Shimazu Korehisa

  • Born: 1347
  • Died: 1407
  • Titles: 上総介 (Kazusa no suke)
  • Japanese: 島津伊久 (Shimazu Korehisa)

Shimazu Korehisa was the second head of the Sôshû branch of the Shimazu clan; Korehisa and Shimazu Motohisa, head of the Ôshû branch, are both considered the 7th heads of the central lineage of the clan as a whole.

Korehisa was the eldest son of Shimazu Morohisa (6th head of the Shimazu, founder of the Sôshû branch), and succeeded his father as shugo of Satsuma province in 1366. He fought alongside his uncle, Shimazu Ujihisa, in the wars of the Nanbokuchô Period. Though originally fighting for the Northern Court, Korehisa and Ujihisa switched sides in 1375, after their ally Kyûshû tandai Imagawa Ryôshun betrayed them and killed another ally, Shôni Fuyusuke. As a result of turning against the Ashikaga, the shogunate stripped Korehisa of his position as shugo of Satsuma; his position was restored, however, in 1382.

In 1393, Korehisa had a falling out with his son Shimazu Morihisa; after his cousin Shimazu Motohisa (lord of Ôsumi province) helped him reconcile with his son, Korehisa rewarded Motohisa by naming him heir to the Sôshû branch. Motohisa married into the Sôshû branch, and adopted Korehisa's son Shimazu Hisateru as his successor, but then later dissolved the adoption, and relations between Sôshû and Ôshû (i.e. between Korehisa and Motohisa) worsened again. Korehisa joined forces with the Shibuya and Sagara clans, and took up arms against Motohisa.

He died in 1407, at age 61, and was succeeded by his son Morihisa.

Preceded by:
Shimazu Morohisa
Head of Sôshû Shimazu clan
& lord of Satsuma province

1366-1407
Succeeded by:
Shimazu Morihisa

References