Katakura Kojūrō


Katakura Kojūrō was the common name of the head of the Japanese Katakura clan, who served as senior retainers to the Date clan. Following the Date clan's move into Sendai han, they were granted holdings at Shiroishi Castle, which they held through the start of the Meiji Era. A chronologically arranged list of the generations of Edo-era Katakura Kojūrō follows:

Edo-era Katakura family heads

  1. Kagetsuna
  2. Shigenaga
  3. Kagenaga
  4. Muranaga
  5. Murayasu
  6. Muranobu
  7. Murasada
  8. Murakiyo
  9. Muratsune
  10. Kagesada
  11. Munekage
  12. Kuninori
  13. Kagenori
  14. Kagemitsu

    Katakura family heads since 1868

  15. Kenkichi
  16. Nobumitsu
  17. Shigenobu
Kagetsuna, the first Katakura Kojūrō, was arguably the most famous, having served alongside Date Masamune. The clan came to prominence yet again in the Boshin War, when Shiroishi Castle was used as the headquarters of the Ouetsu Reppan Domei. After the war, the 12th Kojūrō, Katakura Kuninori, sold the castle and relocated to Hokkaidō. The castle was then given to the Nanbu clan of Morioka, before the domain system was finally ended in the early 1870s. The current head of the family, Shigenobu, is the chief priest of Aoba Shrine, in Sendai.

Katakura Kojūrō in fiction

In the Sony PlayStation Video Game Sengoku Basara and the anime adaptation of it he was depicted as Masamune Date's loyal right-hand and right-eye man. He was using 2 katanas, one shorter and his main weapon.