Imperial Prince TsuneyoshiTsunenaga (恒良親王)
Imperial Prince Tsuneyoshi/Tsunenage (1324 - May 3, 1338) was Emperor Godaigo's Prince. His mother was Emperor Godaigo's favorite lady, Renshi ANO. He was the half older brother of Imperial Prince Nariyoshi/Narinaga and Emperor Gomurakami. Having two ways to pronounce his name, please refer to the section of the Prince of Emperor Godaigo regarding the pronunciation.
Background
In 1331 when the Genko Disturbance occurred, whereby Emperor Godaigo planned to raise the army for the second time, the Prince was caught by the Kamakura bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) and banished to Tajima Province. In 1333 the Prince was asked by Morinobu OTA to fight, he joined together with Tadaaki CHIKUSA, to attack Rokuhara Tandai; the Kamakura shogunate's agents stationed in Rokuhara, Kyoto, which were organized by Takauji ASHIKAGA. After the bakufu was overthrown and the Kenmu Restoration began, Tsuneyoshi/Tsunenaga was appointed to Crown Prince who was the oldest son among other Princes of Renshi ANO in 1334.
When Takauji ASHIKAGA defected from the new restoration and he attacked Kyoto in 1336 after he won from the Battle of Minatogawa, Prince Tsuneyoshi/Tsunenaga, who escaped to Mt. Hiei, was given the Imperial rank and three sacred emblems of the Imperial Family, he was asked by the father and son, Yoshisada NITTA and Yoshiaki NITTA, to go to Kanegasaki-jo Castle in Echizen province (Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture), together with Imperial Prince Takayoshi/Takanaga who was his half older brother, under the pretext of ruling Hokuriku district,
It was said the three sacred emblems of the Imperial Family were not real, his Imperial rank was cancelled since Emperor Godaigo, who escaped from Kyoto later, opened the Southern Court in Yoshino. Thus the Prince was not counted among successive Emperors. In the following year, the castle fell after being lost to Ashikaga forces led by Ko no Moroyasu and Takatsune SHIBA, Yoshimasa escaped, but Imperial Prince Takayoshi/Takanaga and Yoshiaki killed themselves, Imperial Prince Tsuneyoshi/Tsunenaga was caught and banished to Kyoto. According to "Taiheiki; the Record of Great Peace" it is said the prince was confined with his younger brother, Imperial Prince Nariyoshi/Narinaga in Kazan in dai (residence) and killed by the poison.