Muneharu Shimizu

Muneharu Shimizu (清水宗治, Shimizu Muneharu) is a samurai during the Sengoku period, who served Terumoto Mōri. He is most famous for his final act of loyalty, protecting Bitchū Takamatsu Castle from Hideyoshi Hashiba.

Role in Games

In Samurai Warriors 4, Muneharu serves as a Mōri officer defending Takamatsu Castle. He starts surrounded within his keep by Kanbei and Hideyoshi. Mitsunari Ishida will eventually lead a charge into the castle to kill him. If he should fall, the battle is lost.

In addition, Muneharu is an important officer for Mōri in Taiko Risshiden and Nobunaga no Yabou.

He has a small role in Chikai no Sanshi, in which he appears during the Oda's on attack on Kizugawaguchi, led Katsuie Shibata and Yoshitaka Kuki, and during Hideyoshi Hashiba and Koroku Hachisuka assistance to Shikanosuke Yamanaka. Before Terumoto went to help Yoshiaki Ashikaga in Kyoto, Muneharu warns him to be careful the Oda. Later, when Muneharu learns the news that Hashiba plans to invade Bitchū Takamatsu, he volunteers to protect the castle.

Hideyoshi employs many strategies in his attack the castle, preventing Muneharu unable to save the fortress. Muneharu recognizes it is impossible to escape death, and decides to go to see Terumoto to give a final farewell before committing seppuku in front of Terumoto. Hideyoshi saw Muneharu's courage and sacrifice, being moved by his willingness to die for his cause. Muneharu's death is mourned by his soldiers.

Voice Actors

Takaki Otomari - Nobunaga no Yabou Hadou
Kenya Hatsumura - Nobunaga no Yabou Shutsujin (Japanese)

Historical Information

Shimizu Muneharu's childhood name was Saitarō (才太郎) and was also called Chōzaemon (長左衛門) when as an adult. He had familial ties to the Ishikawa clan and submission to the Mimura clan. However, when the Mōri began to take over Bichu Province, Muneharu joined with the Mōri. As reward, he was given charge over Bitchū Takamatsu Castle. It is uncertain if at this time, in 1565, he betrayed his original patron clan or if they all agreed to submit without treachery. Upon joining the Mōri, Muneharu served under Kobatakawa Takakage, who noted Muneharu's loyalty and diligence.

In 1582, Hashiba Hideyoshi was sent by Oda Nobunaga to attack Chūgoku. The newly promoted Oda officer quickly laid siege to Muneharu's castle, who holed himself up and refused to yield. Hideyoshi offered him the chance to surrender Bitchu Province in exchange for his life and the life of his men inside the castle. Muneharu refused, enduring a long siege. He continued to resist even after Hideyoshi flooded the castle, much to his opponent's chagrin. When Oda Nobunaga was slain later that year, Hideyoshi quickly negotiated a temporary alliance with the Mōri to allow him to return and deal with the internal conflict from his lord's murder. Part of the negociation meant Takamatsu Castle, which was very close to falling, remain within the Mōri's possession, including all of the surviving soldiers within the fortress. The only condition required, was for Muneharu to commit seppuku, which he willingly performed to spare his men and lord.

Etymology

The name Muneharu means "religion, sect, denomination, main point, origin, essence" (宗) (mune) and "cure" (治) (haru).
Muneharu's surname Shimizu means "clear water/pure water, spring water" (清水).

Gallery

Nobunaga no Yabou Sengoku Gunyuuden NES portrait
Nobunaga no Yabou Sengoku Gunyuuden PS portrait
Nobunaga's Ambition : Lord of Darkness SNES portrait
Nobunaga's Ambition : Lord of Darkness PS portrait
Nobunaga no Yabou Haouden portrait
Nobunaga no Yabou Tenshouki portrait
Nobunaga no Yabou Shouseiroku portrait
Nobunaga no Yabou Reppuuden portrait
Nobunaga no Yabou Ranseiki portrait
Nobunaga no Yabou Soutenroku portrait
Nobunaga's Ambition: Rise to Power portrait
Nobunaga's Ambition: Iron Triangle portrait
Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence portrait
Nobunaga no Yabou 201X portrait
Nobunaga no Yabou Oretachi no Sengoku portrait
Samurai Cats portrait

