Yagyū Munefuyu

Who was Yagyū Munefuyu?

Yagyū Munefuyu was a daimyo and a teacher of kenjutsu and military strategy in Japan during the Edo period. His highest-ranking pupil was Tokugawa Ietsuna, fourth Tokugawa shogun. Munefuyu was the third son of Yagyū Munenori. One of his elder brothers was Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi. His younger brother was Retsudō Gisen, the real person who is fictionalized as Yagyū Retsudō in Lone Wolf and Cub.

In 1650, Munefuyu became the head of the Yagyū clan. In 1657 he received the title Hida no kami. In 1668 he rose to the rank of daimyo of the Yagyū Domain when he received an additional grant of land, bringing his holdings above the 10,000 koku minimum.