The is a Japanese

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

kin group. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)
"Date", ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 5
retrieved 2013-5-5.

History

The Date family was founded in the early

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...

(1185–1333) by Isa Tomomune who originally came from the Isa district of

Hitachi Province was an old province of Japan in the area of Ibaraki Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Hitachi fudoki''" in . It was sometimes called . Hitachi Province bordered on Shimōsa (Lower Fusa), Shimotsuke, and Mutsu ( Iwase -17 ...

(now

Ibaraki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, Tochigi Prefecture ...

), and was a descendant of

Fujiwara no Uona Fujiwara no Uona (藤原魚名, 721 – August 31, 783) was a member of the Fujiwara clan in Japan and occupied the position of ''sadaijin'' "Minister of the Left" in the ancient Japanese court. He was the fifth son of Fujiwara no Fusasaki (681� ...

(721–783) in the sixteenth generation. The family took its name from the Date district (now Date City in Fukushima Prefecture) of Mutsu Province which had been awarded in 1189 to Isa Tomomune by

Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1192 until 1199.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako who acted as regent (''shikken'') after his ...

, the first Kamakura shōgun, for his assistance in the Genpei War and in Minamoto no Yoritomo's struggle for power with his brother,

Minamoto no Yoshitsune was a military commander of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods. During the Genpei War, he led a series of battles which toppled the Ise-Heishi branch of the Taira clan, helping his half-brother Yoritomo conso ...

. During the Nanboku-chō Wars in the 1330s, the Date supported the Imperial Southern Court of

Emperor Go-Daigo Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇 ''Go-Daigo-tennō'') (26 November 1288 – 19 September 1339) was the 96th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後醍醐天皇 (96) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order ...

through

Kitabatake Akiie was a Japanese court noble, and an important supporter of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō Wars. He also held the posts of Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of the North, and Governor of Mutsu Province. His father was Imperial advi ...

, who had been appointed Commander in Chief (or ''Chinjufu Shōgun'') of the Defense of the North, by the emperor. As warlords gained and lost power in the

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

, trying to unite the country, the Date, along with a handful of other powerful families, did all they could to retain independence and dominance over their section of the land (in the case of the Date, the far north). Though not gaining the fame or power of the likes of Oda Nobunaga,

Uesugi Kenshin , later known as was a Japanese ''daimyō''. He was born in Nagao clan, and after adoption into the Uesugi clan, ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan. He was one of the most powerful ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period. Known a ...

, or

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

, they resisted the invasions of these warlords into the north. Date Masamune (1567–1636) contributed in particular to this effort, consolidating the families of the north into alliances against the major warlords. In 1589, Masamune with the help of former

Ashina Ashina may refer to: *Ashina tribe, a ruling dynasty of the Turkic Khaganate *Ashina clan (Japan),_one_of_the_Japanese_clans *Ashina_District,_Hiroshima.html" ;"title="DF 7 of 80; retrieved 2013-5-4 ..., one of the Japanese clans *Ashina District, H ...

's samurai,

Inawashiro Morikuni was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku Period, who served the Date clan. He formerly served with the Ashina but he switched from the Ashina clan to the Date clan when Date clan invaded Mutsu Province. In the Sendai domain The , also known ...

, seized the Aizu Domain of the Ashina at the

Battle of Suriagehara was a battle during the Sengoku period (16th century) of Japan. It was fought at a field called Suriagehara, whose modern location is split between the towns of Inawashiro and Bandai in Fukushima Prefecture. Background The Battle of Suriageha ...

; and he installed himself at Kurokawa Castle in Wakamatsu Province. However, the following year, Hideyoshi triumphed over the Hōjo of

Odawara is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 188,482 and a population density of 1,700 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Odawara lies in the Ashigara Plains, in the far western por ...

; and Hideyoshi then obliged Masamune to be content with the fief of

Yonezawa Yonezawa City Hall is a city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 81,707 in 33,278 households, and a population density of 150 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Yonezawa is most famous for ...

(300,000 ''koku''). Masamune ultimately gained some degree of independence by supporting

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fello ...

. Ieyasu granted the Date much of the north, and yet the Date were not fully trusted. Despite the Date contribution of reinforcements for the Tokugawa during the battle of Sekigahara, the Date were viewed as a threat. In the Edo period, the Date were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider clans,Appert, Georges. (1888)
''Ancien Japon,'' p. 64.
/ref> in contrast with the '' fudai'' or insider ''daimyō'' clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the

Tokugawa clan The is a Japanese dynasty that was formerly a powerful ''daimyō'' family. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and were a branch of the Minamoto clan (Seiwa Genji) through the Matsudaira clan. The early history of this clan r ...

