Ata Tadakage

Ata Tadakage (阿多忠景^?), also known as Taira no Tadakage (平忠景^?), was a de facto ruler of Satsuma Province during the late Heian period of Japan.

Ata Tadakage was a son of Izaku Yoshimichi. He was a distant relative of Taira no Suemoto, who founded the Shimazu Estate in the 1020s. His name was first attested in a contemporary source in 1138. At that time he was the governor of Ata District, Satsuma Province. He killed his eldest brother Kawanabe Michifusa and banished Michifusa's son Michihira from Satsuma. Fragmentary sources show that he gradually expanded the sphere of his influence in Satsuma. He gained the title of Provisional Governor of Shimotsuke Province in 1150. A document, dated 1162, suggests that he had power to influence the neighboring Ōsumi Province. It is presumed that he was affiliated with Minamoto no Tametomo, a legendary warrior from the Minamoto clan, who stayed in Kyūshū from 1151 to 1155. His daughter is said to have married with Tametomo.

Ata Tadakage drew attention from historians and archaeologists in the 1990s when the Mottaimatsu Site was excavated. The archaeological site is located on the northern bank of the Manose River, which served as Ata District's southern border. It was at its peak from the middle 12th century to the first half of the 13th century. It is considered to have served as a trade center connected to Hakata–Dazaifu of northern Kyūshū and to the Southern Islands since it had a huge variety of goods including Kamuiyaki, a large number of Chinese ceramics such as Longquan celadon and Tong'an celadon, and in smaller quantity, sue wares from eastern Harima Province and Tokoname-yaki from Owari Province. The profitable trade was probably the source of his power.

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