Umekita Ikki (梅北一揆)
Umekita ikki (Umekita Uprising) is an uprising instigated by Kunikane UMEKITA, a vassal of the Shimazu clan in July 1592.
History
At the time of the first invasion of Korea by Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI (Bunroku Campaign), Kunikane UMEKITA was in Ashikita-cho, Ashikita County, Higo Province under the pretext of waiting for the boat for the Nagoya-jo Castle in Hizen Province, which was the frontline base. On July 23, 1592, he seized the Sashiki-jo Castle while the castellan of the Higo-Kumamoto area, Kiyomasa KATO, who controlled Ashikita, was away fighting in Korea. His motivation was said to be his objection to the Korean invasion and/or against the Hideyoshi's rule.
Other vassals of the Shimazu clan, such as Tashima TAJIRI, Genso IJUIN, Tadanori KATSURA, and Jinuemon TOGO and their followers also joined the uprising, and the number of the rebel group was said to have been 700, while a different source records 2,000, which included peasants and townsmen.
It was believed that the uprising was suppressed after a mere three days, as Kunikane was fooled by the false surrender of Yaemon YASUDA and others who protected the Sashiki-jo Castle in the absence of its lord, and was killed by the sword of Zenzaemon SAKAI on July 25. However, a current theory has it that the rebel group occupied the Sashiki-jo Castle for 15 days. In any case, the rebel group, which unsuccessfully attacked the Yashiro-jo Castle (now in the remains of the Mugishima-jo Castle) north of Sashiki, was suppressed by the armies of the Kato clan and the Sagara clan which ruled the Higo Hitoyoshi-jo Castle, and the uprising ended in the death of Kunikane. Kunikane's head was sent to the Nagoya-jo Castle and left on the beach as an example, and his body was buried in Gohonmatsu, Sashiki.
Umekita ikki caused the further delay in sending of troops from the Shimazu clan that was already late in the Bunroku Campaign, as Yoshihiro SHIMAZU, the head of the Shimazu clan, recognized it as 'the slowest dispatch of troops in the country.'
This delay in dispatching of troops increased the mistrust of the Toyotomi administration, and the thorough land survey in the territory of the Shimazu clan was carried out by Nagamasa ASANO and Yusai HOSOKAWA, who were sent by the administration. In addition, Toshihisa SHIMAZU was accused of being the mastermind behind the uprising by Hideyoshi and was hunted and killed by Yoshihisa SHIMAZU, and Koremitsu ASO was also decapitated as a punishment for his vassals joining the uprising.
Although the political status of the Shimazu clan had fallen to the extremely precarious state as a result of Umekita ikki, the land survey by the administration and the fall of the local lords which was triggered by it actually strengthened the authority of the Shimizu clan as a feudal lord as a result, and in the Keicho Campaign, the Shimizu clan reclaimed its reputation for their distinguished military service. Those who took parts in Umekita Ikki were severely punished, including the Otomo clan of Bungo Province which was deprived of their fief. It is said that this had an effect on feudal lords in Kyushu, who had been hitherto skeptical of the Toyotomi administration, to successfully subjugate them under the political system.
On the other hand, Kunikane UMEKITA was worshiped as a deity in his former territory, and today there remains Umekita-jinja Shrine which deifies Kunikane in Kitayama, Aira-cho, Aira-gun, Kagoshima Prefecture.