Munakata

The Munakata were an ancient family of Chikuzen who governed the Munakata district and served its great shrine.

Munakata Ujisada, lord of Tsurugatake Castle, became chief priest in 1552 after a succession struggle. He recovered his lands with Mōri support in 1560 but surrendered to the Ōtomo in 1569. After further fighting with the Ōtomo commander Tachibana Dōsetsu, Ujisada died in 1586; Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s conquest of Kyushu brought confiscation of the family’s old domain.