In 1600, Ieyasu charged the Date to fight against

Uesugi Kagekatsu was a Japanese samurai ''daimyō'' during the Sengoku and Edo periods. He was the adopted son of Uesugi Kenshin and Uesugi Kagetora’s brother in law. Early life and rise Kagekatsu was the son of Nagao Masakage, the head of the Ueda Nagao ...

; and, with the assistance of Mogami Yoshiteru, Masamune's forces defeated

Naoe Kanetsugu was a Japanese samurai of the 16th–17th centuries. The eldest son of Higuchi Kanetoyo, Kanetsugu was famed for his service to two generations of the Uesugi ''daimyōs''. He was also known by his court title, Yamashiro no Kami (山城守) or ...

. In recognition of this success in battle, Masamune was granted the fiefs in twelve districts which had been held until that time by the

Uesugi clan The is a Japanese samurai clan which was at its peak one of the most powerful during the Muromachi and Sengoku periods (14th to 17th centuries). Appert, Georges. (1888) ''Ancien Japon,'' p. 79./ref> At its height, the clan had three main branch ...

. The Date established themselves at Sendai (620,000 ''koku''). By 1658, Masamune changed the name of the Uesugi's castle at Iwatezawa to

Sendai Castle 260px, Layout of Aoba Castle is a Japanese castle located in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Throughout the Edo period, Aoba Castle was home to the Date clan, ''daimyō'' of Sendai Domain. The castle was also known as or as . In 2003, the ca ...

. The ''feudal daimyō'' were sometimes identified with the suffix "''-kō''" (duke, ruler of the land), preceded by the name of a place or a castle, e.g., Sendai''-kō'' was one of the names by which Date Masamune was known. Succession disputes erupted; there were a number of direct descendants of Masamune, and many kinsmen and hereditary vassals of the Date who resided nearby held estates of at least 10,000 ''koku'', and thus had some influence. In 1660,

Date Tsunamune was an early Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 3rd ''daimyō'' of Sendai Domain in northern Japan from 1658 to 1660, and the 19th hereditary chieftain of the Date clan. Tsunamune's succession and rule was soon opposed by a number of his kinsm ...

was arrested in Edo, for drunkenness and debauchery; the charges were generally believed to have been true. Tsunamune was condemned to excavate the moats which encircled the shōgun's Edo Castle. In 1660, he was ordered to supervise and pay for enhancing the north-east moat running from Megane-bashi to the Ushigome gate. The initial charges of licentious living are now believed to have been encouraged heavily by certain vassals and kinsmen in the north. These vassals and kinsmen appealed to the Council of Elders in Edo that Tsunamune should not be considered fit to rule, and that his son

Date Tsunamura was an early Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 4th ''daimyō'' of Sendai Domain in northern Japan, and the 20h hereditary chieftain of the Date clan. Tsunamura’s succession led to the ''Date Sōdō'' or "Date Disturbance" of 1671, which has ...

, great-grandson of Masamune, should become the ''daimyō'' (lord) of the Date ''

han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

'' (fief). Thus, Tsunamura became ''daimyō'', under the guardianship of his uncles,

Date Munekatsu was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of Ichinoseki Domain in early-Edo period Japan. His courtesy title was ''Hyōbu-no-daisuke'', and his Court rank was Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade. Munekatsu was the 10th son of Date Masamune. He appears in histor ...

and Muneyoshi. Ten years of violence and conflict followed in the north, reaching a climax in 1671 when

Aki Muneshige Aki or AKI may refer to: Places in Japan *Aki District, Hiroshima, a district in Hiroshima Prefecture *Aki, Kōchi, a city in Kochi Prefecture *Aki District, Kōchi, a district in Kochi Prefecture *Aki, Ōita, a town in Ōita Prefecture *Aki Provi ...

