Wakebe Mitsunobu (分部光信)
Mitsunobu WAKEBE (1591-April 10, 1643) was the second lord of the Ise-Ueno Domain. He was the first lord of the Omizo Domain in Omi Province. He was the second generation of the Wakebe family.
He was the first son of Masakatsu NAGANO. His mother was the daughter of Mitsuyoshi WAKEBE. His lawful wife was the daughter of Hisakatsu WATANABE. His second wife was the daughter of Shigetada SAKAI. His children were Yoshiharu WAKEBE (the third son) and a daughter (Takamasu OZEKI's lawful wife). His official rank was Jugoinoge Sakyo no suke (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade, Assistant secretary of the Eastern Capital offices).
His childhood name was Ryunosuke. At the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, he was sent to Nobutaka TOMITA in the same East squad as a pawn by the Wakebe head family. After 1601, he served the Tokugawa clan. In the same year, the former lord of the domain, Mitsuyoshi, died. Because Mitsukatsu WAKEBE (the oldest son of Mitsuyoshi) died young, Mitsunobu, who was the son of Masakatsu NAGANO (the husband of Mitsuyoshi's daughter) and Mitsuyoshi's grandchild, came to succeed as an adopted heir. Mitsunobu distinguished himself by building Nijo-jo Castle, Sunpu-jo Castle, Osaka-jo Castle, and Sawayama-jo Castle. On July 18, 1604, he was appointed Jugoinoge Sakyo no suke. During the Osaka Fuyu no Jin (Winter Siege of Osaka) in 1614, he fought together with Tadamasa HONDA and achieved success, and again he also achieved success during the Osaka Natsu no Jin (Summer Siege of Osaka); he was reassigned to the Omizo Domain, Omi Province in September 1619.
In 1626, he followed Iemitsu TOKUGAWA to Kyoto. In 1634, he was engaged in the renovation work of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mt. Hiei, which was damaged during the fire attack against Mt. Hiei (in 1571) by Nobunaga ODA. It is said that he distributed money to people of the domain and performed his duties well. In May 1642, he became sick, and died at the age of 53 on April 10 the following year. His third son Yoshiharu succeeded to his position. Posthumous Buddhist Name: Taiunin dono Junou Sokyoku Daikoji. Graveyard: Daiji-in Temple, Daitoku-ji Tatchu (subtemple of Daitoku-ji Temple), Murasakino, Kita Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture.