Date Hidemune

Date Hidemune
Date Hidemune's grave at Tōgaku-ji in Uwajima
Daimyō of Uwajima
In office
1614–1657
Preceded byTomita Nobutaka
Succeeded byDate Munetoshi
Personal details
Born(1591-11-11)November 11, 1591
Mutsu Province, Japan
DiedJuly 8, 1658(1658-07-08) (aged 66)
Uwajima Domain, Japan
Spousea daughter of Ii Naomasa
Parent
Military service
AllegianceDate clan
Tokugawa Shogunate
UnitDate clan
CommandsUwajima Domain
Battles/warsOsaka Campaign

Date Hidemune (伊達 秀宗, November 11, 1591 – July 8, 1658) was a Japanese daimyō of the early Edo period. He was the eldest son of Date Masamune, born in 1591 by Shinzo no Kata (a concubine). Coming of age while living with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he received a character from Hideyoshi's name and took the adult name of Hidemune. Hideyoshi also granted him the court rank of junior 5th, lower grade (従五位下, ju go-i no ge) and the title of ji-jū, appointing the young Hidemune as a page to his own son Toyotomi Hideyori. After Hideyoshi's death in 1600, he was made a hostage at the residence of Ukita Hideie.

Though he was Masamune's eldest son, Hidemune was born by a concubine, and therefore could not be the successor to the Sendai Domain, which his father ruled. Masamune therefore considered the possibility of having Hidemune start a branch family. This was made possible in 1614, when father and son took part in the Osaka Campaign: Hidemune received the 100,000 koku Uwajima Domain which Tokugawa Ieyasu granted to Masamune. Hidemune immediately entered his new fief as daimyō, and ruled until his retirement in Meireki 3 (1657).