Date Munemoto

Count Date Munemoto (伊達宗基) was a daimyo during the Bakumatsu period. He was the 30th generation head of the Date clan and 12th and final daimyo of Sendai Domain in northern Japan.

The fourth son of Date Yoshikuni, Munemoto became head of Date clan in 1868, following the defeat of the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei in the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration and the voluntary retirement of his father to seclusion in Tokyo. The new Meiji government permitted Munemoto to become daimyo of Sendai domain, but penalized the domain severely for its participation in the rebellion by reducing its revenues from 620,000 to 280,000 koku.

In 1869, the position of daimyo was abolished, and Munemoto was made appointive imperial governor. In 1870, he yielded this position to his adoptive brother Date Muneatsu, but retained the post of clan leader.

He was married to the daughter of Matsura Akira, daimyo of Hirado Domain, by whom he had one daughter. In 1884, Munemoto was created count (hakushaku) in the new Japanese kazoku peerage system. He was advanced to Third Court Rank in 1911 and Second Court Rank in 1917. On his death in 1917, the post of clan leader went to his younger brother Date Kunimune.