, a powerful relative of the Date, complained to the shogunate of the mismanagement of the fief under Tsunamura and his uncles. The episode that followed is so complex and dramatic as to warrant becoming a well-known story known as the ''Date Sōdō'' ( Date Disturbance) and a theatrical play as well. Aki was summoned to Edo to argue his case before various councils and officials, and was involved in a number of interrogations, examinations and meetings, as were several other retainers of the Date. One retainer in particular,

Harada Munesuke Harada (written: ) is the 52nd most common Japanese surname. Notable personalities with this surname include: *, Japanese actor *, Japanese professional wrestler *, Japanese Zen Buddhist monk *, Japanese swimmer *, Japanese rock climber *, Japanese ...

, was a supporter of Tsunamura and his uncles and, it is said, made a poor impression at Edo. At one point, Aki came upon Harada waiting to meet with some of the officials, and Aki began shouting insults. Swords were then drawn, and Aki was killed. Harada was killed moments after, by the officials or their guards. The official verdict was that Harada drew first; the Harada family was disbanded and though Tsunamura was affirmed as the proper ''daimyō'', his uncles were punished. Though the Date are most well known for their power in the north,

Date Hidemune was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. He was the eldest son of Date Masamune, born in 1591 by Shinzo no Kata (a concubine). Coming of age while living with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he received a character from Hideyoshi's name and took ...

, the second son of Masamune, enjoyed a fief of 100,000 ''koku'' on

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

Successive Heads of the Date Clan

Date Tomomune Date Tomomune (伊達朝宗, 1129 - October 23, 1199) was a samurai during the closing years of the Heian period through to the beginning of the Kamakura period. He is known as the founder of the Date Clan. Biography In 1189, Nakamura Hitachi-n ...

(1129–1199) # Date Munemura (1173–1251) # Date Yoshihiro (1185–1256) # Date Masayori (1227–1301) # Date Munetsuna (1254–1317) # Date Motomune (d. 1335) # Date Yukitomo (1291–1348) # Date Munetō (1324–1385) # Date Masamune (1353–1405) # Date Ujimune (1371–1412) # Date Mochimune (1393–1469) # Date Shigemune (1435–1487) # Date Hisamune (1453–1514) #

Date Tanemune was a Japanese samurai warrior and Date clan leader during the Sengoku period. Biography He was born as the eldest son of Date Hisamune. His childhood name was Jiro (次郎). At the death of his father, he became ''daimyō'' of Mutsu Provinc ...

(1488-1565) #

Date Harumune was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period.Date Terumune was a Japanese samurai clan leader of the Sengoku period. Turnbull, Stephen. (2012) ''Samurai Commanders: 1577-1638,'' Vol, 2, p. 52 He had close relationship with Oda Nobunaga, one of the leading figures of the period. Terumune was the father o ...

(1544-1585) # Date Masamune (1567 - 1636) #

Date Tadamune was an early Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 2nd '' daimyō'' of the 625,000 ''koku'' Sendai Domain in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. He was the half-brother of Date Hidemune of Uwajima Domain. Biography Tadamune was born as Tor ...

(1600 - 1658) #

(1640 - 1711) #

(1659 - 1719) # Date Yoshimura (1680 - 1752) # Date Munemura (1718 - 1756) # Date Shigemura (1742 - 1796) #

Date Narimura was a mid-Edo period Japanese people, Japanese samurai, and the 8th ''daimyō'' of Sendai Domain in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, and the 24th hereditary chieftain of the Date clan. Biography Narimura was the second son of Date Shigemura ...

(1775 - 1796) #

Date Chikamune was an mid-Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 9th ''daimyō'' of Sendai Domain in northern Japan, and the 25th hereditary chieftain of the Date clan. Biography Chikamune was the eldest son of Date Narimura. His childhood name was Masachiyo (� ...

(1796 - 1812) #

Date Narimune } was an mid-Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 10th ''daimyō'' of Sendai Domain in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, and the 26th hereditary chieftain of the Date clan. Biography Narimune was the posthumous second son of Date Narimura; hi ...

(1796 - 1819) # Date Nariyoshi (1798 - 1828) #

Date Narikuni was an late-Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 12th ''daimyō'' of Sendai Domain in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, and the 28th hereditary chieftain of the Date clan. Biography Narikuni was the son of Date Munemitsu of the Tome-Date cla ...

(1817 - 1841) #

Date Yoshikuni was a late-Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 13th ''daimyō'' of Sendai Domain in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, the 29th hereditary chieftain of the Date clan. He is known primarily for his role as commander-in-chief of the Ōuet ...

