Miyabe Keijun (宮部継潤)
Keijun MIYABE (1528? - April 20, 1599) was a busho (Japanese military commander) in the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring States) (Japan). His kanto (government position) was Nakatsukasa-kyo (Minister of the Ministry of Central Affairs). His common name was Zenshobo. His biological father was Sanehide DOI. His foster father was Zenshobo Seijun. Nagafusa MIYABE's father.
He was from a small local ruling family of Miyabe-mura Village, Asai-gori County, Omi Province. Although he was adopted by Zenshobo Seijun and became a monk of Mt. Hiei after practicing in Mt. Hiei, he returned to his hometown Miyabe and came to serve Nagamasa AZAI, Sengoku daimyo (Japanese territorial lord in the Sengoku period) in the Omi Province, as his vassal. There was also another aspect that he had excellent military prowess and he was active in the battle against Nobunaga ODA, following Nagamasa, but in October, 1571, in response to a stratagem of Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI, he became Hideyoshi's yoriki (a police sergeant). When Keijun attacked Kunitomo-jo Castle of the Azai side as a proof of his betrayal, he was shot and injured.
Partly because Miyabe-jo Castle where he resided was an important base for the siege of Odani-jo Castle, he achieved many deeds of valor until Odani-jo Castle fell in September, 1573. Around this period he adopted Hideyoshi's nephew (later Hidetsugu TOYOTOMI), but the nephew seemed to be a virtual hostage and was returned to Hideyoshi after the fall of the Azai clan.
Thereafter he was assigned to Hideyoshi's yoriki and followed the expedition to the Chugoku region and so on, and around 1580 after subjugation of the Yamana clan, he possessed 20,000 koku of Tajima-toyoka.
At the siege of Tottori-jo Castle, he dealt with the most difficult and important task that kept repelling the reinforcements of Motoharu KIKKAWA. In 1582 his distinguished war service was recognized, when he became Chamberlain of Tottori-jo Castle in the Inaba Province. Besides, at the time of Honnoji Incident, Tottori-jo Castle was the base most vulnerable to be attacked by the Mori family (it was impossible to attack the castle from the Sanyo side, Inland Sea provinces, due to the Battle of Bitchu Takamatsu-jo Castle), so from the fact that Miyabe continued to be entrusted with the base, Hideyoshi's strong reliance on him can be inferred.
When Hideyoshi came to seize great power after the Honnoji Incident, Miyabe formally became the lord of Tottori-jo Castle and governed 50,000 koku. He also joined the war for Kyushu Conquest and repelled the army of Iehisa SHIMAZU at Taka-jo Castle in the Hyuga Province. In 1590 he also joined the Siege of Odawara. In 1593 he as well as Munenaga YAMAGUCHI took charge of the land survey of the Bungo Province which was deprived of Yoshimune OTOMO as a punishment, and in the same year he opened Inaba Ginzan (silver mine) in Arai-mura Village, Gamo-gori, Kono no kori County, Inaba Province, and was entrusted with the management of the Ginzan by Hideyoshi. In 1594 he also joined the construction of Fushimi-jo Castle. In 1596 he gave his family estate to his son Nagafusa with the excuse that he was old, and retired. It is said that he was highly trusted by Hideyoshi and in his later years he served Hideyoshi's adviser as one of his otogishu (advisers).
On April 20, 1599 he died. There are various theories about his age at death: 64, 71, and so on.