Ko Shigemochi (高重茂)
Shigemochi KO (year of birth unknown - 1368?) was a busho (Japanese military commander) lived in the period of the Northern and Southern Courts (Japan). His real family name was Takashina. He was the son of KO no Moroshige (another theory suggests that his father was a different people with the same name).
He was a younger brother of KO no Moronao and KO no Moroyasu
His official rank was the governor of Suruga Province. He was the provisional governor of Yamato Province.
Serving Takauji ASHIKAGA with his elder brothers, he rendered distinguished military service in the battle against Yoshisada NITTA started in 1335. He followed Takauji when Takauji made an escape to Kyusyu region afterward. He and his troops combated with the troops commanded by Taketoshi KIKUCHI in the battle of Tatarahama, and he performed military exploits.
There is an episode in the battle that when Takauji attempted to kill some of the captive soldiers belonging to the defeated Kikuchi troops on the pretext that he could not trust them, Shigemochi saved many captives by making a recommendation to Takauji, saying 'To show clemency, you should refrain from executing them by putting trust in them.'
He was appointed to the governor of Musashi Province in 1337 because he performed various military exploits in the battles in Kyoto and other places afterward. He also rendered distinguished military service in the battle with Akiie KITABATAKE in 1338. He worked hard in the project to establish Tenryu-ji Temple drawn up by Takauji. Also being appointed to the yoriki (a police sergeant) serving Naoyoshi ASHIKAGA, the younger brother of Takauji, he dealt with suits related to territory as a bugyo (a magistrate). In 1343, he was appointed to the governor of Suruga Province. From the next year, he worked as an administrative ruler in Kanto.
The details of Shigemochi in the Kano Disturbance are unknown, but since Shigemochi had a close relationship with Naoyoshi, it is assumed that he may have taken Naoyoshi's side. By the way, Shigemochi survived this disturbance although many members of the Ko clan were killed, serving Kamakura kubo (Governor-general of the Kanto region), quasi-Shogun Motouji ASHIKAGA as a vassal afterward.
Shigemochi is believed to have been a conspirator of the rebellion against Kamakura Government instigated by the Utsunomiya clan, which occurred in Musashi Province in 1368. While the rebellion was quashed in September of the same year, Shigemochi was killed in the rebellion, a theory suggests. Another theory suggests that he survived the rebellion, but nothing has been heard of him since then.