(1825 - 1874) # Date Munemoto (1866 - 1917) # Date Kunimune (1870–1923) # Date Okimune (1906–1947) # Date Sadamune (1937–1981) # Date Yasumune (b. 1959)

Date clan genealogy

The ''tozama'' Date clan originated during the 12th century in

Shimōsa Province was a province of Japan in the area modern Chiba Prefecture, and Ibaraki Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Shimōsa''" in . It lies to the north of the Bōsō Peninsula (房総半島), whose name takes its first ''kanji'' from ...

. They claim descent from the

Fujiwara clan was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until ...

. The branches of the ''tozama'' Date clan include the following: * The senior branch of the Date were daimyō at Date in Mutsu province from the 12th century; and then, in 1601, they transferred the seat of their clan holdings to Sendai. From the early 17th century until 1868, the Date continued to hold

Sendai Domain The , also known as the , was a domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1600 to 1871. The Sendai Domain was based at Aoba Castle in Mutsu Province, in the modern city of Sendai, located in the Tōhoku region of the i ...

(620,000 ''koku'') in Mutsu Province. The head of this Senior clan line was ennobled as an hereditary "Count" in the Meiji period. * This senior branch of the Date produced a nominal offshoot or "side branch".

(1599–1658), a son of Masamune, produced more than one son. Tadamune's second son, Muneyoshi, revived the name of Tamura, an ancient Mutsu family name which had been relinquished by Masamune. Date Muneyoshi or

Tamura Muneyoshi was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of Iwanuma Domain in Mutsu Province of early-Edo period Japan Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003).html" ;"title="DF 63 of 80">("Tamura," ' ...

(1637–1678) settled himself at

Ichinoseki domain was a '' tozama'' feudal domain of Edo period Japan It was located in Mutsu Province, in northern Honshū. The domain was centered at Ichinoseki jin'ya, located in the center of what is now the city of Ichinoseki in Iwate Prefecture. Histo ...

(30,000 ''koku'') in Mutsu Province (now in Iwate Prefecture), where his descendants resided up through 1868. The head of this clan line was ennobled as an hereditary "Viscount" in the Meiji period. * A cadet branch of the Date was created in 1614; and this clan line was established at

Uwajima Domain 270px, Date Munenari 270px, Uwajima Date Museum was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, in what is now western Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It was centered around Uwajima Castle, and was ruled throu ...

(100,000 ''koku'') in

Iyo Province was a province of Japan in the area of northwestern Shikoku. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Tosa''" in . Iyo bordered on Sanuki Province to the northeast, Awa to the east, and Tosa to the south. Its abbreviated form name was . In te ...

. Date Muneki (1817–1882) was a prominent member of this Cadet branch. He played an important role in the early days of the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

, and he was among the first to argue persistently for the suppression of shogunate powers. As The head of this clan line, Muneki and his heirs were ennobled as an hereditary "Marquis" in the Meiji period. * An additional cadet branch of the Date was created in 1657. In that year, a separate clan line was installed at

Yoshida Castle is a Japanese castle located in Toyohashi, southeastern Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Yoshida Castle was home to the Inaba clan, ''daimyō'' of Tateyama Domain. The castle was also known as , and later as Toyohashi Cast ...

(30,000 ''koku'') in

. The head of this clan line was ennobled as an hereditary "Viscount" in the Meiji period.

Clan temple in Edo

In the Edo period,

Tōzen-ji , is a Buddhist temple located in Takanawa, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The temple belongs to the Myōshin-ji branch of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen.Cortazzi, Hugh. (2000) ''Collected Writings of Sir Hugh Cortazzi'', Vol. II, pp. 210211. One of th ...

was considered the family temple of various clans, including the Date clan of Sendai. Other clans considering Tōzen-ji to have been a clan temple were the

Ikeda clan was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from Minamoto no Yorimitsu (948-1021) of the Seiwa Genji. Minamoto no Yasumasa, the fourth generation descending from Yorimitsu, and younger brother of Minamoto no Yorimasa (1104-1180), was the first t ...

Ōmi Province was a province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. Its nickname is . Under the '' Engishiki'' classification system, Ōmi was ranked as one of the 13 "great countr ...

, the

Inaba clan The were a ''samurai'' kin group which rose to prominence in the Sengoku period and the Edo periods.Meyer, Eva-Maria"Gouverneure von Kyôto in der Edo-Zeit". Universität Tübingen (in German) Under the Tokugawa shogunate, the Inaba, as heredita ...

of Usuki Domain in

Bungo Province was a province of Japan in eastern Kyūshū in the area of Ōita Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Buzen Province. Bungo bordered Buzen, Hyūga, Higo, Chikugo, and Chikuzen Provinces. History At the end of the 7th century, Toyo ...

