Date Munemura

Date Munemura (伊達宗村, 25 June 1718 – 21 June 1756) was an mid-Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 6th daimyō of Sendai Domain in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan, and the 22nd hereditary chieftain of the Date clan.

Munemura was the fourth son of Date Yoshimura. Two of his older brothers died young, and the third (Date Murakaze) formed a separate household, so he was appointed heir. His childhood name was Date Hisamura (伊達久村); however, when he was received in formal audience by shōgun Tokugawa Yoshimune, he received one kanji from the shōgun's name, and the thus became Date Munemura. He was also betrothed to the daughter of Tokugawa Munenao, the daimyō of Kii Domain at that time. He became daimyō in 1743 upon the retirement of his father. He was noted as a man of many talents. As his father, he was noted for his literary achievements, and he was also proficient in horsemanship, swordsmanship, use of the spear, military strategy and hōjutsu (gunnery).

In 1752, Sendai Domain was struck by a severe famine. While touring a stricken village in what is now Watari District, Miyagi on his way back from sankin-kōtai in Edo, he was directly petitioned by the headman of Nakaizumi village, Kitahara Kanehira, for a reduction in the village's taxes. As was the common punishment for such an action, the headman's house and fields were confiscated and he was crucified as punishment,

Munemura died in 1756 at the age of 39, and was succeeded by his son, Date Shigemura. His grave is at the Date clan mausoleum at Dainenjiyama in Sendai.

• Father: Date Yoshimura
• Mother: Fuyuhime (1689–1745)
• Wife: Tonehime (1717–1746)
• Concubines:
  • Nobuko later Osei no Kata (1719–1763)
  • Oriku no Kata
  • Otoyo no Kata
  • Odai no Kata
  • Ono no Kata
  • Okiyo no Kata
  • Oguri no Kata
  • Ishiawa-dono
• Children:
  • Motohime (1739–1761) married Nabeshima Shigemochi by Tonehime
  • daughter by Tonehime
  • Kumenosuke by Osei no Kata
  • Date Shigemura by Osei no Kata
  • Ichihime by Osei no Kata
  • Naohime by Osei no Kata
  • Motoshichiro by Osei no Kata
  • Mitohime married Nakamura Kagesada by Osei no Kata
  • Yorihime by Osei no Kata
  • daughter married Sakai Tadatsura by Osei no Kata
  • Hotta Masaatsu (1755–1832) by Osei no Kata
  • Doi Toshinari (1748–1813) by Oriku no Kata
  • Date Muratomo (1749–1776) by Otoyo no kata
  • Yukichiyo by Odai no Kata
  • Doi Toshiyasu (1750–1766) by Okiyo no Kata
  • Seihime married Matsudaira Harusato by Okiyo no Kata
  • Akihime by Oguri no Kata
  • Hisahime by Oguri no Kata
  • daughter by Oguri no Kata
  • Saihime by Ishiawa-dono