Tsutsui Junkei (March 31, 1549 – September 15, 1584), the son of Tsutsui Junsho, was a daimyo who ruled over Yamato Province. In 1571, through the mediation of Akechi Mitsuhide, Junkei pledged his service to Oda Nobunaga.
Earlier in his career, in 1565, he was defeated by Matsunaga Hisahide, a powerful local warlord, who seized Tsutsui Castle. However, in 1566, Junkei successfully reclaimed the castle after a battle with Hisahide, though he was soon forced to abandon it by order of Nobunaga.
In 1575, Junkei participated in Nobunaga's campaign against the Echizen Ikko-ikki, serving alongside other forces from Yamato under Harada Naomasa. Two years later, in 1577, he joined Oda Nobutada, Akechi Mitsuhide, and Hosokawa Fujitaka in the Siege of Shigisan, where they defeated Hisahide at Mount Shigi.
By 1578, Junkei had been appointed as the daimyo of Yamato and was permitted to construct Koriyama Castle, located in present-day Yamatokoriyama, Nara. He continued to serve in Nobunaga's campaigns, including the Siege of Itami in 1579 against Araki Murashige and the Tensho Iga War in 1581 during the Siege of Hijiyama, against the Iga Sokoku Ikki.
During the Battle of Yamazaki in 1582, Junkei remained neutral, choosing not to align with either side. He famously waited for the outcome at "Hora ga toge," a decision that led to the expression "to sit on Hora ga toge," meaning to remain undecided.
In 1584, during the Komaki Campaign against Tokugawa Ieyasu, Junkei fought on the side of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who later confirmed his rule over Yamato. However, Junkei died of illness on September 15, 1584. After his death, his cousin and adopted son, Tsutsui Sadatsugu, succeeded him, but the Tsutsui clan soon lost control of Yamato to Toyotomi Hidenaga, Hideyoshi's half-brother. Sadatsugu was later relocated to Iga Province by Hideyoshi's orders.
See also
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Okayama Castle
According to a number of accounts, the earliest fortifications on the site of present-day Okayama Castle appeared as early as the 14th century and were built by the Nawa clan. The Asahigawa River was used as a natural defensive barrier, protecting one side of the fortifications.
In the early 16th century, the Kanamitsu clan constructed a new castle here, which at the time was known as Ishiyama. In 1573, it came under the control of the Ukita clan, after which Ukita Naoie (1529–1582) launched large-scale reconstruction efforts. He did not live to see the work completed, and construction was continued by his son Hideie. -
Nagahama Castle
Hashiba, later known as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, received Odani Castle and the surrounding lands from Oda Nobunaga after the defeat of the Azai clan. However, Odani Castle was located high in the mountains, which made it poorly suited for the effective administration of the territory. For this reason, in 1575 Hideyoshi began constructing a new castle in the village of Imahama on the shore of Lake Biwa. Taking the character naga from Nobunaga’s name, he renamed both the village and the new castle Nagahama.
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Kokura Castle
Kokura Castle is traditionally considered to have been founded by Hosokawa Tadaoki (1563–1645), although by the time the Hosokawa clan came to control these lands, the fortification had already existed since at least 1569 and was most likely built by members of the Mori clan.
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Ikeda Castle
In 1334, Ikeda Noriyoshi built a small fort on this site, which over time was repeatedly expanded and rebuilt. During the Ōnin War of 1467–1477, the Ikeda clan supported the Western Coalition. As a result, Ikeda Castle was attacked and captured by the forces of the Eastern Coalition, but it was soon recaptured, allowing it to avoid serious destruction.
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Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle
Aizu-Wakamatsu is the most powerful and at the same time the oldest castle in the Tōhoku region in the north of Honshu Island. Its history begins in the 14th century and is closely connected with the Ashina clan, whose members claimed descent from the legendary Taira family.
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Maruoka Castle
Maruoka Castle is located in the central part of the former city of Maruoka, which is now part of the city of Sakai. This area lies in the northeastern part of Fukui Prefecture. The castle was built on the bank of the Kuzuryu River, on the side opposite Fukui City, which once served as the administrative center of the former Echizen Province. Thanks to its location, Maruoka held significant strategic importance, as it controlled two major routes at once: the Hokurikudo highway leading from Kaga Province and the Mino Kaido road connecting these lands with Mino Province.
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Marugame Castle
Marugame is part of the so-called “Authentic Dozen,” a group of twelve castles whose donjons have survived to the present day without major reconstructions since the Edo period.
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Iyo Matsuyama Castle
Historically, the center of Iyo Province—corresponding to today’s Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku—was the city of Imabari, while the Matsuyama area was regarded as an agricultural hinterland with broad plains and low hills. During the Muromachi period, the central part of the province was governed by the Kano clan from Yuzuki Castle. With the onset of the Sengoku period, however, this clan lost its former influence and was forced to survive in the shadow of the more powerful Mori and Chōsokabe clans. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s forces conquered Shikoku in 1587, the northern part of Iyo Province was granted to Fukushima Masanori, one of the so-called “Seven Spears of Shizugatake.” In 1595, Masanori was transferred to Kiyosu Castle, and the lands around Matsuyama were given to another of the Seven Spears, Katō Yoshiaki, who received Masaki Castle and an income of 60,000 koku of rice.
