Date Kunishige

Who was Date Kunishige?

Date Kunishige was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period. The 15th head of the Watari-Date family, Kuninari served as a retainer of Sendai han. Following the defeat of the Sendai domain during the Boshin War, he assisted in helping the daimyo of Sendai, Date Munemoto, in declaring allegiance to the new government. Kuninari requested permission from the Meiji Government to settle in Hokkaido and assist in land reclamation; this was granted in January 1870. Kuninari led his retainers north and settled in the Usu district, succeeding in reclamation at the new Date Village, which through mergers became the current Date City.