Hayashi Narinaga

Hayashi Narinaga
Native name	林 就長
Nickname(s)	Hayashi Hizen-no-kami (林 肥前守)
Born	1517 Bingo Province, Japan
Died	July 19, 1605 Bingo Province, Japan
Allegiance	Mōri clan
Rank	House Elder (Karō)
Battles/wars	Siege of Toda Castle Siege of Kozuki Castle Kyūshū Campaign Japanese invasions of Korea Many others

Hayashi Narinaga (林 就長, 1517 – July 19, 1605) was a samurai during the Sengoku period, retainer of the Mōri clan and was koku-jin-ryōshu (jizamurai) of Southern Bingo Province. He held many jobs including karō (clan elder) serving Mōri Motonari (1497–1571) and his father Mōri Mototoshi in diplomatic missions with Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Narinaga was bugyō under Mōri Terumoto. From Hideyoshi he received the rank of Hizen-no-kami (肥前守). He served as diplomat between the Mōri and Hideyoshi.^[1] Later he was bestowed the 5th court rank, junior grade jugoi (従五位). The character "nari, 就" came from his lord Mōri Motonari and "naga, 長" from his father Kikuchi Takenaga. Narinaga was one of the few to live through all the Sengoku period.^{[1 1]}

Early life and background (1517–1562)

Hayashi Narinaga was born 1517 in Doi, Kawajiri, part of Mihara Domain in Bingo Province. His birth year is estimated from his age at death (89 years; in Japan an infant is already one year old at birth). His father is Kikuchi Takenaga (菊池 武長). Most historians agree that Takenaga is descended from the powerful Kikuchi clan that ruled Higo Province, descended from the Kings of the Korean Kingdom of Baekje.^[2]

Kikuchi Takenaga came from the Kikuchi family that were the koku-jin-shu (Ji-samurai) of Hōki Province. Their relationship with the Kikuchi of Higo is unclear, but there is a tradition that the father of Takenaga was Kikuchi Takekuni (菊池 武国) of the Higo line but researchers see that their lifetimes do not fit and it is more likely that he was his grandson. During this time that the Kikuchi of Higo were overthrown by the Ōtomo clan in Kyūshū.^[3]

The Kikuchi based at Odaka-jō (尾高城) were retainers of the Yukimatsu clan of Izumo Province who in turn were retainers of the powerful Yamana clan. A famous figure from the Kikuchi family of Hōki Province was Kikuchi Otohachi (菊池 音八), who was known as a "moshō" (strong bushō) but was killed by Yamanaka Yukimori. When the powerful Amago clan launched a campaign and took control of the area Narinaga and his father joined a campaign to secede from the Amago.^[4]

Retainer of the Mōri

Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine 2005.

Mōri Motonari, lord of Narinaga.

In 1562 their castle Odaka-jō fell to Sugihara Morishige who was a general of the Mōri clan. After the attack the Yukimatsu clan for whom the Kikuchi were retainers left for Bingo Province and Aki Province to become retainers of the Mōri. At this time Kikuchi Takenaga and his son Narinaga left with them and it was then that they entered the Hayashi clan. The reason for this is unclear but there is a record that Hayashi Yajirō (林 弥二郎) in Kawajiri died 1552; The Hayashi clan held great power in this area.^[5] There is a story that Takenaga married a daughter of the Hayashi clan. Narinaga began working for Mōri Motonari as a karō and Ginzan-bugyō (mining official) at the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine silver mines. He held the position at the silver mines until around 1585. Other officials at the mines were Hirasa Nariyuki and Ōhashi Hachizō.^[6]

His father took the name Hayashi Moku-no-jō Michiaki (林 木工允 道明). The title Moku-no-jō (secretary of the Bureau of Carpentry) is passed down in the Hayashi clan for a few generations. Narinaga was at this time known as Hayashi Saburozaemon Shigesato (林 三郎左衛門 重眞). After the death of his father in 1576 he took over his title and used the name Hayashi Moku-no-jō (林 木工允).^[7]

