Portrait of Souun'in/ Tenso-ji Temple

Souun’in is a mother of Tachibna Muneshige. She was held captive by the Shimazu army at the fall of Iwaya-jo Castle defended by Muneshige’s father in 1586, and then later rescued. During the battle of Skigahara in 1600, she had been kept in Osaka-jo Castle as a hostage. Muneshige rescued her when he lost the battle and came back to Yanagawa of his domain. However, she was taken to Edo (Tokyo) as a hostage again at the surrender of Yanagawa-jo Castle. She passed away in 1611 without knowing that her son made a comeback as the lord of Yanagawa-jo Castle.