Nishina Morikuni (仁科盛国)
Morikuni NISHINA (year of birth and death unknown) was a warrior during the Warring States period in Japan.
Lord of Mori–jo Castle in Azumi Hamlet, Shinano Province
Morikuni held the court rank of: Shogoinoge (Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade)/ Danjo Shohitsu (Junior Assistant President of the Board of Censors).
His father was said to have been Moriaki NISHINA. His children included: Moriyoshi NISHINA, Kiyonaga AOYAGI, Morikane FURUMAYA, Moriharu IMORI, Moriie SHIBUTAMI and his younger brother was Moriyoshi MARUYAMA.
Ancestors of the Nishina clan had for generations served as provincial military lords in Azumi Hamlet, Shinano Province. Morikuni was descendant of samurai who served on retired Emperor Gotoba's Northern flank during the Kamakura period served and Nishina Morito who fought on the imperial side in 1221 during the Jokyu War.
During the period of the northern and southern dynasties in Japan the Nishina clan obeyed Emperor Godaigo's son Prince Muneyoshi's (also known as Munenaga) commands to ally with the Southern Dynasty in Japan however, subsequently they allied with the Northern Dynasty.
During the Warring States period, his children were dispersed amongst branch families (as surrogates for the Morikuni family) to maintain influence in the Kitashino area in the vicinity of Azumi Hamlet. Initially they aligned with the Ogasawara clan of Shinano Province in battles against the Takeda clan however, in 1561 on behalf of Morimasa NISHINA they fell to the Takeda Clan whereby Morinobu NISHINA (the 5th son of Shingen TAKEDA) was adopted into the family and became successor of the Nishina clan.