Date Terumune

Date Terumune (1544–1585) was a samurai commander of the Sengoku period who, as the 16th head of the Date clan, laid the foundations for the Date family, a leading power in Ōu. He is known as the father of Date Masamune, who later became famous as “the One-Eyed Dragon,” and he contributed greatly to the Date clan's establishment of supremacy in Ōshū.

Terumune was born the second son of Date Harumune. Because his eldest brother, Chikataka, had succeeded to the Iwaki clan, Terumune became heir and took over the headship of the family in 1565. Even after his succession, actual power within the household remained in the hands of his retired father, Harumune, and the senior retainers Nakano Munetoki and Makino Hisanaka, father and son. In 1570, however, Terumune expelled the Nakano father and son and seized control of the household. In diplomacy, he actively pursued policies of intermarriage and alliance with the various local chieftains of southern Ōshū, and he worked in particular to consolidate the Date domain amid the complex balance of power among the Nihonmatsu clan, the Ashina clan, and the Mogami clan.

Terumune's greatest achievement was the upbringing of his successor, Masamune. When Masamune lost his right eye to smallpox, Terumune watched over his son's growth with compassion and raised him into a resolute warrior. His invitation of Masamune's teacher, Kosai Sōitsu, and his creation of an educational environment that combined learning and the martial arts show Terumune's foresight.

In 1585, Terumune set out to see off Hatakeyama Yoshitsugu, lord of Nihonmatsu Castle, who had come to Miyamori Castle to express thanks for the peace agreement. Yoshitsugu and his retainers held swords to Terumune and carried him off (the Awanosu Incident). According to the Date family records, as the Date forces pursued them, Terumune shouted at them to shoot him, and a volley of gunfire killed Terumune along with Yoshitsugu. Masamune, who was out hawking, is said to have arrived only afterward, but some war chronicles claim that Masamune himself ordered the shooting. Terumune died aged 42 (by traditional count). His death drew out Masamune's strong determination to conquer Ōshū, and it is still passed down as a turning point in the history of the Date family.