* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Murakami Takeyoshi
村上武吉
Supreme Commander of the Murakami Pirates Who Dominated the Seto Inland Sea
Description
Master of the Seto Inland Sea
Born in Tenmon 2 (1533), Murakami Takeyoshi served as lord of the Noshima branch of the Murakami clan and held maritime supremacy over the Seto Inland Sea—the mightiest naval warlord of the Sengoku period. Leading the Noshima Murakami alongside the Kurushima and Innoshima branches to form the "Three Murakami Clans," he controlled maritime traffic throughout the Seto Inland Sea, particularly in the waters off Iyo and Aki, collected passage tolls (hanbetsusen) and guaranteed safe passage, prospering as the guardian of the seas.
Alliance with the Mōri and the First Battle of Kizugawaguchi
Takeyoshi forged alliances with two successive generations of the Mōri—Motonari and Terumoto—and became the backbone of the Mōri navy. At the "First Battle of Kizugawaguchi" in Tensho 4 (1576), the combined Mōri-Murakami naval force decisively defeated the Oda fleet, successfully securing supply lines to the Ishiyama Honganji. This victory demonstrated to the realm the martial prowess of the Murakami navy under Takeyoshi's command—a historic triumph. However, two years later at the Second Battle of Kizugawaguchi, he suffered defeat at the hands of Kuki Yoshitaka's Oda navy, which deployed iron-clad warships, dimming the luster of his reputation as a naval commander.
Service under Kobayakawa Takakage and the Toyotomi Era
Following the Honnōji Incident, when the Mōri reached peace with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Takeyoshi entered the service of Kobayakawa Takakage, who was affiliated with the Mōri. He participated as a naval commander in the Korean campaigns (the Bunroku campaign), but endured stiff resistance from Korean naval forces. At the Battle of Sekigahara, he followed the Mōri and joined the Western Army, but after their defeat and the subsequent reduction of Mōri lands, his own territories shrank, leaving him to endure difficult circumstances in his later years.
Naval Culture and Blades
The Noshima Murakami navy under Takeyoshi's command dominated vast maritime territories spanning Kyushu, Shikoku, and the Chūgoku region, with its headquarters at Noshima (modern Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, offshore) serving as a vital stronghold of the Seto Inland Sea. The swords wielded by Takeyoshi were largely practical blades designed for actual combat upon the waves, and he is known to have carried local blades from Iyo and Bingo smithing traditions and celebrated swords passed down within the Mōri household. Splendid examples survive that blend the intrepid spirit of a naval commander who ranged across the Seto Inland Sea with the sword-making traditions of the Chūgoku and Shikoku regions.
Notable Swords
- Noshima tachi (sword of the Murakami fleet) — a battle-hardened blade forged by smiths of Iyo and Bingo provinces, the sword of the man who once held all Inland Sea traffic in his hands
- Blade received from the Mōri — a formal gift sword from the Mōri lords of western Honshu, from the Bizen or Bichū tradition, symbolizing the alliance between the land power of the Mōri and the sea power of the Murakami