Sagara Sakiyori (相良前頼)

Sakiyori SAGARA (year of birth unknown - February 19, 1394) was busho (Japanese military commander) from the period of the Northern and Southern Courts through the early Muromachi Period. He was the seventh family head of the Sagara clan. He was a son of Sadayori SAGARA, the sixth family head.

It is said that he took over the family estate either in 1368 due to Sadayori's retirement or in 1372 due to Sadayori's death, but details are unknown. When Sadayo IMAGAWA (Ryoshun) came as a new Kyushu Tandai (local commissioner), Sakiyori followed Ryoshun and played an active role for the Northern Court side. He suddenly went over to the Southern Court side in April 1383, and in 1385 he was appointed as Hizen no shugo (governor of Hizen Province) by Emperor Gokameyama of the Southern Court. He acted as the Southern Court side after that, but the two courts were unified by Yoshimitsu ASHIKAGA in 1392, and Sakiyori re-swore allegiance to Ryoshun.

He had a conflict with the Shimazu clan of Satsuma, and on January 19, 1394, he died in a battlefield in Miyakonojo City, Hyuga Province, while he lost the battle to the army of Shimazu. Sanenaga SAGARA succeeded to Sakiyori.

[Original Japanese]