{{nihongo, Tachibana clan, 橘氏, Tachibana-uji, Tachibana-shi was one of the four most powerful ''

kuge The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese Imperial Court in Kyoto. The ''kuge'' were important from the establishment of Kyoto as the capital during the Heian period in the late 8th century until the rise of the Kamakur ...

'' (court nobility) families in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

and early

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

s. Members of the Tachibana family often held high court posts within the

Daijō-kan The , also known as the Great Council of State, was (i) (''Daijō-kan'') the highest organ of Japan's premodern Imperial government under the Ritsuryō legal system during and after the Nara period or (ii) (''Dajō-kan'') the highest organ of Jap ...

(Ministry of State), most frequently ''

Sadaijin The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the ini ...

'' (Minister of the Left). Like the other major families at court, they also constantly sought to increase and secure their power by marrying into the

imperial family A royal family is the immediate family of King, kings/Queen regnant, queens, Emir, emirs/emiras, Sultan, sultans/Sultana (title), sultanas, or raja/rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the ...

. However, as the

Fujiwara clan was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...

gained power over the course of the 9th and 10th centuries, the Tachibana were eclipsed and eventually became scattered across the country. Though serving in high government posts outside the capital, they were thus denied the degree of power and influence within the court at

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

(Heian-kyō) which they once enjoyed. The name of ''Tachibana'' was bestowed on Agata-no-Inukai no Michiyo by

Empress Genmei , also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd monarch of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 元明天皇 (43) retrieved August 22, 2013. according to the traditional order of succession. Genmei's reign spanned the years 707 throu ...

in 708. She was the wife of Prince Minu, a descendant of Emperor Bidatsu and mothered Princes Katsuragi and Sai. She later married

Fujiwara no Fuhito Fujiwara no Fuhito (藤原不比等: 659 – 13 September 720) was a powerful member of the imperial court of Japan during the Asuka and Nara periods. Second son of Fujiwara no Kamatari (or, according to one theory, of Emperor Tenji), h ...

and bore Kōmyōshi (

Empress Kōmyō (701 – 23 July 760), born Fujiwara Asukabehime (藤原安宿媛), was the consort of Japanese Emperor Shōmu (701–756) during the Nara Period.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan,'' pp. 57-58. Life A member of th ...

). In 736, Princes Katsuragi and Sai were given the surname ''Tachibana'', renouncing their imperial family membership. They became

Tachibana no Moroe was a Japanese Imperial prince and official in the court of Emperor ShōmuNussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Tachibana no Moroe" . and Empress Kōken.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). He was the father of Tachibana no Naramaro . * 738 (''Tenpyō 10, ...

and

Tachibana no Sai The term has at least two different meanings, and has been used in several contexts. People * – a clan of ''kuge'' (court nobles) prominent in the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185) * – a clan of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) prominent in the Mu ...

respectively. Over the course of the Heian period, they engaged in countless struggles with the Fujiwara family for domination of court politics, and thus essentially for control of the nation; on a number of occasions this developed into outright violent conflict. One of these conflicts was the uprising of

Fujiwara no Sumitomo was a Japanese Heian era court noble and warrior. From 939 to 941 he aided the Taira clan in a series of revolts. Sumitomo built his power base in Northern Kyushu. After making a secret agreement with Taira no Masakado, who was leading a revo ...

in 939–941. Though the rebellion was ultimately suppressed, the Tachibana family was scattered in the process, and lost much of its power. Another branch family developed in

Iyo Province was a province of Japan in the area of northwestern Shikoku. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Tosa''" in . Iyo bordered on Sanuki Province to the northeast, Awa to the east, and Tosa to the south. Its abbreviated form name was . In term ...

, becoming known as the Iyo Tachibana family. Tachibana Tōyasu, who executed Fujiwara no Sumitomo, was the progenitor of this branch;

Kusunoki Masashige was a Japanese samurai of the Kamakura period remembered as the ideal of samurai loyalty. Kusunoki fought for Emperor Go-Daigo in the Genkō War to overthrow the Kamakura shogunate and restore power in Japan to the Imperial Court. Kusunoki ...

, a celebrated pro-Imperial commander of the 14th century, claimed descent from Tōyasu.

Significant members

* