Murakuni no Shimanushi (村国島主)
MURAKUNI no Shimanushi (year of birth unknown - October 23, 764) was a figure who lived during Japan's Nara period. He served under FUJIWARA no Nakamaro, and was made the shojo (junior secretary) of Mino Province, but was killed during FUJIWARA no Nakamaro's Revolt of 764. It was later recognized that Shimanushi had not been harboring rebellious intentions. He was posthumously promoted to Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade).
The Murakuni clan was the most powerful local family in the Kakami district of Mino Province, and thanks to Shimanushi's grandfather MURAKUNI no Oyori winning a name for himself in the fighting during the Jinshin War, their clan reached sufficient prominence in the capital to begin turning out great numbers of middle-ranking government officials. MURAKUNI no Shigamaro was known to be Oyori's son, but whether Shigamaro was Shimanushi's father remains uncertain.
In the beginning of his career, Shimanushi served FUJIWARA no Nakamaro, and was then appointed the shojo (junior secretary) of Mino. When FUJIWARA no Nakamaro's Revolt broke out in 764, the loyalist court faction dispatched envoys to close the barrier checkpoints in and out of Mino Province in an effort to prevent Nakamaro from raising more troops and to prevent his escape. Although Shimanushi did as ordered by the court in an attempt to show his support for the loyalist court faction, the envoys believed he was actually a Nakamaro supporter and killed him. He was killed on the 23rd day of October. Two years later, on the twentieth day of the twelfth month of 766, the court admitted that Shimanushi had not been guilty of any crime, and posthumously promoted him to Jugoinoge.