Taiko Risshiden I portrait
Taiko Risshiden II portrait
Taiko Risshiden III portrait
Taiko Risshiden IV portrait
Taiko Risshiden V portrait
Chikai no Sanshi portrait
Saitarō in Guntama
Shimizu Muneharu
Sengoku IXA portrait
Alternate portrait
Alternate portrait 2
Sengoku Bushouki MURAMASA Rank 1 Lovely R portrait
Rank 2 Lovely R portrait
Rank 3 Lovely R portrait
Rank 4 Lovely R portrait
Lovely MR portrait
Alternate Lovely MR portrait
Sengoku Bushou Kanzen Visual Guide illustration
Tenka wo Mezase! Sengoku Kassen Panorama Great Map illustration

Samurai Warriors
Games
Main Titles	Samurai Warriors • Samurai Warriors 2 • Samurai Warriors 3 • Samurai Warriors 4 • Samurai Warriors 5
Expansions	4-II • Empires (2) • Empires (3) • Empires (4) • Special • Spirit of Sanada • Xtreme Legends (1) • Xtreme Legends (2) • Xtreme Legends (3)
Spin-Offs	100man-nin • Chronicles • Chronicles 2nd • Chronicles 3 • Derby • Katana • Pachislot • Shoot • State of War
Characters
Samurai Warriors	Goemon Ishikawa • Hanzō Hattori • Hideyoshi Toyotomi • Ina • Keiji Maeda • Kenshin Uesugi • Kunoichi • Magoichi Saika • Masamune Date • Mitsuhide Akechi • Nō • Nobunaga Oda • Oichi • Okuni • Ranmaru Mori • Shingen Takeda • Tadakatsu Honda • Yoshimoto Imagawa • Yukimura Sanada
Samurai Warriors 2	Ginchiyo Tachibana • Gracia • Ieyasu Tokugawa • Kanetsugu Naoe • Katsuie Shibata • Kojirō Sasaki • Kotarō Fūma • Mitsunari Ishida • Motochika Chōsokabe • Musashi Miyamoto • Nagamasa Azai • Nene • Sakon Shima • Toshiie Maeda • Yoshihiro Shimazu
Samurai Warriors 3	Aya • Hanbei Takenaka • Kai • Kanbei Kuroda • Kiyomasa Katō • Masanori Fukushima • Motonari Mōri • Munenori Yagyū • Muneshige Tachibana • Naotora Ii • Takatora Tōdō • Ujiyasu Hōjō
Samurai Warriors 4	Chacha • Hidetada Tokugawa • Hisahide Matsunaga • Kagekatsu Uesugi • Katsuyori Takeda • Kojūrō Katakura • Koshōshō • Lady Hayakawa • Masayuki Sanada • Naomasa Ii • Nobuyuki Sanada • Sasuke • Takakage Kobayakawa • Toyohisa Shimazu • Yoshitsugu Ōtani
Samurai Warriors 5	Dōsan Saitō • Fujihide Mitsubuchi • Kazuuji Nakamura • Mitsuki • Motoharu Kikkawa • Motonobu Okabe • Nobuyuki Oda • Sandayū Momochi • Sena • Shikanosuke Yamanaka • Terumoto Mōri • Toshimitsu Saitō • Yasuke • Yoshiaki Ashikaga • Yoshikage Asakura • Yoshitatsu Saitō
Other Characters	Non-Playable Characters • Bodyguards • Edit Characters • Katana Protagonist • Chronicles Protagonist • Takamaru
Factions
Prominent Clans	Akechi • Azai • Chōsokabe • Date • Hōjō • Imagawa • Kuroda • Mōri • Oda • Saitō • Sanada • Shimazu • Tachibana • Takeda • Tokugawa • Toyotomi • Uesugi
Alliances	Eastern Army • Honganji Rioters • Saika Renegades • Western Army •