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daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominall ...
'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan. The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in contrast with the '' fudai'' or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of 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 cl ...
.


History

The Shimazu were descendants of the Seiwa Genji branch of the Minamoto. The Shimazu would become one of the families of
Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional ''daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was character ...
''daimyō'' to have held their territory continuously since the
Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first '' shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...
, and would also become, at their peak, the wealthiest and most powerful Tozama daimyō family with an income in excess of 700,000 '' koku''. The founder,
Shimazu Tadahisa was the founder of the Shimazu Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' o ...
(d. 1227), was a son of ''Shōgun''
Minamoto no Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1192 until 1199.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Minamoto no Yoriie" in . He was the husband of Hōjō Masako who acted as regent ('' shikken'') after h ...
(1147-1199) with the sister of Hiki Yoshikazu. Tadahisa's wife was a daughter of Koremune Hironobu, descendant of the Hata clan, whose name Tadahisa took at first. He received the domain of Shioda in
Shinano Province or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered on Echigo Province, Echigo, Etchū Province, Etchū, Hida Province, Hida, Kai Province, Kai, Kōzuke Province, Kōzuke, Mikawa Province, Mikawa, Mino Province, Mi ...
in 1186 and was then named '' shugo'' of Satsuma Province. He sent
Honda Sadachika is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a produc ...
to take possession of the province in his name and accompanied Yoritomo in his expedition to Mutsu in 1189. He went to Satsuma in 1196, subdued Hyūga and Ōsumi provinces, and built a castle in the Hyūga Province part of the Shimazu Estate, which name he also adopted. Shimazu Yoshihisa (1533 - 1611), the 16th Head of Shimazu family, the eldest son of Shimazu Takahisa. In 1586, succeed to unify and control the entire Kyushu region. He retired in 1587 after Hideyoshi Kyushu Campaign. The 17th head, Yoshihiro (1535–1619), was the ''daimyō'' at the time of the
Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara ( Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 ( Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu prefecture, Japan, at the end of ...
, the establishment of the
Tokugawa Shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in ...
, and the
Siege of Osaka The was a series of battles undertaken by the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate against the Toyotomi clan, and ending in that clan's destruction. Divided into two stages (winter campaign and summer campaign), and lasting from 1614 to 1615, the siege ...
.Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric ''et al.'' (2005). "Shimazu Yoshihiro" in ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, ''see'
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File
.
His nephew and successor was Tadatsune.Nussbaum, "Shimazu Tadatsune" at He held significant power during the first two decades of the 17th century, and organized the Shimazu invasion of the
Ryūkyū Kingdom The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' was a kingdom in the ...
(modern-day
Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
) in 1609. The ''Shōgun'' allowed this because he wished to appease the Shimazu and prevent potential uprisings after their loss at Sekigahara.Kerr, George H. (2000). The trade benefits thus acquired, and the political prestige of being the only ''daimyō'' family to control an entire foreign country secured the Shimazu's position as one of the most powerful ''daimyō'' families in Japan at the time. The Shimazu clan was renowned for the loyalty of its retainers and officers, especially during the
Sengoku period The was a period in 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 feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga shogunate. Variou ...
. Some retainer families, such as the Ijuin and Shirakawa, were determined to defeat any opposition to help expand the power of the Shimazu clan. The Shimazu are also famous for being the first to use ''teppo'' (firearms, specifically matchlock
arquebus An arquebus ( ) is a form of long gun that appeared in Europe and the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. An infantryman armed with an arquebus is called an arquebusier. Although the term ''arquebus'', derived from the Dutch word ''Haakbu ...
es) on the battlefield in Japan, and began domestic production of the weapons as well. Shimazu battle tactics are known to have been very successful in defeating larger enemy armies, particularly during their campaign to conquer Kyūshū in the 1580s. Their tactics included the luring of the opposition into an ambush on both sides by arquebus troops, creating panic and disorder. Central forces would then be deployed to rout the enemy. In this way, the Shimazu were able to defeat much larger clans such as the Itō, Ryūzōji and Ōtomo. Overall, the Shimazu was a very large and powerful clan due to their strong economy both from domestic production through trade, good organization of government and troops, strong loyalty of retainers and isolation from Honshū. Hisamitsu (1817–1887), regent of Tadayoshi, was the ''daimyō'' of Satsuma at the time of the Boshin War and 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 practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were r ...
, in which Satsuma played a major role.Nussbaum, "Shimazu Hisamitsu" at


