Naoe's House

Naoe's House was the former home of Fujibayashi Naoe and her father Nagato in Iga Province's Mibuno Vale, located southeast of the Mibuno Castle.

History

Naoe and Nagato had lived in the home until Oda Nobunaga's invasion of Iga on 30 September 1581.^[1]

The house was heavily damaged as a result of the fighting, and after the war, the Fujibayashi family's neighbors considered helping to rebuild the house but eventually abstained so that it served as a reminder of the war. Matsu, a family friend of Naoe and Nagato, spent her time sleeping on a futon in the ruined house in hopes that both father and daughter would return.^[2]

By June 1582, Matsu began to lose hope and subsequently wrote a final letter addressed to Naoe, hoping that she would still be alive and able to read it some day. The elderly woman then embarked on a journey to the mountains in the south, where she hoped to retire and spend her final days. As Matsu had wished, Naoe eventually did return to her former house and read Matsu's letter shortly after she had departed. Naoe then quickly left the house to pursue after her "auntie".^[2]