Watanabe Mamoru (渡辺守)

Mamoru WATANABE (1610 - year of death unknown) was a person who lived during the Edo period. He was a vassal of Tsunashige TOKUGAWA of Kofu Domain. He was commonly called Gon no hyoe. He was born as the fist son of Tadasu WATANABE.

He was taken by his father, Tadasu, and entered Osaka-jo Castle. Although his father died in the Osaka Natsu no Jin (Summer Siege of Osaka), Mamoru escaped from the castle with the help of his wet nurse when the Osaka-jo Castle fell, and he became a priest at Nanzen-ji Temple. In around 1628, he returned to secular life with the encouragement of Tadaoki HOSOKAWA. It is said that he served Tsunashige TOKUGAWA with a stipend of 500-koku (139 cubic meters) crop yield thereafter.

[Original Japanese]