Mori Ranmaru

Mori Ranmaru (森 蘭丸, 1565–June 21, 1582), also known as Mori Naritoshi (森 成利), was the son of Mori Yoshinari, and had 5 brothers in total, from the province of Mino. He was a member of the Mori Clan, descendants of the Seiwa Genji.

Biography

From an early age, Ranmaru was an attendant to Oda Nobunaga. Recognized for his talent and loyalty, he was appointed to a responsible post. At Ōmi, he was given 500 koku, and after Takeda Katsuyori's death, he was awarded the 50,000 koku at Iwamura Castle. Ranmaru and his younger brothers perished defending Oda Nobunaga during the Honnō-ji Incident. Ranmaru's bravery and devotion is remembered throughout history, and especially during the Edo period because of his decision to commit seppuku and follow Nobunaga in death.

Oda and Mori's lord-vassal relationship was thought to have followed the nanshoku tradition - an intimate relationship - and was widely admired in Japan for its strength. In nanshoku literature of the Edo period, it was widely understood that Oda and Mori had a sexual relationship that was commonly found in those times.