Date Hidemune

Who was Date Hidemune?

Date Hidemune was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period. He was the eldest son of Date Masamune, born in 1596 by Lady Iisaka. Coming of age while living with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he received a character from Hideyoshi's name and took the adult name of Hidemune. Hideyoshi also granted him the court rank of junior 5th, lower grade and the title of ji-jū, appointing the young Hidemune as a page to his own son Toyotomi Hideyori. After Hideyoshi's death in 1600, he was made a hostage at the residence of Ukita Hideie.

Though he was Masamune's eldest son, Hidemune was born by a concubine, and therefore could not be the successor to the Sendai Domain, which his father ruled. Masamune therefore considered the possibility of having Hidemune start a branch family. This was made possible in 1614, when father and son took part in the Osaka Campaign: Hidemune received the 100,000 koku Uwajima Domain which Tokugawa Ieyasu granted to Masamune. Hidemune immediately entered his new fief as daimyo, and ruled until his retirement in Meireki 3.