Uwajima Castle

The Uwajima Date family was a branch of the Sendai Date family, and its first lord, Date Hidemune, was Masamune's eldest illegitimate son. Tōdō Takatora, who built Uwajima Castle, is famous as a castle architect, but he is also known as a warrior who changed lords seven times in his life. Surviving the Sengoku period by serving successively Asai Nagamasa, Toyotomi Hidenaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, Takatora took part in numerous battles, including the Battle of Shizugatake, the Bunroku and Keichō campaigns, the Battle of Sekigahara, and the Osaka campaigns, and he wielded many swords in actual combat. Takatora is said to have lost the ring and little fingers of his right hand to battle wounds, and that scar speaks to the ferocity of fighting with a sword in hand. An essential part of the story of sword culture in Iyo Province (Ehime Prefecture) is Ōyamazumi Shrine, enshrined on Ōmishima island in Imabari city. This shrine holds a vast collection of armor and swords dedicated by warriors from across the country to pray for victory. It boasts what is said to be Japan's foremost collection of arms and armor, with about 40% of the armor designated National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties concentrated at this one shrine. There are arms and armor said to have been dedicated by renowned warriors including Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Minamoto no Yoritomo, and the Kōno clan of the Mishima navy, making it a rare place where the martial history of Japan can be seen in one place. A trip combining Uwajima Castle and Ōyamazumi Shrine is the best route for deeply savoring Iyo's martial culture. Although the Uwajima and Sendai Date families were in a main-and-branch relationship, they nurtured distinct cultures. Comparing them offers an interesting perspective for understanding the diversity of the Date family's sword culture.