Tochi Totada (十市遠忠)

Tada TOCHI (1497 - 1545) was a busho (Japanese military commander), who lived between the Muromachi and Sengoku period (Period of Warring States) (Japan). He was the child of Toharu TOCHI. He was the head castellan of Ryuosan-jo Castle in Yamato Province. His court rank was Hyobu shoyu (junior assistant minister of the Hyobusho Ministry of War).

Career

Totada excelled in martial art as well as being skilled in kado (waka poetry study) (studied under Sanetaka SANJONISHI) and calligraphy, and he led the height of Tochi clan as the busho of both the literary and military arts. The biggest estate included Toichi and Shikijo Districts of northwestern Yamato Province and expanded his estate to the Iga Province far away. The estimated kokudaka (crop yield) of the estate was 60,000 koku (approximately 10,823 cubic meters of crop yield).

1528: He allied with his father-in-law, Junsho TSUTSUI, and fought with the Kizawa and Tsutsui clans when Nagamasa KIZAWA, who was the chief retainer of the Hatakeyama clan, invaded Yamato Province. August 1532: The Tenbun Hokke War occurred between the Yamato Ikko Sect and monk-soldiers of the Kofuku-ji Temple, and the Kofuku-ji Temple burnt down.

September 1532: He suppressed Ikko Ikki (an uprising of Ikko sect followers), Iehide OCHI of Takatori-jo Castle, but was defeated by the Tsutsui and Tochi clans. 1533: He took over the family head position due to the death of his father (it is also said that he inherited the position prior to 1528).

1536: He reconstructed the castle at Ryuosan Mountain, and built another castle toward the north side and built the huge castle that combined North and Southern areas. He later moved into Ryuosan Castle from Toichi-jo Castle (the current Toichi Town, Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture). He went to pray at Kasuga-sha Shrine and donated one gohei (wooden wands, decorated with two Shide (zigzag paper streamers)) and five fees for Kagura (a musical dance) (Manuscript of Kasuga-sha Shrine No. 852).

April 8, 1538: He received the position of Mokudai (Deputy) monk of the Kofuku-ji Temple in Yamato Province to create the position of 大仏供上庄外護職 and promised to work hard (according to the manuscripts by Kasuga-jinja Shrine). October 1540: He signed a truce with Junsho TSUTSUI.

1542: When Nagamasa KIZAWA died in the battle in Kawachi Province, he took the opportunity to expand his forces. After the death of Totada, his legal son, Tokatsu TOCHI, inherited the family head position.

Editorial Work

"A hundred poems by Totada Tochi" and "Toichi Totada Hyakuban jikaawase" (self poetry contest) were a collection of waka read by Totada.
Genealogy
Father: Toharu TOCHI
Mother: Name is unknown. Wife: Name is unknown (daughter of Junko TSUTSUI).
Child: Tokatsu TOCHI
Child: Tonaga TOCHI, who had the title of Hitachi no suke (Assistant Governor of Hitachi Province).

[Original Japanese]