The were a

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...

'' and samurai clan which rose to prominence during the Sengoku and Edo periods. The clan descend from the Uda Genji through the Sasaki clan.Papinot, Jacques. (2003)
''Nobiliare du Japon'', pp. 27–28.
/ref> The name derives from the Kyōgoku quarter of

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

during the Heian period.Iwao, Seiichi ''et al.'' (2002)
''Dictionnaire historique du Japon'', p. 1704.
/ref> The Kyōgoku acted as '' shugo'' (governors) of Ōmi, Hida, Izumo and Oki Provinces in the period before the Ōnin War. A period of decline in clan fortunes was mitigated with the rise of the Tokugawa clan. Members of the clan were ''

s'' of territories on the islands of Kyūshū and

Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...

during the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

. Under the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

, the Kyōgoku were identified as '' tozama'' or outsiders, in contrast with the '' fudai'' or insider ''daimyō'' clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa.Appert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888)
''Ancien Japon,'' p. 76.
/ref> At the fall of the

, the Kyōgoku had been enfeoffed at Marugame and Tadotsu in Sanuki, Toyooka in Tajima, and Mineyama Domain in Tango Province. A branch of the Kyōgoku was ranked among the ''

kōke A during the Edo period in Japan generally referred to the position of the "Master of Ceremonies", held by certain -less samurai ranking below a daimyō. Historically, or in a more general context, the term may refer to a family of old lineage a ...

''.

Genealogy

The ''tozama'' Kyōgoku are descended directly from Emperor Uda (868–897) through his grandson Minamoto no Masanobu (920-993). They represent a cadet branch of the Sasaki clan who were adopted by the Seiwa Genji. The branches of the ''tozama'' Kyōgoku clan include the following: * The senior branch of this clan are descendants of Kyōgoku Takatsugu (1560–1609). He allied himself with

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...

, who arranged for his marriage to his niece, Ohatsu. This marriage to the daughter of Azai Nagamasa made Toyotomi Hideyoshi his brother-in-law. Hideyoshi awarded him Ōtsu Castle (60,000 koku) in

Ōmi Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō Circuit (subnational entity), circuit. Its nickname is . Under the ''Engishiki'' classification system, ...

. In 1600, he sided with the Tokugawa at the Siege of Ōtsu; and he received in the same year the fief of Obama (92,000 ''koku'') in Wakasa Province. :Takatsugu's son, Kyōgoku Tadataka (1593–1637), married the fourth daughter of the second Shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada in 1607. Tadataka's revenues were increased gradually over time. In 1634, he was granted Matsue Domain (260,000 ''koku'') in Izumo Province; but he died three years later without leaving any heirs. His holdings reverted to the shogunate. Kyogoku Takakazu

: The bakufu designated Kyōgoku Takakazu, the son of Tadataka's brother Takamasa, to continue the line. Tadakazu was enfeoffed at Tatsuno (50,000 ''koku'') in Harima Province. In 1658, the family was transferred to Marugame in Sanuki Province, where they remained ''daimyō'' until the abolition of the han system in 1871. The head of this clan line was ennobled as a viscount in the

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

. * An offshoot of the senior branch was established in 1694 at Tadotsu (10,000 ''koku'') in Sanuki Province, where they remained through the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

. The head of this clan line was given the title of viscount in the Meiji period. * A cadet branch was created in 1592 when Hideyoshi awarded Kyōgoku Takatomo (1571–1621) the domain at Iida (80,000 ''koku'') in

Shinano Province or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces. The ancient capital was located near modern-day Matsumoto, whi ...

. Takatomo took sides with the Tokugawa; and he was entrusted with the defense of Gifu Castle at

Gifu is a Cities of Japan, city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. Durin ...

in Mino Province. After the Battle of Sekigahara, he was transferred to Tanabe Castle (125,000 ''koku'') in Tango Province. Shortly afterwards, Takatomo built a castle at Miyazu (78,000 ''koku'') in Tanba Province; and he established himself there. : Kyōgoku Takahiro (1599–1677) was the adopted son and heir of Takatomo. When the administration of Miyazu became his responsibility after 1621, the revenues of the domain were reduced to 75,000 ''koku by'' Tokugawa Shogunate''.'' The poor stewardship of Takahiro was exacerbated by that of his son Kyōgoku Takakuni (1616–1675). Shōgun Tokugawa Ietsuna dispossessed the Kyōgoku of Miyazu in 1666, banishing both Takakuni and his son, Kyōgoku Takayori. In 1687, Takayori was permitted to return from banishment; and he was granted a pension of 2,000 ''koku'' and a position amongst the ''kōke.'' This Edo period bureaucratic position was responsible for official and imperial rituals and ceremonies. Kyogoku residence01st3200

