Date Masamune, renowned as the "One Eyed Dragon of the North" or Dokuganryu, was a formidable figure of the Sengoku period. He held the title of lord over Sendai and was distinguished for his tactical brilliance, fearless combat skills, and exceptional leadership. Amongst samurai circles, he was known for his loyalty, ethical conduct, ruthless determination, astute administration, and ambitious pursuits.
Born in Yonezawa Castle, now in Yamagata Prefecture, Masamune was the son of Date Terumune, the lord of Mutsu. Smallpox claimed his right eye during childhood, prompting its removal. This led his mother to deem him unfit to inherit leadership of the clan, advocating for his younger brother Kojiro instead. Matters took a dark turn when she attempted to poison Masamune, compelling him to take drastic measures. He had to end his brother's life to secure his own survival and maintain control.
Following his father's retirement, Masamune ascended to lead the Date clan, expanding its influence by conquering neighboring domains while consolidating his own. When the Hatakeyama clan couldn't resist Masamune's advances into their territory, they appealed to his father for intervention. Unable to rein in his son, Terumune was taken captive. Masamune, upon receiving this grim news during a hunting expedition, pursued the kidnappers and executed his own father on Terumune's orders. As further retribution, he ordered the families of the kidnappers to be tracked down, tortured, and executed.
In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the nation's ruler, demanded Masamune's participation in the Siege of Odawara. Initially resistant, Masamune's eventual compliance angered Hideyoshi. Expecting execution for his initial defiance, Masamune presented himself before Hideyoshi, displaying no fear. To everyone's surprise, Hideyoshi spared his life, sensing potential use in the future. Masamune went on to demonstrate his loyalty during Hideyoshi's Korean campaigns.
Given lands at Iwadeyama by Hideyoshi, Masamune transformed the area into a thriving economic and political hub over 13 years. His financial acumen later turned Sendai from a modest fishing village into a prosperous city.
After Hideyoshi's passing, Masamune shifted his allegiance to Tokugawa Ieyasu, who granted him the Sendai Domain, purportedly yielding one million koku, though the actual output was 640,000 koku.
In the lead-up to the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Masamune supported the Tokugawa cause by engaging the Uesugi clan in the northern regions, enabling Ieyasu to focus on the growing Western allied forces. Although absent from the battlefield, Masamune's contributions greatly aided the Eastern victory.
After the Battle of Sekigahara, Date Masamune, along with 52,000 of his samurai and their families, moved from Iwadeyama to the village of Sendai.
Here, Masamune launched numerous public projects to enhance the land and embellish the Tohoku region, turning it into a sought-after tourist destination. He fostered trade, permitting foreign missionaries and traders to operate within his domain. He even utilized foreign shipbuilding techniques to construct the Date Maru, which embarked on Japan's inaugural diplomatic mission to the Philippines, Mexico, Spain, and Rome for an audience with the Pope, and to secure trading privileges with various nations along the route.
Masamune fathered 16 children, including two illegitimate ones, with his wife and seven concubines. His attire was characterized by relatively plain black armor and a distinctive helmet crest resembling a large, thin crescent moon. He is often depicted wearing a sword guard in place of an eye patch. Date Masamune passed away at the age of 68 on June 27, 1636.
See also
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Yamagata Masakage
Masakage was one of Takeda Shingen’s most loyal and capable commanders. He was included in the famous list of the “Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen” and also belonged to the inner circle of four especially trusted warlords known as the Shitennō.
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Yagyu Munenori
Yagyū Munenori began his service under Tokugawa Ieyasu while his father, Yagyū Muneyoshi, was still at his side. In 1600, Munenori took part in the decisive Battle of Sekigahara. As early as 1601, he was appointed a kenjutsu instructor to Tokugawa Hidetada, Ieyasu’s son, who later became the second shogun of the Tokugawa clan.
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Yagyu Muneyoshi
A samurai from Yamato Province, he was born into a family that had been defeated in its struggle against the Tsutsui clan. Muneyoshi first took part in battle at the age of sixteen. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he was forced to enter the service of the Tsutsui house and later served Miyoshi Tōkei. He subsequently came under the command of Matsunaga Hisahide and in time became a vassal first of Oda and later of Toyotomi.
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Endo Naozune
Naozune served under Azai Nagamasa and was one of the clan’s leading vassals, renowned for his bravery and determination. He accompanied Nagamasa during his first meeting with Oda Nobunaga and at that time asked for permission to kill Nobunaga, fearing him as an extremely dangerous man; however, Nagamasa did not grant this request.
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Hosokawa Sumimoto
Sumimoto came from the Hosokawa clan: he was the biological son of Hosokawa Yoshiharu and at the same time the adopted son of Hosokawa Masamoto, the heir of Hosokawa Katsumoto, one of the principal instigators of the Ōnin War. Masamoto was homosexual, never married, and had no children of his own. At first he adopted Sumiyuki, a scion of the aristocratic Kujō family, but this choice provoked dissatisfaction and sharp criticism from the senior vassals of the Hosokawa house. As a result, Masamoto changed his decision and proclaimed Sumimoto as his heir, a representative of a collateral branch of the Hosokawa clan that had long been based in Awa Province on the island of Shikoku. Almost immediately after this, the boy became entangled in a complex and bitter web of political intrigue.
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Honda Masanobu
Masanobu initially belonged to the retinue of Tokugawa Ieyasu, but later entered the service of Sakai Shōgen, a daimyo and priest from Ueno. This shift automatically made him an enemy of Ieyasu, who was engaged in conflict with the Ikkō-ikki movement in Mikawa Province. After the Ikkō-ikki were defeated in 1564, Masanobu was forced to flee, but in time he returned and once again entered Ieyasu’s service. He did not gain fame as a military commander due to a wound sustained in his youth; nevertheless, over the following fifty years he consistently remained loyal to Ieyasu.
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Honda Masazumi
Masazumi was the eldest son of Honda Masanobu. From a young age, he served Tokugawa Ieyasu alongside his father, taking part in the affairs of the Tokugawa house and gradually gaining experience in both military and administrative matters. At the decisive Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Masazumi was part of the core Tokugawa forces, a clear sign of the high level of trust Ieyasu placed in him. After the campaign ended, he was given a highly sensitive assignment—serving in the guard of the defeated Ishida Mitsunari, one of Tokugawa’s principal enemies—an obligation that required exceptional reliability and caution.
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Hojo Shigetoki
Hōjō Shigetoki, the third son of Hōjō Yoshitoki, was still very young—only five years old—when his grandfather Tokimasa became the first member of the Hōjō clan to assume the position of shogunal regent.
