Fujii Kogen

  • Died : 1569
  • Japanese : 藤井皓玄 (Fujii Kogen)


Fujii Kogen was descended from Fujiwara Hidesato, and lived in Yoshii, it what is now the eastern edge of Hiroshima Prefecture. He had four recorded siblings. Kogen served the Amako clan from 1532-1555 as a general, specifically as a vassal of the Yamana family. He was second in command at Kannabe castle when the Yamana were the castellians. He was also lord over two of his own castles. It should be noted that is brother, Taroemon/Tarozaemon, was a general in the Môri navy, with his own castle on Shikoku. His brother Taroemon fought at Osaka Bay against the Kûki navy.

When the Amako were crushed by the Môri, Kogen was forced out of military action, along with many of the other Amako retainers who became ronin. However, he later played a major role in Amako Katsuhisa's uprising, even though his contribution is all but forgotten by most. His role was to take back Kannabe castle. Kannabe castle had been a major point of conflict between the Amako and Môri. It was strategically vital and whoever controlled it would control the Fukuyama area. Kogen, with a small number of soliders and a large number of rioting peasants, took Kannabe castle back from the Môri in 1569. However, the Môri backup forces were too strong and the castle fell back into Môri hands. In the fighting at the castle and afterwards, Kogen and three of his sons died.

After his death, his surviving children were taken in by other family members. Specifically, his last surviving son,Yoshitsune, was taken in by the Mimura clan, who later gave him to the Kosaka clan. However, the Mimura continued to watch over the child. This child would later grow to manhood and have his own children, one of them a daughter. This daugther would later have a child with Mizuno Katsushige named Mizuno Katsutoshi, the second generation daimyo of Fukuyama. Many of the descendents of Fujii Kogen and his siblings live in Hiroshima prefecture today.

References

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