* An offshoot of the cadet branch was created in 1604 when Kyōgoku Takatomo transferred his seat of authority to Miyasu Castle. This clan sub-branching comprised those descendants of the Kyōgoku who continued to hold Tanabe Castle in Tango Province. In 1668, this clan branch was transferred to Toyooka Domain (15,000 ''koku'') in Tajima Province. The head of this clan line was created a viscount in the Meiji period. * Another offshoot of the cadet branch was established in 1620 when Kyōgoku Takamichi (1603–1665) was enfeoffed at Mineyama Domain (10,000 ''koku'') in Tango Province. Takamichi, who was the son of Kuchiki Tanetsuna, had been adopted by Takatomo. The descendants of Takamichi were ''daimyōs'' in this ''han'' until 1871. The head of this clan line was recognized as a viscount in the Meiji period.

Modern times

The fall of the Tokugawa shogunate created ripple of unanticipated consequences amongst the ''daimyo'' closely associated with the bafuku. One results of these economic changes was that the residence in Edo belonging to the Kyōgoku daimyo of Tadotsu was sold. The clan's house and garden fell into the hands of Inoue Kaoru, the first foreign minister in the Meiji government.Pearson, Clifford
"Glimpses of Contemporary Japan: Or Octopus Balls for Breakfast"
, Japan Society (New York). The home became a venue for entertaining foreign dignitaries and introducing them to the esthetics of Japanese gardens. After World War II, the former Kyōgoku property was acquired by the International House of Japan. A new residence hall and cultural center was built on the site, but the garden was preserved as the unanticipated yet enduring legacy of the Kyōgoku clan. The garden survives and the clan continues, albeit with less public visibly.

Head Family

Ancestor

# Emperor Uda # Imperial Prince Atsumi (敦実親王) (893–967) # Minamoto no Masanobu # Minamoto no Sukenori (951–998) # Sasaki Nariyori # Sasaki no Yoshitsune (1000–1058) # Sasaki no Tsunekata # Sasaki Tametoshi # Sasaki Hideyoshi # Sasaki Sadatsuna (1142–1205) # Sasaki Nobutsuna (1181–1242)

Head Family

# Sasaki Ujinobu (1220–1295) # Sasaki Munetsuna (1248–1297) # Sasaki Sadamune (1287–1305) # Sasaki Takauji # Sasaki Takahide (1328–1391) # Kyōgoku Takanori (1352–1401) # Kyōgoku Takamitsu (1375–1413) # Kyōgoku Mochitaka (1401–1439) # Kyōgoku Mochikiyo (1407–1470) # Kyōgoku Masatsune (1453–1502/1508) # Kyōgoku Takakiyo (1460–1538) # Kyōgoku Takanobu # Kyōgoku Takayoshi # Kyōgoku Takatsugu # Kyōgoku Tadataka # Kyōgoku Takakazu (1619–1662) # Kyōgoku Takatoyo (1655–1694) # Kyōgoku Takamochi (1692–1724) # Kyōgoku Takanori (1718–1763) # Kyōgoku Takanaka (1754–1811) # Kyōgoku Takaakira (1798–1874) # Kyōgoku Akiyuki (1828–1882) # Kyōgoku Takanori (1858–1928) # Kyōgoku Takaosa (1891–1967) # Takaharu Kyōgoku

Notable clan members

Ōishi Riku, wife of Ōishi Kuranosuke, leader of the Forty-seven ''rōnin'', was a daughter of Ishizuka Tsuneyoshi, principal house elder of Toyooka domain. She later returned to Toyooka, and lived with her father at the time of the revenge of the ronin. In 1925, the first election of the members of the House of Peers representing the Meiji-created nobility ( the '' kazoku'') was held. As a result, Viscount Takanori Kyōgoku of Sanuki was amongst those who were seated in the upper house of the Imperial Diet. In 2009, Takaharu Kyōgoku became the chief priest (''kannushi'') of the Yasukuni Shrine. He is the 15th head of the Kyogoku family that held power in Toyooka until the

. "New Yasukuni chief priest picked"
''Japan Times.'' June 13, 2009.

Clan heads

*1. Kyōgoku Takatsugu *2. Kyōgoku Tadataka *3. Kyōgoku Takakazu 24 April 1619 – 24 October 1662 *4. *5. Kyōgoku Takashige *6. Kyōgoku Takanori "House of Peers (''Kizokuin''), 1909" at Unterstein.net, p. 14
retrieved 2013-4-9. *7. Kyōgoku Takanaga *8. Kyōgoku Takakazu *9. Kyōgoku Takaari *10. Kyōgoku Takayuki *11. Kyōgoku Takaatsu *12. *13. Kyōgoku Takayoshi *14. Kyōgoku Takamitsu *15. Takaharu Kyōgoku

Genealogy

Modern times

Head Family

Ancestor

Head Family

Notable clan members

Clan heads

See also

Notes

References

External links