Tsutsui Junkei



Tsutsui Junkei (筒井 順慶) son of Tsutsui Junshō, and a daimyo of the province of Yamato.

Early in his career, Matsunaga Hisahide, one of the most powerful warriors of the region, defeated Junkei and took Tsutsui Castle.

By joining the forces of Oda Nobunaga, Junkei defeated Hisahide at Mount Shigi in 1577.

Junkei's original castle was reclaimed after the battle, but shortly afterward he had to abandon it, following an order by Nobunaga. He was then appointed to the position of daimyo over Yamato, and was allowed to build a new castle, which was called Kōriyama Castle, now in Yamatokōriyama, Nara. During the Battle of Yamazaki in 1582, Junkei refused to take either side and remained neutral. His governance over Yamato was guaranteed by the victorious Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

After Junkei’s death the Tsutsui clan was succeeded by Tsutsui Sadatsugu, a cousin and adopted son of Junkei. The Tsutsui subsequently lost governance of Yamato to Toyotomi Hidenaga, Hideyoshi's stepbrother, at the death of Junkei in 1584. The Tsutsui themselves were moved to the Iga Province by orders of Hideyoshi.