was a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...

that claimed descent from the

Seiwa Genji The is a line of the Japanese Minamoto clan that is descended from Emperor Seiwa, which is the most successful and powerful line of the clan. Many of the most famous Minamoto warriors, including Minamoto no Yoshiie, Minamoto no Yoritomo, the foun ...

by way of the

Kawachi Genji The Kawachi Genji ({{lang, ja, 河内源氏) were members of a family line within that of the Seiwa Genji, which in turn was one of several branches of the Minamoto clan, one of the most famous noble clans in Japanese history. Descended from Minamo ...

. It was a branch of the

Minamoto clan was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...

by the

Ashikaga clan The was a prominent Japanese samurai clan which established the Muromachi shogunate and ruled Japan from roughly 1333 to 1573. The Ashikaga were descended from a branch of the Minamoto clan, deriving originally from the town of Ashikaga in ...

Origins

Ashikaga Kuniuji Ashikaga (足利) may refer to: * Ashikaga clan (足利氏 ''Ashikaga-shi''), a Japanese samurai clan descended from the Minamoto clan; and that formed the basis of the eponymous shogunate ** Ashikaga shogunate (足利幕府 ''Ashikaga bakufu''), a ...

, grandson of

Ashikaga Yoshiuji Ashikaga (足利) may refer to: * Ashikaga clan (足利氏 ''Ashikaga-shi''), a Japanese samurai clan descended from the Minamoto clan; and that formed the basis of the eponymous shogunate ** Ashikaga shogunate (足利幕府 ''Ashikaga bakufu''), a ...

, established himself in the 13th century at Imagawa (

Mikawa Province was an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Mikawa''" in . Its abbreviated form name was . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces. Mik ...

) and took its name. Imagawa Norikuni (1295–1384) received from his cousin the shōgun

Ashikaga Takauji was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate."Ashikaga Takauji" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromac ...

the province of Tōtōmi, and later that of Suruga.

Located at

Ounami no Kori, Mikawa (modern day

Nishio, Aichi is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, in the Chūbu region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 169,984 in 65,553 households, with a population density of 1,054 persons per km². The total area of the city was . It is a regional ...

) mainly

Suruga Province was an old province in the area that is today the central part of Shizuoka Prefecture. Suruga bordered on Izu, Kai, Sagami, Shinano, and Tōtōmi provinces; and was bordered by the Pacific Ocean through Suruga Bay to the south. Its abbrevia ...

and

Tōtōmi Province was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today western Shizuoka Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Tōtōmi''" in . Tōtōmi bordered on Mikawa, Suruga and Shinano Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . The or ...

during the Warring States period

Crests

*Two hikiryou *Yoshimoto's version of the akaitori (pictured) *Two hikiryou and a paulownia planted in white soil

Major figures

Imagawa Sadayo , also known as , was a renowned Japanese poet and military commander who served as tandai ("constable") of Kyūshū under the Ashikaga bakufu from 1371 to 1395. His father, Imagawa Norikuni, had been a supporter of the first Ashikaga ''shōgun ...

Imagawa Yoshitada was the father of the famed Imagawa Ujichika and the 9th head of the Imagawa clan. Yoshitada spent most of his time invading Tōtōmi Province, attacking the Katsumada and Yokota clans. However, after Yoshitada thought he had destroyed the clan ...

Imagawa Ujichika was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period. He was the 10th head of the Imagawa clan of Suruga Province. Ujichika was the son of Imagawa Yoshitada. He was the husband of Jukei-ni. Biography In 1476, Ujichika father, Yoshitada, invaded ...

Imagawa Ujiteru was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period, who ruled the Imagawa clan of Suruga Province. His childhood name was Ryuomaru (竜王丸). His father was Imagawa Ujichika and his mother was Jukei-ni (d. 1568). He was the brother of Imagawa ...

