Naoie Ukita (2/2)One of the three great owl men of the Sengoku period

Naoie Ukita, who had achieved stability in his territory by banishing Munekage Urakami, joined the Mouri family against the Oda family. In the 7th year of Tensho (1579), Katsuki Goto and others of Higashi Mimasaka were destroyed because they had defected to the Oda family. However, in the same year, Ukita Naoie suddenly left the Mori family and became a vassal to Oda Nobunaga. As a result, the Araki Murashige and the Bessho family, who had fought alongside the Mori family in Harima Province, were separated from the Mori family by Ukita Naoie, isolated, and destroyed. From then on, the Mori family and Ukita Naoie, located in the west, continued to fight in Mimasaka and Bizen provinces.

Naoie's death and what happened to the Ukita family

Ukita Naoie belonged to the Oda family and fought against the Mori family. However, on February 14, 1581, he died of illness at Okayama Castle during the battle with the Mori clan. The cause of death is said to be a malignant tumor, and he will be buried with the posthumous name Ryoun Seiyu. However, since his death was kept secret during the battle, the official anniversary of his death was set on January 9, 1582, the following year.

This is how Naoie Ukita, who was a vassal of the Urakami family, the shugo of Bizen Province, came to rule Bizen, Bicchu, and Mimasaka (present-day Okayama Prefecture), and ended his life in this way.

Now, the Ukita family, where Naoie passed away. Naoie's eldest son Hideie took over as head of the family at the age of 11. In the 10th year of Tensho (1582), the Oda family, to which it belonged, was granted control over Bizen Province and other territories. Hideie was assisted by his uncle (Naoie Ukita's younger brother) Tadaie Ukita and senior vassals, and was integrated into Hideyoshi Hashiba's power and participated in the battle of Takamatsu Castle in Bicchu. However, in that year, after the Honnoji Incident occurred and Oda Nobunaga died, he strengthened his ties with Hashiba Hideyoshi (Toyotomi Hideyoshi). He was given the character ``Hide'' by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, and on his first birthday, Toshiie Maeda's daughter (Gohime) was adopted by Hideyoshi, married, and treated as a member of the Toyotomi clan.

Hideie Ukita established himself as one of the five influential members of the Toyotomi family.

After Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death, he participated in the Battle of Sekigahara as a vice admiral next to the commander-in-chief, Terumoto Mori. However, the Battle of Sekigahara was defeated and the Ukita family was defeated. Hideie Ukita was eventually sent to Hachijojima. On Hachijojima, Hideie Ukita took the surname ``Ukita,'' and this family line continued until the Meiji period.

In this way, the Sengoku period daimyo Ukita family, which started with Naoie Ukita, came to an end.

Okayama Castle

Okayama Castle is a Japanese castle located in Kita Ward, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture. The three-story, six-story castle tower, shaped like a scalene pentagon, is also known as ``Crow Castle'' or ``Kin Crow Castle'' because of its black clapboard exterior.

Okayama Castle is said to have been first built in Ishiyamadai (Okayama) by Takanao Kamigami during the Nanbokucho period. At that time, the Asahikawa estuary branched into multiple rivers, forming a delta area, with three hills: ``Okayama'' at the central hill, ``Ishiyama'' to the west, and ``Tenjinyama'' to the north. had.

When Naoie Ukita entered Ishiyama Castle, he renovated the castle, and his son Hideie Ukita built a new main keep in neighboring Okayama, and the castle was built to incorporate Ishiyama Castle, which is today's Okayama Castle. is. After the Ukita family was crushed in the Battle of Sekigahara, Hideaki Kobayakawa and then the Ikeda family entered the castle and continued until the Meiji era.

In the Meiji period, most of the palace, turret, and gate were destroyed, but only the main keep and Korakuen were left. However, during World War II, the castle tower was destroyed by air raids. As a result, the two turrets, the stone wall near the main enclosure, and the inner moat remain today, and the existing Tsukimi turret and Nishinomaru Nishi-te turret have been designated as national important cultural properties, and have also been designated as a historic site as the ``Okayama Castle Ruins.'' .

The current castle tower was rebuilt in 1966 as a restoration of its appearance, based on actual measurements compiled in a student's graduation thesis before the war.

Whetstone Castle and Naoie Ukita’s birth monument

Toishi Castle was a castle located in Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture. To the north of this castle was Fukuoka, which was the protectorate of Bizen Province, and was one of the most important castles to rule this region.

The year the castle was built is unknown, but it appears to have been built by then, as it appears in the ``Shaken Nichiroku'' in 1485. The Ukita family was entrusted with the castle by the Urakami family, with Naoie Ukita's grandfather, Yoshiie Ukita, taking charge of the castle. When Ukita Naoie took control of Toishi Castle and moved to Kameyama Castle, Ukita Naoie's younger brother took care of it as castle keeper, and it seems that the castle was abandoned by the Edo period.

Currently, there is no castle on Mt. Toishi, and a mountain trail has been developed to reach the summit, and remains of the castle, including the remains of the castle keep, remain. There is also a stone monument near the trailhead that says ``Birthplace of Naoie Ukita.''

Okayama Temple and Ukita Naoie wooden statue

Okayamaji Temple was founded as the second temple in 749 when Hoon Daishi opened 48 temples in accordance with the imperial order. During the Tenbun era of the late Muromachi period, it received special patronage from the Konko family, and flourished to the point that it even invited high priests from Mt. Hiei.

However, in the 5th year of Keian (1652) in the early Edo period, Okayama-dera was divided into Okayama-dera and Kochin-ji across the road. Naoie Ukita's grave remains at Okayama-dera Temple and is still located at the entrance of Okayama-dera Temple.

Now, at Kochin-ji Temple, there was a wooden statue of Ukita Naoie and the memorial tablets of successive members of the Ukita family. However, during World War II, the temple of Kochin-ji Temple was destroyed by fire, and the wooden statue of Ukita Naoie and the memorial tablet were also destroyed. Currently, a photo of the Ukita Naoie wooden statue remains, taken before it was destroyed by fire, and a photo panel from that time can be seen inside Okayama Castle.

Ukida Promotion Festival

Naoie Ukita founded Okayama City, the center of Okayama Prefecture in the Chugoku region. The ``Ukida Promotion Festival'' is held every summer at the elementary school in Ukita, where Naoie made his breakthrough, highlighting local exchanges and local history. We invited Hideie, the son of Naoie Ukita, and his wife, a wealthy princess, to the public and held a photo session, quizzes on local history, mock stalls related to historical sites, and finally, a fireworks display to brighten up the summer night. We are deepening our friendship. Okayama Prefecture was known as Bizen Province, and the Ukita family, who contributed to the development of Okayama Prefecture, is still loved by the people of the prefecture.