Tajimi Kuninaga (多治見国長)
Kuninaga TAJIMI (1289 - 1324) was a busho (Japanese military commander) who lived in the late Kamakura period. His father was Kunisumi, who descended from the line of Mino-Genji (the Minamoto clan). He was commonly called Shirojiro. He had the titles of Kurodo (Chamberlain) and Saemon no jo (third-ranked officer of the Left Division of Outer Palace Guards).
After working actively in Tajimi of Mino Province (Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture), he took part in the Emperor Godaigo's plan to overthrow Kamakura bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun), and entered Kyoto on the invitation of Suketomo HINO in 1324. However, because Yorikazu TOKI, who was one of his family members, leaked the plan to his wife, who was a daughter of a bugyo (magistrate) at Rokuhara Tandai (an administrative and judicial agency in Rokuhara, Kyoto), the plan was exposed before it could be carried out, and he was assaulted by Noriyuki OGUSHI, who was working for Rokuhara Tandai. Kuninaga fought bravely with a few soldiers, but when the enemy eventually broke in through the back of the residence, he yielded and committed suicide along with other family members (Shochu Disturbance).
Even today, he is popular with Tajimi citizens, and he is regarded as the hero of the samurai's procession performance in the 'Tajimi-matsuri Festival.'
The site of Kuninaga's residence in the city is designated a historic site of the prefecture.