Simplified family tree

''Incorporates information from the Japanese Wikipedia article'' * I. Shimazu Iehisa, 1st Lord of Satsuma (cr. 1601) (1576-1638; r. 1601-1638) ** II. Mitsuhisa, 2nd Lord of Satsuma (1616-1695; r. 1638-1687) ***Tsunahisa (1632-1673) **** III. Tsunataka, 3rd Lord of Satsuma (1650-1704; r. 1687-1704) ***** IV. Yoshitaka, 4th Lord of Satsuma (1675-1747; r. 1704-1721) ****** V. Tsugutoyo, 5th Lord of Satsuma (1702-1760; r. 1721-1746) ******* VI. Munenobu, 6th Lord of Satsuma (1728-1749; r. 1746-1749) ******* VII. Shigetoshi, 7th Lord of Satsuma (1729-1755; r. 1749-1755) ******** VIII. Shigehide, 8th Lord of Satsuma (1745-1833; r. 1755-1787) ********* IX. Narinobu, 9th Lord of Satsuma (1774-1841; r. 1787-1809) ********** X. Narioki, 10th Lord of Satsuma (1791-1858; r. 1809-1851) *********** XI. Nariakira, 11th Lord of Satsuma (1809-1858; r. 1851-1858) *********** Hisamitsu, 1st head and Prince of the Shimazu-Tamari line (Shimazu-Tamari line cr. 1871; cr. 1st Prince 1884) (1817-1887) ************ Tadayoshi, 12th Lord of Satsuma, 1st Prince Shimazu (1840-1897; r. 1858-1869, Governor of Kagoshima 1869-1871, created 1st Prince 1884) ************* Tadashige, 13th family head, 2nd Prince Shimazu (1886-1968; 13th family head 1897-1968, 2nd Prince Shimazu 1897-1947) **************Tadahide, 14th family head (1912-1996; 14th family head 1968-1996) ***************Nobuhisa, 15th family head (1938-; 15th family head 1996- ) **************** Tadahiro (1972- ) ************Tadasumi, 2nd head and Prince of the Shimazu-Tamari line (1855-1915; 2nd head and Prince 1887-1915) *************Tadatsugu, 3rd head and Prince of the Shimazu-Tamari line (1903-1990; 3rd head 1915-1990; 3rd Prince 1915-1947) **************Tadahiro, 4th head of the Shimazu-Tamari line (1933- ; 4th head 1990 - ) ***************Tadami (1961 - ) ****************Tadayoshi (1993 - )


Order of succession

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Shimazu Tadahisa was the founder of the Shimazu Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' o ...
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Shimazu Tadatoki The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan. The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in contrast ...
Kerr, #
Shimazu Hisatsune Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...
# Shimazu Tadamune #
Shimazu Sadahisa Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...
# Shimazu Ujihisa #
Shimazu Motohisa Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamit ...
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Shimazu Hisatoyo Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamits ...
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Shimazu Tadakuni Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...
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Shimazu Tatsuhisa Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...
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Shimazu Tadamasa The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma Domain, Satsuma Han system, han, which spread over Satsuma Province, Satsuma, Ōsumi Province, Ōsumi and Hyūga Province, Hyūga provinces in Japan. The Shimazu were identified as one of the ''tozama'' or ...
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Shimazu Tadaharu Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamit ...
# Shimazu Tadataka # Shimazu Katsuhisa # Shimazu Takahisa # Shimazu Yoshihisa # Shimazu Yoshihiro #
Shimazu Tadatsune was a ''tozama daimyō'' of Satsuma, the first to hold it as a formal fief (''han'') under the Tokugawa shogunate, and the first Japanese to rule over the Ryūkyū Kingdom. As lord of Satsuma, he was among the most powerful lords in Japan at t ...
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Shimazu Mitsuhisa Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...
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Shimazu Tsunataka Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...
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Shimazu Yoshitaka Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...
# Shimazu Tsugutoyo #
Shimazu Munenobu Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...
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Shimazu Shigetoshi Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...
# Shimazu Shigehide #
Shimazu Narinobu Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...
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Shimazu Narioki was a Japanese feudal lord (''daimyō'') of the Edo period, the 27th in the line of Shimazu clan lords of Satsuma Domain (r. 1809–1851). He was the father of Shimazu Nariakira, Shimazu Hisamitsu Prince , also known as , was a Japanese samu ...
# Shimazu NariakiraNussbaum, "Shimazu Nariakira" at #
Shimazu Tadayoshi was a ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of Satsuma Province during Japan's Sengoku period. He was born into the Mimasaka Shimazu family (伊作島津家), which was part of the Shimazu clan, but after his father Shimazu Yoshihisa died, his mother ...
(with his father, Shimazu Hisamitsu, as regent) #
Shimazu Tadashige Prince , was the son of Shimazu Tadayoshi and 30th head of the Shimazu clan. He was a naval officer, and rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. His wife was the daughter of Tokudaiji Sanetsune. Biography A native of Kagoshima, Shimazu was ...
#
Shimazu Tadahide Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...
#
Shimazu Nobuhisa Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...


