POLITICAL EVENT
Tainei-ji Incident
September 1551 · Taineiji Temple
Pursued by Sue Harukata's forces, Ōuchi Yoshitaka committed suicide at Tainei-ji, transforming the Ōuchi political order.
Background
In August 1551 (Tenbun 20), Sue Harukata, a senior retainer of the Ōuchi clan, rose in rebellion and attacked Yamaguchi, forcing Ōuchi Yoshitaka from his seat. Yoshitaka attempted to flee Yamaguchi Province by sea to Kyushu but was unable to do so.
Outcome
Yoshitaka entered Daineiji Temple in Fukagawa Yumoto, Nagato Province, but on September 1, was attacked by Sue Harukata's forces and committed suicide. Though the temple burned to the ground in the flames of war, it was later rebuilt, and the temple grounds preserve graves for Yoshitaka, his son Yoshitada, and 31 family retainers.
Course of the battle
1 August 1551
Sueharada Harumasaki Rebels Against Ōuchi Yoshitaka and Attacks Yamaguchi
Sueharada Harumasaki, a senior retainer, rises in rebellion, attacks Yamaguchi, and pursues Ōuchi Yoshitaka.
Sources12345·Certainty: Medium
2 Late August 1551
Ōuchi Yoshitaka Attempts to Cross to Kyushu from Sensaki but Fails
Driven from Yamaguchi, Ōuchi Yoshitaka attempted to escape by sea from Sensaki to Kyushu but was unable to do so.
Sources123·Certainty: Medium
3 September 1, 1551
Ōuchi Yoshitaka Commits Suicide at Daineiji Temple
Attacked by Sueharada Harumasaki's forces, Ōuchi Yoshitaka committed suicide at Daineiji Temple. The temple was also burned to the ground by Sueharada's army but was later reconstructed.
Sources1234·Certainty: High
Historical significance
With Ōuchi Yoshitaka's suicide, practical governance by the Ōuchi clan head effectively ended, with real power shifting to Sue Harukata. The political structure of the Ōuchi, who had boasted the greatest power in western Japan, was greatly transformed from this point on, affecting the subsequent balance of power in the Chūgoku region.
Advertisement
People involved
Senior Ōuchi official (supporting the uprising)
In August 1551, he attacked Yamaguchi and pursued Ōuchi Yoshitaka, assaulted Taineiji at Yumoto in Fukawa, Nagato, and drove him to suicide on September 1.
Sources26·Certainty: High
Head of the Ōuchi clan
Driven from Yamaguchi by Sue Harukata's uprising, he attempted to flee to Kyushu from Senzaki but failed, and committed suicide at Taineiji at Yumoto in Fukawa, Nagato on September 1, 1551.
Sources26·Certainty: High
Other events of 1551
Notes on the data
While some accounts cite Yamashiro Castle (present-day Shūnan City) as Sue Harukata's base of operations, this location does not appear in official records confirmed by this research and is not included in the text. Similarly, the specific reasons why Yoshitaka failed to accomplish his voyage to Kyushu are not explicitly stated in available sources.
Sources consulted
- 長門市「大寧寺境内」
- 長門市「大内義隆主従の墓所」
- 山口県「山口県の文化財 大寧寺本堂」
- 山口県「山口県の文化財 絹本著色大内義隆画像」
- 山口市「山口市の歴史文化資源 大内氏遺跡 附 凌雲寺跡」
- 山口県「山口県の文化財 絹本著色大内義隆画像」
The numbers in the text refer to the list above. Certainty indicates how far a statement is supported by the cited sources; it does not refer to the precision of the coordinates or the dating.
Advertisement