Imagawa Yoshimoto was a pre-eminent ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) in the Sengoku period Japan. Based in Suruga Province, he was known as . he was one of the three ''daimyōs'' that dominated the Tōkaidō region. He died in 1560 while marching to Kyoto to become ...

Imagawa Ujizane was a Japanese ''daimyō'' who lived in the Sengoku through early Edo periods. He was the tenth head of the Imagawa clan, and was a son of Imagawa Yoshimoto and the father of Imagawa Norimochi and Shinagawa Takahisa. Biography Ujizane was born ...

Muromachi era

, was a renowned Japanese poet and military commander who served as

tandai The term is a Kamakura and Muromachi period colloquialism for any very important governmental, judiciary or military post in a determinate area."Tandai", ''Iwanami '' Japanese dictionary, 5th Edition (2000), CD version During the Kamakura shoguna ...

("constable") of

Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...

under the Ashikaga bakufu from 1371 to 1395.

Sengoku era

After the death of Yoshimoto at the

Battle of Okehazama The took place in June 1560 in Owari Province, located in today's Aichi Prefecture. In this battle, the heavily outnumbered Oda clan troops commanded by Oda Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and established himself as one of the front-running ...

in 1560, during the

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

, many Imagawa officers defected to other clans. Within a decade, the clan had lost all of its land holdings to the Tokugawa and

Takeda is a Japanese family name.1990 Census Name Files

clans. The Imagawa subsequently became masters of ceremonies in the service of the Tokugawa clan."Suruga Imagawa-shi" on Harimaya.com
(12 July 2008)

Clan castles

Separated by province name. *

: Imagawa Kan (later known as

Sunpu Castle was a Japanese castle in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan. The sobriquet of this feudal fortress was the "Castle of the Floating Isle".Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)Shizuoka It was also referred to as or . Hist ...

), Shizuhatayama Castle, Mochifune Castle, Tanaka Castle *

Kakegawa Castle is a ''hirayama''-style Japanese castle. It was the seat of various ''fudai daimyō'' clans who ruled over Kakegawa Domain, Tōtōmi Province, in what is now central Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Background Kakegawa Castle is located ...

, Takatenjin Castle ( ja), Futamada Castle, Inui Castle,

Hamamatsu Castle is a replica ''hirayama''-style Japanese castle. It was the seat of various ''fudai daimyō'' who ruled over Hamamatsu Domain, Tōtōmi Province, in what is now central Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunat ...

, Utsuyama Castle. *

Yoshida Castle is a Japanese castle located in Toyohashi, southeastern Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Yoshida Castle was home to the Inaba clan, ''daimyō'' of Tateyama Domain. The castle was also known as , and later as Toyohashi Cast ...

Tahara Castle is a Japanese castle located in Tahara, southern Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Tahara Castle was home to the Miyake clan, ''daimyō'' of the 12,000 ''koku'' Tahara Domain. History Tahara Castle is located on a small h ...

Okazaki Castle is a Japanese castle located in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Okazaki Castle was home to the Honda clan, ''daimyō'' of Okazaki Domain, but the castle is better known for its association with Tokugawa Ieyasu and ...

, Anshō Castle *

Owari Province was a province of Japan in the area that today forms the western half of Aichi Prefecture, including the modern city of Nagoya. The province was created in 646. Owari bordered on Mikawa, Mino, and Ise Provinces. Owari and Mino provinces were ...

: Katsukake Castle,

Ōtaka Castle was a Sengoku period flatland-style Japanese castle located in what is now part of Midori Ward of the city of Nagoya, Aichi in the Tōkai region of Japan. The ruins, together with that of the detached fortresses of and have been collectively pr ...

, Narumi Castle

Edo period

Shinagawa Takahisa Shinagawa Takahisa (品川高久, 1576 – September 1, 1639) was a Japanese samurai of the early Edo period, who served the Tokugawa clan. He was a hatamoto, and the son of Imagawa Ujizane was a Japanese ''daimyō'' who lived in the Sen ...

