Kitabatake Akiie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kitabatake Akiie
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Kitabatake Akiie (portrait property of Ryozen Shrine)
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| Born | April 3, 1318 |
| Died | June 10, 1338 (aged 20) Ishizu in Izumi (present day Osaka)
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| Occupation | Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of the North |
| Years active | 1333-1338 |
Kitabatake Akiie (北畠 顕家, 1318 – June 10, 1338) was a brave Japanese noble. He was a very important supporter of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō Wars. This was a time when Japan had two rival imperial courts. Akiie also held important jobs like Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of the North and Governor of Mutsu Province. His father was the respected Imperial advisor Kitabatake Chikafusa.
Contents
Early Life and Important Role
In 1333, when Akiie was about 15, he received a special order. He was told to go with Prince Norinaga. The Prince was only six years old at the time. They traveled to Mutsu, a large region in northern Japan. There, Prince Norinaga became the Governor-General of Mutsu and Dewa. These two areas covered much of what is now the Tōhoku region.
In April 1333, Akiie was given the title of Chinjufu-shōgun. This means he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of the North. This was a very old and important position. A famous warrior named Minamoto no Yoshiie had held it centuries before. Many powerful samurai families joined Akiie. They formed a group to support the Southern Court. These families included the Yūki, Date, Nambu, Soma, and Tamura clans.
Fighting for the Southern Court
Not all allies stayed loyal. Some powerful lords, like the Soma, were convinced to switch sides. They joined Ashikaga Takauji, who was a strong leader for the Northern Court.
Three years later, Akiie led an army towards Kyoto. This army was officially under Prince Norinaga's command. Their goal was to help Nitta Yoshisada fight against Ashikaga Takauji. Nitta and Kitabatake got help from warrior monks. These monks came from Enryakuji temple. Sadly, the temple of Miidera, which supported Ashikaga Takauji, was burned down during these battles.
Akiie then traveled to Kyūshū, a large island in southern Japan. He worked to gather more support for the Southern Court there. This was important because Ashikaga Takauji, a key leader of the Northern Court, was away from the area.
Key Battles and His Final Stand
In 1337, Emperor Go-Daigo asked Akiie for help. Even though Akiie faced problems in the north, he led his forces south. He fought many battles against the Northern Court. He was defeated at the Tone River. But he kept pushing south. He managed to capture Kamakura, which was the capital of the Ashikaga shogunate.
Akiie then made his way to Nara. He fought battles at Iga and Sekigahara along the way. In Nara, he tried to rest and get his army ready again. But he was attacked by Kō no Moronao. Akiie barely managed to escape to Kawachi Province.
He quickly gathered his strength and pushed through enemy forces at Tennōji. This area is near modern-day Osaka. However, he was finally defeated and killed in Izumi in 1338. He was only twenty-one years old. His death is described in two famous Japanese stories: the epic Taiheiki and his father's book Jinnō Shōtōki.
Legacy and Shrines
Kitabatake Akiie is honored as a kami, a divine spirit. He is enshrined at Ryōzen Shrine in Date, Fukushima Prefecture. He is also honored at Abeno Shrine in Osaka. Both of these are among the Fifteen Shrines of the Kenmu Restoration. These shrines were built to remember important figures from that time.
His tomb is located close to Abeno Shrine in Osaka.
His Family
- Father: Kitabatake Chikafusa
- Mother: Unknown
- Spouse: A woman connected to Hino Suketomo (日野資朝), who may have died around 1341.
- Son: Kitabatake Akinari (北畠顕成), (1335 - 1386/1402) - His family line became the Namioka Clan.
- Daughter: Wife of Andō Sadasue (安藤貞季)
- Son: Kitabatake Moroaki? (北畠師顕) - His family line became the Tokioka Clan.