, the Suwa clan of

Shinshū or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered on Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces. The ancient capital was located near modern-day Matsumoto, w ...

, the

Tamura Tamura (usually written 田村), a Japanese placename and family name, may refer to: In places: *Tamura, Fukushima, a city in Japan *Tamura District, Fukushima, in Japan * Tamura Station, in Nagahama, Japan People with the surname Tamura: * Tamura ...

Ichinoseki is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. , the city had a population of 114,476 and a population density of 91 persons per km² in 46,375 households. It is currently the second largest city by population in ...

, and the

Mōri clan The Mōri clan (毛利氏 ''Mōri-shi'') was a Japanese samurai clan descended from Ōe no Hiromoto. Ōe no Hiromoto was descended from the Fujiwara clan. The family's most illustrious member, Mōri Motonari, greatly expanded the clan's pow ...

of Saeki in Bungo Province.

Clan shrine in Sendai

The Date clan's tutelary shrine, Kameoka Hachimangū, survives as a local shrine in Sendai.

Notable clan members

Notable members of the clan listed by their date of birth, excluding clan leaders:

Sixteenth century

Megohime was a Japanese noble lady and aristocrat from the Azuchi–Momoyama period to the early Edo period. She is the daughter and only child of Tamura Kiyoaki,Ōshima Kōichi, ''Ichinoseki Domain (Clan Stories Series)'', , page 12 the lord of Miharu ...

(1568 - 1653) - daughter of

Tamura Kiyoaki was a Japanese samurai and head of the Tamura clan. Tamura clan was a daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from thei ...

; wife of Date Masamune *

Date Kojiro Date or dates may refer to: *Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner **Group dating *Play date, an ...

(1578–1590) - son of

Date Terumune was a Japanese samurai clan leader of the Sengoku period. Turnbull, Stephen. (2012) ''Samurai Commanders: 1577-1638,'' Vol, 2, p. 52 He had close relationship with Oda Nobunaga, one of the leading figures of the period. Terumune was the father o ...

(1591–1658) – son of Date Masamune ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominal ...

'' of Iyo domain in

(1599–1658) – son of Date Masamune * Date Munezane (1613–1665) – son of Date Masamune *

– son of Date Masamune – guardian of Tsunamura

Seventeenth century

* Date Munetomo – son of

*Date Munetsuna (1603–1618) * Date Munenobu (1603–1627) * Date Munehiro (1612–1644) * Date Munetoki (1615–1653) * Date Torachiyomaru (1624–1630) * Date Muneyoshi (1625–1678) – son of

– guardian of Tsunamura * Date Mitsumune (1627–1645) – son of

Plutschow
pp. 224 n150
53 n150. – Iemitsu gave him the "''Mitsu-''" in his name. *

Date Munetoshi Date or dates may refer to: *Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner **Group dating * Play date, a ...

(1634–1708) * Date Munezumi (1636–1708) *

Date Sourin Date or dates may refer to: *Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner **Group dating *Play date, an ...

(1640–1670) * Date Munefusa (1646–1686) * Date Munenori (1673–1694) * Date Muratoyo (1682–1737) * Date Muraoki (1683–1767)

Eighteenth century

* Date Murasumi (1717–1735) * Date Muranobu (1720–1765) * Date Murakata (1745–1790) * Date Murayoshi (1778–1820)

Nineteenth century and after Meiji restoration

* Date Yoshitaka (1812–1862) * Date Muneki (1817–1882) * Date Munenari (1818–1892) * Date Kuninori (1830–1874) * Date Kuninao (1834–1891) * Date Kuninari (1841–1904) * Date Junnosuke (1892–1948)

Side branches

They were born to the Date clan but were nominally adopted by other families. The first name is the person who was nominally adopted. *Tamura Muneyoshi (1637–1678)Papinot, Edmond. (1948)
''Historical and geographical dictionary of Japan'', p. 642.
/ref> ** Tamura Takeaki (1656–1708) – first Tamura ''daimyō'' of Ichinoseki han ** Tamura Akihiro (1659–1696) ** Tamura Akinao (1662–1706) ** Tamura Akinori (1664–1733) ** Tamura Haruchiyo (1686–1693) ** Tamura Nobuaki (1703–1725) ** Tamura Muranobu (1723–1777) *Shiraishi Gorokichi (1638–1644) *Uesugi Yoshifusa (1720–1742) ** Uesugi Yoshitoki (1742–1784) ** Uesugi Yoshinaga (?–?) ** Uesugi Yositatsu (?–?) ** Uesugi Yoshimasa (?–?) ** Usesugi Yoshitoyo (d. 1861)

Retainers and vassals

These families were vassals of the Date clan. Notable members are listed by their date of birth.

