The was an aristocratic kin group (''uji'') of the Yamato period. The Ōtomo were known for their military strength and (along with other militarily valuable clans like the Heguri and

Mononobe The was a Japanese aristocratic kin group (''uji'') of the Kofun period, known for its military opposition to the Soga clan. The Mononobe were opposed to the spread of Buddhism, partly on religious grounds, claiming that the local deities wou ...

) supplanted the formerly dominant

Katsuragi clan The was a Japanese aristocratic kin group (''uji'') that supposedly existed during the Kofun period. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Nakatomi," ''Nobiliare du ...

as the most powerful clan at the Yamato court during the fifth century. The Ōtomo clan lost imperial favor in 540 when

Emperor Kinmei was the 29th Emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 欽明天皇 (29) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834)pp. 34–36 Brown, Delmer. (1979) ''Gukanshō,'' pp. 261– ...

sided against the advice of

Ōtomo no Kanamura Ōtomo no Kanamura (大伴金村) was a Japanese warrior and statesman during the late Kofun period. Most of what is known of his life comes from the ''Kojiki'' and the '' Nihon Shoki''. His clan, the Ōtomo, had been highly influential at court ...

that a military expedition be sent against the Korean kingdom of

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...

, and stripped Kanamura of the title of ''ōmuraji''. The Ōtomo clan likely also lost Kinmei's favor because they had led the clans supporting the succession of

Emperor Ankan (466 — 25 January 536) was the 27th legendary Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 安閑天皇 (27)/ref> according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. No firm dates can be assigned to this ...

and

Emperor Senka (467 — 15 March 539) was the 28th legendary Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 宣化天皇 (28)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. No firm dates can be assigned to this Emperor's life or reign, but ...

to Emperor Keitai, while the clans supporting Kinmei's claim were led by the

Soga clan The was one of the most powerful aristocratic kin groups Uji (clan), (''uji'') of the Asuka period of the early Japanese state—the Yamato period, Yamato polity—and played a major role in the spread of Buddhism. Through the 5th and 7th centur ...

. Soga clan leader

Soga no Iname was a leader of the Soga clan and a statesman during the reign of Emperor Kinmei in the Asuka period. He was the first person to hold the position of ''Ōomi'' that can be verified with reasonable accuracy, in 536 A.D. Essentially what this me ...

would become the most influential minister at Kinmei's court following Kanamura's removal in 540.

References

Japanese clans {{Japan-hist-stub