Samurai name meaning: Saika Magoichi

 

 

Saika Magoichi 雑賀 孫一 or Suzuki Magoichi 鈴木 孫一 was a mysterious Samurai leader of gun mercenaries in Sengoku period who fought with Oda Nobunaga 織田 信長 in the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War, supported Toyotomi Hideyoshi 豊臣 秀吉 as a firearms adviser and served Tokugawa-Mito domain in Edo period(1603-1868). Magoichi was not an individual name but the traditional name which the successive heads of the Saika-Suzuki family 雑賀党鈴木氏 adopted. The main leaders who named Saika Magoichi or Suzuki Magoichi are as following 4 men.

 

鈴木 孫一 重意
鈴木 孫一 重兼
鈴木 孫一 重秀
鈴木 孫一 重朝

 

 

 

 

 

1.  鈴木 孫一 重意

 

 

Saika-Suzuki family is one of the old and distinguished Samurai among Saika group in Kii Province who admired Yatagarasu 八咫烏 or the mythical three-legged crow. The Saika people worked in the battle filed as mercenary because their land was narrow but the number of people was large.

They also ran a shipping business with east asian areas and had a strong tie with southern Japan including Tanegashima Island, where guns were firstly introduced in Japan. The Saika people adopted the use of guns as soon as the manufacturing.

In those days there was no saltpeter in Japan which black gunpowder is made from, but Saika people had sea channels to import it, which gave them superiority. They became famous as the strongest mercenary with its modern Western weapons in Sengoku period (1467–1600).

 

The story of Shigeoki 重意 is unknown. The certain fact is that he had another pseudonym “Sa-dayū 佐大夫”.

Dayū 大夫 is originally called Taifu, one of the titles of directors in the Ritsuryo system in Japan. Taifu was the lowest title among nobles but valuable and honorable among the common people. In subsequent years, Samurai warriors started to add 大夫 in their name.

Shigeoki also might want to make gold leaf with his name by calling himself Sadayū. Among his country folks, you can find Samurai who named 大夫, like the four major chief samurai of the Saika-Ikko sect 雑賀一向宗; Miyamoto Hei-DAYŪ 宮本 平大夫, Matsue Gensan-DAYŪ 松江 源三大夫 and Shimamoto Saemon-DAYŪ 嶋本 左衛門大夫.

 

 

 

2.  鈴木 孫一 重兼

 

 

Shigekane was thought a son of Shigeoki and a part of the present image of “Saika Magoichi”. He was skillful with politics but timid and weak, so left military matters in his brothers’ hands.

 

 

 

 

3.  鈴木 孫一 重秀

 

 

In general, Saika Magoichi indicates Shigehide. He wrote Magoichi as his pseudonym on a document. He was famous for his prowess on the battlefield with Saika guns mercenaries, especially Ishiyama Hongan-ji War.

Even the head of his enemy side, Oda Nobunaga recognized him as the most powerful general. Also the then Shogun Ahikaga Yoshiaki, a top of Samurai, gave him a military request to beat Nobunaga. Later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi who conquered the whole Japan after Nobunaga invited Shigehide as a firearms adviser.

The image of Saika Magoichi who appears in the present games, manga and anime comes mainly from Shigehide.

 

 

 

 

4.  鈴木 孫一 重朝

 

 

The birth story of Shigetomo had several theories. One theory suggested him a son of Shigeoki, and another theory suggested him a son of Shigehide. Shigetomo served and supported Toyotomi Hideyoshi. During the Battle of Sekigahara 関ヶ原の戦い, he took the role of spearhead and achieved a feat: capturing one of the enemy generals of Tokugawa Ieyasu. After the battle, he served Date Masamune and then Tokugawa Mito Domain.

Afterwards, the Suzuki family changed its family name formally to Saika, and it is said that the successive heads of the family adopted Magoichi as their pseudonym.

 

 

 

 

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