Battles of Gassan-toda-jō

(1562 July): during the first battle of Gassan-toda-jo Mōri Motonari ordered Hayashi Narinaga to go as a messenger to Honjô Etchû-no-kami Tsunemitsu (本城 常光). Tsunemitsu held Yamabuki Castle in Iwami Province. He was originally a vassal of the Amago, but defected to the Môri in 1563. Yamabuki was important to the control of the Iwami silver mines.^[8]
(1564 Apr): Hayashi Narinaga attended the second battle of Gassan-toda-jō.^[9]

Siege of Kōzuki Castle (1578)

The Siege of Kozuki Castle (Kōzuki-jō-no-tatakai) in Harima Province occurred in 1578, when the army of Mōri Terumoto attacked and captured Kozuki Castle. Terumoto ordered Kobayakawa Takakage to bring men and he showed up with a force 30,000 strong. Narinaga and his first son, Motoyoshi (who was 21 at the time) were present at the battle and helped bring down the castle. At the museum in Hiroshima there is a letter of thanks from Mōri Terumoto to Narinaga for the work his son did. Kōzuki Castle had been taken by Hashiba Hideyoshi the previous year and entrusted to Amago Katsuhisa. When it fell to the Mori, Katsuhisa committed hara-kiri. Amago's loyal and heroic general Yamanaka Yukimori was captured and killed in the battle. Yukimori was the samurai who had killed his family member earlier in life.^[10]

Diplomat between Mori and Hideyoshi (1582)

Statue of Mōri Motonari that Narinaga donated.

With the death of Oda Nobunaga at the Incident at Honnō-ji in 1582 Hideyoshi becomes the most powerful man in Japan. Narinaga was awarded for the work he did by making him castellan of Mukaiyama-jō (向山城) in Gocho-gun, Bingo Province. He would also become castellan of Matsuoka-jō (松岡城) in Kōzan-cho, Sera-gun, Bingo Province which was originally owned by the Matsuoka clan.^[11]

In December, 1583 Hideyoshi gave him orders to work on communications between him and the Mōri. During 1584 Narinaga donated a statue of a seated Mōri Motonari to the temple Chōan-ji at Iwami Ginzan Silver Mines. The statue currently resides at the Mōri family home in Bofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture.^[12]

Hideyoshi's Kyūshū Campaign (1586–1587)

In 1586 during Hideyoshi's Kyūshū Campaign while the army was in Chikuzen Province there is a letter of thanks from Hideyoshi and other daimyo to Hayashi Tosa-no-kami Narinaga (林 土佐守 就長) who had a large victory attacking a castle. This means that he already held the title Tosa-no-kami by this time (an honorary court office) but it is unknown when he received it.

In 1588 Hayashi Tosa-no-kami is promoted to a rank where he receives direct orders from Hideyoshi on strategy in Kyūshū. That Hideyoshi picked him out for strategy on the campaign points to the fact that either Narinaga was a superior samurai or he had extensive knowledge of Kyūshū because of his descent from the Kikuchi clan. Hideyoshi bestowed the Toyotomi uji "豊臣朝臣" (Toyotomi-no-asomi, courtier of Toyotomi) upon Narinaga which was simultaneously granted to a number of Hideyoshi's chosen allies.

(Tenshō-16, 7th month) - 1588 Jul: Narinaga received the title Hizen-no-kami in accordance with the junior fifth rank (ju-goi). This same month Emperor Go-Yōzei visits Toyotomi Hideyoshi's mansion and the Sword Hunt decree is given. In 1591 Mōri Terumoto began building Hiroshima Castle.^[13]

Hideyoshi's Korean Campaign (1592–1594)

Letter from Toyotomi Hideyoshi about Narinaga.

April and December 1592: Hayashi Narinaga once again served as a messenger between Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the Mōri clan with Ankokuji Ekei (安國寺 惠瓊). They were sent as messengers for a "thank you letter" from Hideyoshi to Mōri Terumoto. It was for the hospitality he received when he was at Hiroshima Castle in Aki Province.^[14]

In 1592 Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered the invasion of the Korea Peninsula. Narinaga who was already seventy-five years old at the time was sent to war. The museum has a letter from Hideyoshi to Mōri Terumoto where he wrote that he was worried because his friend Hizen-no-kami was old.^[15]

Retirement and death (1594–1605)

Remains of Matsuoka Castle 2011.

