Nanbu Nobunao | |
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| 南部信直 | |
 Portrait of Nanbu Nobunao | |
| Born | April 1, 1546 Iwate, Iwate, Japan |
| Died | November 22, 1599(1599-11-22) (aged 53) Kunohe Castle, Japan |
| Burial place | Sanko-in,Nanbu, Aomori, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Predecessor | Nanbu Harutsugu |
| Successor | Nanbu Toshinao |
| Spouse | daughter of Nanbu Harumasa |
Nanbu Nobunao (南部信直, 1 April 1546 – 22 November 1599) was aSengoku periodJapanesesamurai, anddaimyō and the 26th hereditary chieftain of theNanbu clan.[1] Hiscourtesy title wasDaizen Daibu, and hisCourt rank was Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade.
Nobunao was the second son ofNanbu Masayasu, the 22nd chieftain of the Nanbu clan, and was born at the clan’s Ikatai Castle in what is now the town ofIwate in 1546. In 1565, he was adopted by his cousin, the 24th chieftain of the Nanbu clanNanbu Harumasa to be his heir, and resided atSannohe Castle. In 1566 and 1568 he successfully defended the clan’s territory inKazuno against incursions by the forces ofAndō Chikasue.[1]
In 1570, one of Harumasa’s concubines gave birth to a biological son, Nanbu Harutsugu. Nobunao remained heir, but in 1576, Nobunao’s wife (the daughter of Harumasa) died. Fearing his position had been perhaps fatally undermined, Nobunao formally renounced his position as heir and went into hiding, taking refuge atNe Castle with the Hachinohe branch of the clan. In 1582, Harumasa died and Harutsugu came 25th chieftain. Harutsugu then died within a year, possibly ofsmallpox, although it was widely rumored that he had been assassinated by Nobunao. With Harutsugu’s death, the various branches of the Nanbu clan decided to make Nobunao the 26th chieftain. However, this decision was opposed by a faction of the clan led byKunohe Masazane, a noted warrior who felt that his blood ties to the succession were stronger.[1]
In 1590, during theSiege of Odawara Nobunao led a force of 1000 men, primarily from Sannohe and Hachinohe, and pledged fealty toToyotomi Hideyoshi. In return, he was confirmed as daimyō of his existing holdings in northern Mutsu province (the districts of Nukanobu, Hei, Kazuno, Kuji, Iwate, Shiwa and Tōno). However, since theŌura clan had already pledged fealty to Hideyoshi before Nobunao, he was denied control overTsugaru, which had been seized by the Ōura from the Nanbu in 1571. Hideoyoshi subsequently sent a huge army to quell theKunohe Rebellion which secured Nobunao in his position. Nobunao was subsequently awarded with the additional territories of Hienuki and Waga as compensation for the loss of Tsugaru. Although his territory was vast geographically, it had an assessedkokudaka of only 100,000koku, as much of the area was not suitable for growing rice.[1]
In 1592, Hideyoshi ordered Nobunao toNagoya inHizen Province to provide 1000 troops for theinvasion of Korea. However, he and his forces were never given the order to cross over, and subsequently returned home. Nobunao relocated his seat fromSannohe Castle to the more central location ofMorioka, and began work onMorioka Castle and its surroundingcastle town in 1592. He did not live to see its completion, but died atKunohe Castle in 1599.[1]
He was succeeded by his son,Nanbu Toshinao, who became the 1st daimyō ofMorioka Domain under theTokugawa shogunate.[1]
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