Munakata Saikaku (宗像才鶴) was a Japanese female samurai warlord, aristocrat and

onna-musha ''Onna-musha'' (女武者) is a term referring to female warriors in pre-modern Japan. These women fought in battle alongside samurai men. They were members of the ''bushi'' (warrior) class in feudal Japan and were trained in the use of weapons ...

of 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 ...

. She was the wife of Munakata Ujisada, the last Munakata clan ''daiguji'' of

Munakata Shrine is a collection of three Shinto shrines located in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is the head of the approximately 6,000 Munakata shrines all over the country. Although the name Munakata Taisha refers to all three shrines—Hetsu-gū, ...

Chikuzen province was an old province of Japan in the area that is today part of Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū. It was sometimes called or , with Chikugo Province. Chikuzen bordered Buzen, Bungo, Chikugo, and Hizen Provinces. History The original provincial ...

of the

Kyushu island is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

. After her husband's death in 1586, she was appointed leader of the Munataka clan by Japan's most powerful man at the time,

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 ...

. She played a crucial role in the

Kyushu campaign is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

, her achievements in battles were noted and she became a female lord. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three ''Japan's Great unifier'', sent letters to Munakata Saikaku of the Munakata clan, famed for producing successive generations of "daiguji," the highest-ranking priest of Munakata Taisha shrine. Saikaku was the wife of Ujisada, the last daiguji of the

Shinto shrine A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more ''kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion. Overview Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings. The '' honden''Also called (本殿, meani ...

, which is a part of a

UNESCO World Heritage site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. The letter sent by Hideyoshi, congratulated her on her military achievements during her fight against the

Shimazu clan The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan. The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in contrast ...

in the

Kyushu Campaign is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

. Because of her conquests in battle, Hideyoshi appointed her as the head of the Munakata clan.

Hideyoshi's letter

The letter was discovered on September 18, 2019, attracting the attention of several people because of a peculiar fact in Japanese history: A woman being appointed as head of a clan by a powerful feudal lord. The two rare letters, one a "hanmotsu" official document signed with Hideyoshi's "kao" stylized signature, and a "shuinjo" letter with a red seal, were handed down through successive generations of the Munakata clan, which served the ruling

Hosokawa clan The is a Japanese Samurai kin group or clan. Ancestors # Emperor Jimmu # Emperor Suizei # Emperor Annei # Emperor Itoku # Emperor Kōshō # Emperor Kōan # Emperor Kōrei # Emperor Kōgen # Emperor Kaika # Emperor Sujin # Emperor Sui ...

of the

Higo Domain The , also known as , was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. It was associated with Higo Province in modern-day Kumamoto Prefecture.

. Munakata Ujisada died suddenly in 1586, a year before Hideyoshi conquered the Kyushu region. Hideyoshi praises the Munakata clan for preventing the Shimazu clan, which was in southern Kyushu, from going north. In gratitude, he issued "hanmotsu" that same year, ensuring that the clan can maintain its territories. In the "shuinjo", the warlord instructs the Munakata clan to consult with his vassal,

Asano Nagamasa was the brother-in-law of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and one of his chief advisors. Asano also fought for Oda Nobunaga and Hideyoshi in a number of campaigns during the Sengoku period of the 16th century of Japan. He was sent to Korea as one of the Thr ...

, before sending troops to Kyoto. Both letters were addressed to Saikaku, showing that Hideyoshi acknowledged her as head of the Munakata clan. Although Saikaku is mentioned as the female lord of the Munakata clan in letters passed down to other samurai families, little had been known about her life and fate.

References

Japanese women in warfare Women of medieval Japan 16th-century Japanese women Women in 16th-century warfare 16th-century women rulers 16th-century women politicians People of Sengoku-period Japan Sengoku period {{Samurai-stub

Hideyoshi's letter

See also

References