He was the eldest son of
Takahashi Shigetane, a senior retainer of the
Ōtomo clan. He was adopted by
Tachibana Dōsetsu, Contemporary Italian Jesuit
Alessandro Valignano recorded that Muneshige was later adopted by Dōsetsu and inherited the Tachibana clan. At first, Shigetane declined, as he needed Muneshige to inherit the Takahashi clan. However, Dōsetsu implored him, stating that although he had Ginchiyo as the heir to his clan, he needed a strong young samurai to lead the Tachibana clan in the future. He further explained that, after his death, both the Takahashi and Tachibana clans would need strong commanders to defend the declining Ōtomo clan. Because the Takahashi clan had many potential heirs, he wanted Muneshige to inherit the command of the Tachibana. Shigetane finally accepted this reasoning and agreed to give Muneshige to the Tachibana clan. Once the adoption was secured, Dōsetsu immediately transferred leadership of the Tachibana clan from his daughter Ginchiyo to Muneshige. On November 6, Dōsetsu marched to Kama and Honami along with Muneshige and Shigetane. While on their way to rescue Kutami Akiyasu, the Tachibana and Takahashi forces received information that Akiyasu had safely retreated after fighting Akizuki Tanezane and Monjūjo Munekage in the
Battle of Haratsuru, so they turned back. However, Tanezane's forces were still pursuing them. The fierce fighting resulted in over 1,000 casualties, including more than 300 on the Tachibana–Takahashi side and 760 for the Akizuki clan. On April 16, 1582, during the
Battle of Iwato against a combined force of 2,000 from the Akizuki, Harada, and Munakata clans, Dōsetsu commanded a 500-strong ambush force together with a 1,000-strong main force. Three hundred of Muneshige's troops launched a surprise attack from the flank with guns, while the remaining 200 soldiers were led by Komono Masutoki, who set up a false flag to make it appear that reinforcements from the Ōtomo clan were arriving, ultimately lifting the siege. Muneshige then led 1,000 cavalry, including Komono Masutoki, Korenobu Yufu, and Shigeyuki Ono, eliminating 300 of the Harada general Kasa Okinaga's troops, who had built a fort at Iwatosho Kubeno, killing 150 of them and pursuing the rest west to Sawara County, where he burned down Harada Chikahide's Sawara Castle. On March 17, 1583, he killed Yoshiwara Sadayasu in the
Battle of Yoshiwaraguchi, and on April 23 he captured Munakata Ujisada's castles, Konomiyama Castle and Ryutoku Castle in Suginami, forcing them to surrender. In 1587, after the Tachibana clan sided with Toyotomi Hideyoshi during his conquest of Kyushu, Muneshige separated from the Ōtomo and became a
daimyō in his own right. He was given
Yanagawa castle in
Chikugo Province, and the Tachibana thereafter became an independent clan. Later, Muneshige was involved in suppressing rebels in
Amakusa. During this campaign, the famous
Tokugawa clan warrior
Mizuno Katsunari served under Muneshige. Muneshige received licenses in the Hekiryu school of archery from Omura Tsuneyoshi in 1590, Nakae Shinpachi in October 1601, and Yoshida Shigetake in 1602.
Korean invasion In 1592, during the first Japanese invasions of Korea, Muneshige served in the 6th Division, commanded by Kobayakawa Takakage, with 2,500 men. During the
Siege of Dongnae in April, Muneshige's forces captured Dongnae Fortress. On June 26, at the request of
Ukita Hideie, he used fire and ambush tactics to drive the Joseon army north of
Hanseong. In 1593, Muneshige and Takahashi Noriyoshi served in the vanguard during the
Battle of Byeokjegwan. On January 26, around 2:00 a.m., Muneshige sent his officers Morishita Tsuyoshi and Totoki Koreyoshi to lead 30 soldiers on a reconnaissance mission. Around 6:00 a.m., Muneshige then deployed two columns of 500 soldiers each, with Toki Koremichi and Uchida Noriyoshi as commanders. Muneshige deliberately sent such small units to lure the 2,000-strong Ming army led by General Sadaiju. His tactic succeeded, and the Ming army pursued them. As the two columns of Muneshige's soldiers engaged the Ming army in melee, Muneshige suddenly instructed his concealed musketeer corps, led by Toji Koremichi, Uchida Tsunehisa, and Yasuda Kunitsugu, to unleash a volley barrage. As a result, the Ming army suffered heavy losses and fled the battlefield. Later, Muneshige's main force of 2,000 men advanced north, with Koremichi leading the vanguard and Ono Shigeyuki and Yonetabe Shigehisa commanding 700 men. Around 11 a.m., they arrived in hilly terrain, where they prepared to ambush the enemy. As Takakage Kobayakawa's vanguard—Kageo Awaya and Kagemasa Inoue—held back the Ming and Joseon forces at Goyohara, the attackers seized the moment: each soldier carried three flags, reversing the previous morning's display to deceive the enemy into perceiving a vast army. The advance was then led by Shigeie Tachibana. During the second Japanese invasion of Korea in 1597, Muneshige was not incorporated into the invading army but was ordered to defend
Busan. Later, there was a change in operational plans:
Mori Yoshinari was assigned to the defense of Busan, while Muneshige was assigned to the defense of the Japanese castles at Goseong and Angolpo. In the subsequent First Battle of Ulsan Castle, he was in charge of the defense of Goseong Japanese castle and is said to have participated in the battle two days later.
Sekigahara war In 1600, during the
Sekigahara campaign, he sided with the 'Western Army'. However, after learning that the Western Army had been annihilated in the
battle of Sekigahara, he returned to Osaka Castle. At first, Muneshige urged
Mōri Terumoto to prepare resistance in Osaka Castle against the Eastern Army. However, Terumoto decided that he did not want to resist the Eastern Army and instead submitted to
Tokugawa Ieyasu as he marched to Osaka Castle. Later, Muneshige returned to
Chikugo Province and surrendered to Tokugawa under the assumption that he could then switch sides and aid Tokugawa-loyal forces against the
Shimazu clan of
Satsuma. After the Battle of Sekigahara, he was deprived of Yanagawa Domain as punishment by
Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1614, he participated in the
Siege of Osaka as a military adviser to the second shogun,
Tokugawa Hidetada, serving as his strategist and overseeing the guarding of the area. Muneshige correctly predicted the movements of the Toyotomi general Ono Harufusa's troops and guided Hidetada's forces. After the campaign against
Toyotomi Hideyori ended in 1615, he was restored to his former territory in
Yanagawa. In 1637, Muneshige served in the shogunate army during the
Shimabara Rebellion (1637–1638), a revolt involving mostly Japanese peasants, many of them Catholics. He was then given a small territory in Tanagura. == Appearance ==