oraisha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

安土(あづち)桃山時代の武将。光綱の子、通称十兵衛。美濃(みの)国（岐阜県）の人。守護土岐(とき)氏の支族と伝えるが明らかでない。越前(えちぜん)の朝倉義景(あさくらよしかげ)に仕え、のち織田信長に従う。将軍足利義昭(あしかがよしあき)の臣細川藤孝(ふじたか)（幽斎(ゆうさい)）とともに、つねに義昭と信長の間を取り持ち、公家(くげ)たちとの交渉にも鮮やかな手腕を発揮した。1571年（元亀2）近江(おうみ)坂本に築城し、各地の戦いに参加するとともに、京都の民政をつかさどった。そのなかでも武人としてとくに力を尽くしたのは、丹波(たんば)、丹後(たんご)地方の経略である。1575年（天正3）6月信長の命により丹波の経略に着手。当初は国人(こくじん)も多く味方し、11月には氷上(ひがみ)郡中部の黒井城まで進むことができた。ところが翌1576年正月八上(やがみ)城の波多野秀治(はたのひではる)の叛(はん)により、丹波一円の抵抗が強まった。その後丹波以外にも適時動員されたが、鋭意丹波の攻略を続け、4年後の1579年にはもっとも強く抵抗した八上城を陥れた。その後細川藤孝を助けて丹後地方も平定した。1582年5月、毛利討伐のため中国出兵を命ぜられたときには、西江州(ごうしゅう)、丹波を直轄領とし、丹後の細川藤孝、大和(やまと)の筒井順慶(つついじゅんけい)、摂津の高山、中川、池田の諸将を組下とし、近畿を統率する地位に上っていた。ところが同年6月2日、本能寺に泊っている信長の警護の手薄なのに乗じて突然これを襲い自刃させ、ついでその長男信忠(のぶただ)を二条城で倒した。しかし羽柴(はしば)（豊臣(とよとみ)）秀吉があまりにも早く毛利氏と和して東上したために計画が狂い、山崎で秀吉らの連合軍と戦い、13日夜敗死した。享年55歳とも57歳ともいう。世にいう「明智の三日天下」である。山崎の戦いの際の光秀の本陣跡は京都府大山崎町下植野の共同墓地付近と考えられ、その拠(よ)ったと思われる土塁と周濠(しゅうごう)の跡も、サントリー工場内で発掘調査により確かめられた。

［中山修一］

『高柳光寿著『明智光秀』（1958・吉川弘文館）』▽『桑田忠親著『明智光秀』（1973・新人物往来社）』

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