Mōri Motonari

Mōri Motonari
Mōri Motonari
Born	April 16, 1497 Suzuo Castle, Aki Province
Died	July 6, 1571 Yoshida-Kōriyama Castle, Aki Province

Mōri Motonari (毛利元就^?, April 16, 1497 – July 6, 1571) was a prominent daimyō in the west Chūgoku region of Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century.

Mōri Motonari was born under the name Shōjumaru in a small domain of Aki Province in 1497. He is said to have been born at Suzuo Castle, his mother's homeland. His father, Mōri Hiromoto retired as the head of the clan in 1500, and moved to Tajihi-Sarugake Castle along with his son Shōjumaru. As titular head of the clan, Hiromoto was succeeded by his elder son Mōri Okimoto.

History remembers the young Mōri Shōjumaru as a fearless daredevil. It is said he escaped by night with some other kids from the castle of his father, and met lord Amago Tsunehisa and his troops. Shojumaru thought they were the ghosts of the Heike clan samurai, and so tried to become famous with ghost hunt, a kind of practice favoured for the education of the youth of Buke families. And so, Shōjumaru came openly to challenge the mounted warrior who looked to him as the general. It was Amago Tsunehisa. The other children were trembling in fear, but not Shojumaru. The young lord shot an arrow toward the veteran lord. Tsunehisa swiftly caught it with his bare hand. Impress by the bravery of his young nemesis, Tsunehisa spared the lads, looking forward to battle against an adult Motonari.

In 1506, Hiromoto died of alcohol abuse. Shōjumaru remained at Sarugake, but was troubled by another clan member of the Inoue family, who was aggressively seizing land.

In 1511, Shōjumaru officially became an adult, or genpuku, and was renamed Motonari.

In 1516, Okimoto died. Okimoto's son Kōmatsumaru succeeded to the leadership of the clan, and Motonari became his overseer. Kōmatsumaru died eight years later in 1523, and Motonari succeeded him.

Mori successfully defended an attack by Amago Haruhisa on his castle in the 1540–41 Siege of Koriyama.

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