About Nihonmatsu

(by Setsuko)

Lord Niwa

l was told about my father's ancestors by my aunt. According to her story, they came to Nihonmatsu with the lord Niwa from the western part of Japan in the Edo era.

Lord Niwa was a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. When Hideyoshi died, he became a Tokugawa's retainer. Then he was transferred to Nihonmatsu.

On Sunday nights, NHK is broadcasting the "Toshiie and Matsu" on TV. While I was watching the drama, I found that Niwa was once a retainer of Oda Nobunaga. First Oda's retainer, then Hideyoshi' s and lastly became a retainer of Tokugawa. Tokugawa shogunate sent him to Nihonmatsu. Since then my father's ancestors had lived there until the Boshin War. My great grandfather fought against the Emperor Army and was killed. His wife and their children escaped from Nihonmatsu to Fukushima. So I live in Fukushima because of the Boshin War.

When I hear of Nihonmatsu, I feel a longing for my ancestors.

(10/2002)