Oniniwa

*Oniniwa Motozane (1412–1590) – founder of Oniniwa clan *

Oniniwa Yoshinao also known as Oniniwa Sagetsusai was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period who served Date clan. He was deeply trusted by Date Terumune and Date Masamune. Yoshinao at the age of 73, bravely fought to let Masamune go during the Battle of Hi ...

(1513–1586) *Masuda Kita (1539–1690) – Yoshinao's Daughter/Tsunamoto's half-sister *Moniwa Tadamoto (

Oniniwa Tsunamoto (1549 – July 13, 1640) was a Japanese samurai of the late Sengoku period through early Edo period. He was the son of Oniniwa Yoshinao. His half-sister, Katakura Kita was also Katakura Kagetsuna's half sister. Together with Katakura Kagets ...

/Moniwa Tsunamoto) (1549–1640) –

bestowed the surname "Moniwa" as the new name for the Oniniwa clan. *Moniwa Yoshimoto (Yoshitsuna) (1575–1663) – son of Tadamoto/Tsunamoto *Harada Tsutame ( – 1671) – The wife of Harada Munesuke; adopted child of Tadamoto (Tsunamoto)

Katakura

Katakura Kagetsuna was a Japanese samurai of the Katakura clan during the late Sengoku period. Also known by his court title, ''Bichū no Kami'' (備中守), or more commonly, as Katakura Kojūrō. Together with Oniniwa Tsunamoto and Date Shigezane, Kagetsuna was ...

* Katakura Kita

Rusu

Rusu Masakage was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period through Azuchi-Momoyama period. Served as a retainer of the Date clan Masakage was the uncle of the famous Date Masamune.

Watari

Date Shigezane was a Japanese samurai of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods. Founder of the Watari-Date clan. A senior retainer of the Date clan of Sendai, he was a cousin of Date Masamune on his mother's side, and a cousin of Masamune's father Date ...

Shiroishi

* Shiroishi Munezane

Popular culture

* The Date Clan is heavily featured in the anime series

Masamune Datenicle ''Masamune Datenicle'' is a Japanese anime series produced through the cooperation of the anime studio Gaina and the city of Date, Fukushima. It is one of a number of anime produced by Gaina in promotion of Fukushima Prefecture. Otherwise know ...

. * The Date are a playable faction in

Shogun 2 ''Total War: Shogun 2'' is a strategy video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega in 2011. It is part of the ''Total War'' series and returns to the 16th-century Japan setting of the first ''Total War'' game, '' Shogun: Total ...

. * Date is a playable nation in

Europa Universalis IV ''Europa Universalis IV'' is a 2013 grand strategy video game in the '' Europa Universalis'' series, developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive as a sequel to '' Europa Universalis III'' (2007). The game was re ...

Notes

References

* Appert, Georges and H. Kinoshita. (1888)
''Ancien Japon''.
Tokyo: Imprimerie Kokubunsha. * Cortazzi, Hugh. (2000)
''Collected Writings of Sir Hugh Cortazzi'', Vol. II.
London:

Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law ...

. * Meyer, Eva-Maria. (1999)
''Japan's Kaiserhof in de Edo-Zeit: Unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Jahre 1846 bis 1867''.
Münster: Tagenbuch. * Papinot, Edmund. (1906) ''Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du japon''. Tokyo: Librarie Sansaish
..Click link for digitized 1906 ''Nobiliaire du japon'' (2003)
* Plutschow, Herbert. (1995)
"Japan's Name Culture: The Significance of Names in a Religious, Political and Social Context''.
London:

. * Sansom, George Bailey. (1961). ''A History of Japan: 1334–1615''. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. * __________. (1963). ''A History of Japan: 1615–1867''. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. * Screech, Timon. (2006). ''Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779–1822''. London: RoutledgeCurzon. {{ISBN, 0-7007-1720-X Japanese clans