1594 Hayashi Hizen-no-kami came back from Hideyoshi's Korean Invasion and asked Mōri Terumoto if he could retire then built a castle named Aka-jō (赤城), literally "Red Castle". He was 78 years old, a late age for retirement. Probably because his son, Motoyoshi, received 2,290 koku of land from Mōri Terumoto which was twice as much as what the Hayashi clan had until they left to Hagi-han (Morimitsu).^[16]
(Keichō-2, 9th month) - September 1597: While Hizen-no-kami was residing at Aka-jō he rebuilt Hijiri-jinja (Hijiri shrine) which had burned down. Hijiri-jinja was near Aka-jō and Matsuoka-jō. At the front of the shrine one of the two stone dogs is thought to be donated by him. Hijiri-jinja still remains there today.^[17]
(Keichō-3, 18th day of the 8th month) - September 18, 1598: Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Taiko died in his Fushimi Castle at the age of 63. 1600 - After the Battle of Sekigahara both Matsuoka Castle and Aka Castle no longer belonged to the Hayashi family who transferred to Hiroshima Castle and Mihara Castle.^[18]
(Keichō-10, 7th month, 19th day) - 19 July 1605: died at the age of 89 (88 in Western age). His burial is unknown.

After retirement he took the life of a Buddhist monk and took the name Dōhan (道範).^[19] Of his retirement castle Aka-jō only the walls and moat remain. It is considered as either a Yamashirō (mountain castle - it was 480m/57m) or "residence hall" sort of castle. The temple sacred to Hayashi Hizen-no-kami Narinaga is (Mannen-ji), located at Kue, Aki Province. Matsuoka-jō was handed down to his first son Motoyoshi (who also held the rank of ju-goi) when he built and moved to Aka-jō to retire at old age.^[20]

Family

Family tree made by Victor Larsson, descendant of Narinaga.

• Father: Kikuchi Takenaga (菊池 武長, 1489–1576)^[21]
• Mother: Unknown
• Brothers:
  • Hayashi Genjirō Motonao (林 源次郎 元尚)^[22]
  • Hayashi Umanosuke (林 右馬允)
• Wife(s): Unknown
  • Sons:
    • Hayashi Shima-no-kami Motoyoshi (林 志摩守 元善, 1558–1609) Retainer of Mōri Terumoto, moved to Hagi-han when he was transferred.
    • Hayashi Jirōuemon Nagayoshi (林 次郎右エ門 長由, ca.1560–????) Retainer of Kobayakawa Takakage, moved to Nuta and changed his name to Ishibashi.^[23]
  • Daughter:
    • Wife of Irie Motochika （入江元親 室）

In popular culture

Hayashi Narinaga shows up in the 36th NHK Taiga Drama in Mōri Motonari (1997).

Notes

References

• Family Lists of Hayashi, Hori, Wakimoto and Nishikawa put together by Hayashi Seitaro.
• Hurusato (Old Country) Tokushu Sengoku Jidai Sera-gun de Katsuyaku shita Shitobito (People of Sera-gun in the Sengoku Era). Kosan-cho Culture Association, 722-0411, Sera-gun, Kosan-cho, Utsu-do 2296-2 Kurahashi Sumio's House. Report Hurusato #3 Published March 1, 2000.
• Hayashi Family Scroll in possession of Victor Larsson, California, USA
• Berry, Mary Elizabeth. Hideyoshi. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1982.
• Mori family documents
• Fukuhara Masatoshi (2004) - article
• Yoshida-monogatari
• Turnbull, Stephen (1998). The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Cassell & Co.

External links

• Japanese Site
• Môri Motonari biography, samuraiarchives.com
• Background and first son Hayashi Motoyoshi (Japanese)
• NHK docudrama with Hayashi Narinaga (Japanese)
• List of Sengoku Castellans (Japanese)
• Samurai Archives