Other members

* Shimazu Toshihisa * Shimazu Iehisa * Shimazu Toyohisa * Shimazu Tadahira * Shimazu Tadamune * Shimazu Sanehisa *
Shimazu Kiriyama Shimazu is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Esther Shimazu (born 1957), American/Hawaiian sculptor * Saeko Shimazu (born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Shimazu clan, ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han * Shimazu Hisamitsu ...
(Exiled, self-imposed) * Shimazu Shigehide


Important retainers

The Shimazu ''shichi-tō'' comprised the seven most significant vassal families—the Niiro, Hokugō, Ijuin, Machida, Kawakami, Ata and Kajiki.Papinot, Jacques. (2003)
''Nobiliare du Japon,'' p. 55.
/ref>


Sengoku period

* Ijuin Tadaaki * Ijuin Tadaao * Ijuin Tadamune * Ijuin Tadazane *
Niiro Tadamoto was a retainer of Satsuma ''daimyō'' Shimazu Yoshihisa. He is also known as Jiroshirō. He served under Shimazu Takahisa and then under Yoshihisa. Tadamoto was a skilled samurai called ''Oni Musashi''. Tadamoto had an active role at the Batt ...
* Tanegashima Tokitaka *
Uwai Kakuken (1545–1589) also known as Satokane was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Shimazu clan. Uwai Kakuken was a Shimazu clan chief retainer and one of Shimazu Yoshihisa's top councilors. Parts of his diary survives as a glim ...
* Yamada Arinobu * Yamada Arinaga * Akizuki Tanezane * Akizuki Tanenaga * Ei Hisatora


Edo period

* Kabayama Hisataka * Shō Nei, King of RyūkyūNussbaum, "Shō" at *
Shō Tai was the last king of the Ryukyu Kingdom (8 June 1848 – 10 October 1872) and the head of the Ryukyu Domain (10 October 1872 – 27 March 1879). His reign saw greatly increased interactions with travelers from abroad, particularly from Europe ...
, King of Ryūkyū * Saigō TakamoriNussbaum, "Saigō Takamori" at


See also

* Sengan-en *
Takako Shimazu , born , is a former member of the Imperial House of Japan. She is the fifth and youngest daughter of Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun, and the youngest sister of the Emperor Emeritus of Japan, Akihito. She married Hisanaga Shimazu on 3 March ...
* Bombardment of Kagoshima


Notes


References

* Appert, Georges and H. Kinoshita. (1888). ''Ancien Japon.'' Tokyo: Imprimerie Kokubunsha. * Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). ''Japan Encyclopedia.'' Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; * Kerr, George H. and Mitsugu Sakihara. (2000). ''Okinawa, the History of an Island People.'' Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing.
OCLC 247416761
* Papinot, Jacques Edmund Joseph. (1906) ''Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du japon.'' Tokyo: Librarie Sansaisha.
''Nobiliaire du japon'' (abridged version of 1906 text).
* Sansom, George. (1958). ''A History of Japan: 1615-1867.'' Stanford University Press. {{OCLC, 607164037 Daimyo Ryukyu Islands