Date Shigezane
Date Shigezane (伊達 成実, 1568 – July 17, 1646) was a Japanese samurai of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods. Founder of the Watari-Date clan. A senior retainer of the Date clan of Sendai, he was a cousin of Date Masamune on his mother's side, and a cousin of Masamune's father Date Terumune on his father's side. Together with Oniniwa Tsunamoto and Katakura Kagetsuna, Shigezane was known as one of the "Three Great Men of the Date Clan". He was fought at Battle of Hitotoribashi in 1586 and Battle of Suriagehara in 1589, and well known for his fighting skill. [1]
Shigezane was a son of Date Sanemoto and was at first known as Tôgorô. After distinguishing himself at the Battle of Hitadori (1585) he was given Nihonmatsu castle and an income of 38,000 koku. He played an active role in the defeat of the Ashina clan in 1589. In 1595, for reasons unclear, he suddenly fled to Mount Koya but re-entered Masamune's service in 1600 and went on to fight at Osaka Campaign. He later produced a written work on the Date family.