, the son of

. He was a

hatamoto A was a high ranking samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as ''gokenin.'' However ...

and served the

Tokugawa clan The is a Japanese dynasty that was formerly a powerful ''daimyō'' family. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and were a branch of the Minamoto clan (Seiwa Genji) through the Matsudaira clan. The early history of this clan r ...

. *

Imagawa Norinobu was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period. Norinobu was influential in the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate, being appointed a wakadoshiyori shortly before its demise and working for the new government to show clemency to the Tokugawa fam ...

, an Imagawa of the late Edo period, was a ''

wakadoshiyori The ', or "Junior Elders", were high government officials in the Edo period Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1867). The position was established around 1633, but appointments were irregular until 1662. The four to six ''wakadoshiyori'' we ...

'' in the Tokugawa administration.

Key genealogies

Suruga #

Imagawa Kuniuji was a Japanese people, Japanese samurai Japanese clans, clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji by way of the Kawachi Genji. It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan. Origins Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yosh ...

(1243–1282) # Imagawa Morouji (1261–1323) # Imagawa Norikuni (1295?-1384) # Imagawa Noriuji (1316–1365) # Imagawa Yasunori (1334?-1409?) # Imagawa Norimasa (1364–1433) #

Imagawa Noritada was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji by way of the Kawachi Genji. It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan. Origins Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in the ...

(1408-1461?) #

# Imagawa Naofusa (1594–1662) # Imagawa Ujinari (1642–1673) # Imagawa Ujimichi (1668–1699) # Imagawa Noritaka (1694–1712) #

Imagawa Norinushi was a Japanese people, Japanese samurai Japanese clans, clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji by way of the Kawachi Genji. It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan. Origins Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yosh ...

(1698–1728) # Imagawa Norihiko (1716–1749) # Imagawa Noriyasu (1731–1784) # Imagawa Yoshiaki (1756–1818) # Imagawa Yoshimochi (1786–1839) # Imagawa Yoshiyori (1810–1841) #

Imagawa Yoshihito was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji by way of the Kawachi Genji. It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan. Origins Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in the ...

(1854-1872) Tōtōmi *

(1326-1420?) * Imagawa Nakaaki *

Imagawa Sadaomi was a Japanese people, Japanese samurai Japanese clans, clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji by way of the Kawachi Genji. It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan. Origins Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yosh ...

* Imagawa Sadasuke * Imagawa Norimasa (?-1464) *

Imagawa Sadanobu was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji by way of the Kawachi Genji. It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan. Origins Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in the ...

(?-1474) Tōtōmi (Horikoshi branch) * Horikoshi Sadamoto (?-1537) * Horikoshi Ujinobu * Horikoshi Sadatada *

Horikoshi Sadahisa Horikoshi (written: ) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese aerospace engineer *, Japanese manga artist *, Japanese voice actress *, Japanese weightlifter See also *Horikoshi High School is a private high ...

Horikoshi Sadayoshi Horikoshi (written: ) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese aerospace engineer *, Japanese manga artist *, Japanese voice actress *, Japanese weightlifter See also *Horikoshi High School is a private high ...

* Horikoshi Sadatsugu Tōtōmi (Sena branch) * Sena Kazuhide * Sena Ujisada * Sena Ujitoshi *

Sena Ujiakira Sena may refer to: Places * Sanandaj or Sena, city in northwestern Iran * Sena (state constituency), represented in the Perlis State Legislative Assembly * Sena, Dashtestan, village in Bushehr Province, Iran * Sena, Huesca, municipality in Huesca ...

Sena Masakatsu Sena may refer to: Places * Sanandaj or Sena, city in northwestern Iran * Sena (state constituency), represented in the Perlis State Legislative Assembly * Sena, Dashtestan, village in Bushehr Province, Iran * Sena, Huesca, municipality in Huesca ...

