Imagawa Norimochi (今川範以)

Norimochi IMAGAWA (1570 - January 14, 1608) was a busho (Japanese military commander) and waka poet, who lived during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. He was the oldest legitimate son of Ujizane IMAGAWA and the grandson of Yoshimoto IMAGAWA. His mother was the daughter of Ujiyasu HOJO, Hayakawa-dono (Lady Hayakawa). His lawful wife was the daughter of Yoshiyasu KIRA. His children were Naofusa IMAGAWA, the wife of Yoshimitsu KIRA.

When he was born, the Imagawa clan had been already expelled from Suruga Province by Shingen TAKEDA, and Norimochi was said to be born in Odawara, the home ground of the Gohojo clan which was his mother's family. He moved from area to area with his father, but since the Bunroku era, it is proved that he was in Kyoto until he died.

It is said that he was closely associated with court nobles such as Tokio YAMASHINA and Tamemasa REIZE, and regularly took part in the renga-kai (gatherings of linked verse) and waka-kai (gatherings of waka poem) hosted by the Reizei family as a master of waka poem, and sometimes even served as the mentor.

He died of illness some time before his father, Ujizane. After his death, his son, Naofusa IMAGAWA received a favor of Edo bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) as koke (a privileged family under Tokugawa Shogunate).

[Original Japanese]