Wada Koremasa (和田惟政)
Koremasa WADA was a busho (Japanese military commander) in the Sengoku period (period of warring states). He was also a shogun's retainer at the end of the Muromachi bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun). His father was Munetate (Koresuke) WADA. His younger brothers were Koremasu WADA, Sadatoshi WADA, Sadanori WADA. His son was Korenaga WADA. Iga no kami (Governor of Iga Province). Kii Nyudo.
His family was the local ruling family in Wada Village, Koka County, Omi Province (present-day Shiga Prefecture). At first he served as a retainer of the Rokkaku clan and Yoshiteru ASHIKAGA, the 13th Shogun of the Muromachi bakufu.
In 1565, when Yoshiteru was assassinated by his retainers including Hisahide MATSUNAGA, with Yoshimasa NIKI he evacuated Yoshiteru's younger brother, Kakukei (Yoshiaki ASHIKAGA), who was blockaded in Ichijo-in, sheltered Kakukei at his residence temporarily, and he followed Yoshiaki who had to move from place to place later. After retruning to secular life, Yoshiaki became the 15th Shogun in cooperation with Yoshikage ASAKURA in Echizen Province (present-day Fukui Prefecture) and Nobunaga ODA in Owari Province (present-day Aichi Prefecture), then Koremasa was awarded Akutagawa-yama-jo Castle in Settsu Province and later Takatsuki-jo Castle, he became one of three military governors of Settsu Province with Katsumasa IKEDA and Chikaoki ITAMI (However it seems he was not appointed shugo [military governor] by Nobunaga).
In 1569, he joined the attack on the Uragami clan in Bizen Province. After this, Yoshiaki and Nobunaga became opposed to each other, then according to a theory Koremasa was ordered to stay home because he was a shogun's retainer, however he joined the Battle of Anegawa on the Oda clan side.
In 1571, to put down Tomomasa IKEDA who cooperated with Miyoshi Sanninshu (Miyoshi Triumvirate) including Matsunaga, he joined the Battle of Shiraikawara in Settsu Province (at the bank of Ibaraki-gawa River) with the Itami and Ibaraki clans, lost against Murashige ARAKI, a retainer of the Ikeda clan, and died. It is said that Kiyohide NAKAGAWA who was a Kokujin (local lord) and served the Ikeda clan got Koremasa's severed head.
After Koremasa's death, the son Korenaga was banished by Tomoteru TAKAYAMA and the son Ukon TAKAYAMA, the Wada clan was brought to ruin.
Koremasa and Christianity
Koremasa is known because he protected Christianity in his territory and he played a reconciliatory role when Luis FROIS, a missionary of the Society of Jesus and Nobunaga ODA had a meeting. Furthermore he actively supported missionary works in the Kinai region. However, Koremasa died in the battle before he was christened, so Frois was deeply mourned the death.
His graveyard is located at Ise-dera Temple in Takatsuki City, Osaka Precfecture now. It is said that in the Kyoho era (1716-36) Koremasa's gravestone was discovered when Takatsuki-jo Castle was under repair, then the stone was relocated.