* Sena Kiyosada

Notable members

Jukei-ni Jukei-ni (寿桂尼, d. April 11, 1568) was a Japanese noble lady who acted as the power behind the throne or ''de facto'' daimyo of the Imagawa clan during the Sengoku period. She was born in the aristocrat Nakamikado Family of Kyoto. Jukei-ni was ...

Lady Tsukiyama Lady Tsukiyama or (d. 9 September 1579) was a Japanese noble lady and aristocrat from the Sengoku period. She was the chief consort of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the ''daimyō'' who would become the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunat ...

Lady Hayakawa Lady Hayakawa (早川殿, ''Hayakawa-Dono'', died April 4, 1613) was a Japanese woman and aristocrat of the Sengoku period. Hayakawa is a common nickname for one of ''Daimyō'' Hōjō Ujiyasu's daughters, who lived in the Sengoku through early ...

Notable retainers

Matsudaira Motoyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate, Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda ...

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

* Okabe Motonobu * Matsui Munenobu *

Udono Nagateru was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, from Udono clan, who served the Imagawa clan. He was Lord of Kaminogō Castle in Mikawa Province and Imagawa Yoshimoto's nephew. In 1560 he fought at the Battle of Okehazama against Oda Nobunaga a ...

Asahina Yasutomo Asahina (written: or ) is a Japanese surname, which means "sunny place". Notable people with the surname include: People *, a Japanese clan during the Sengoku period *, Japanese voice actress *, Japanese long-distance runner *, 20th century Rinzai ...

Ii Naomori was a retainer of the Japanese Imagawa clan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. During the Battle of Okehazama in 1560, Naomori was killed while trying to protect his lord, Imagawa Yoshimoto during the attack led by Oda Nobunaga, who su ...

* Abe Motozane * Ichinomiya Munekore *

Ii Naochika was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Imagawa clan. It was planned that he would marry Ii Naomori's daughter Naotora but then he fled to Shinano, to avoid committing suicide caused by slander from an Imagawa retainer. Lat ...

Ii Naotora Ii Naotora (井伊直虎, d. 12 September 1582) was a daimyō of the Sengoku period. She was the daughter and only child of Ii Naomori, the eighteenth head of their clan. She was primarily the head of Ii clan and retainer of the Imagawa clan, becau ...

Iio Tsuratatsu was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period who served the Imagawa clan. Tsuratatsu served Imagawa Ujizane and held Hikuma in Tôtômi province. He was the husband of Otazu no kata Pago de Otazu is a branch of Bodega Otazu, a Spanish winery i ...

Otazu no kata Pago de Otazu is a branch of Bodega Otazu, a Spanish winery in Navarre, Spain. The Pago de Otazu branch uses the Vino de Pago wine appellation, a Classification of wine, classification for Spanish wine applied to individual vineyards or wine estat ...

* Katsurayama Ujimoto * Taigen Sessai *

Iio Noritsura was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Imagawa clan of Suruga. He was the lord of Hikuma Castle, and claimed the court title '' Buzen no kami''. Noritsura's service to the Imagawa clan was during the life of Imagawa Yoshi ...

* Itami Yasunao * Yamaguchi Noritsugu *

Yamaguchi Noriyoshi Yamaguchi may refer to: People *Yamaguchi (surname), the 14th most popular Japanese surname. Places *Yamaguchi Prefecture, the westernmost prefecture of Honshū island of Japan **Yamaguchi (city), capital of Yamaguchi Prefecture ***Yamaguchi Sta ...

* Yokoe Magohachi * Fuji Nobutada

Popular culture

Imagawa is a playable nation in

Europa Universalis IV ''Europa Universalis IV'' is a 2013 grand strategy video game in the ''Europa Universalis'' series, developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive as a sequel to ''Europa Universalis III'' (2007). The game was rele ...

Notes

References

*{{in lang, ja}
"Suruga Imagawa-shi" on Harimaya.com
(12 July 2008) Japanese clans Ashikaga clan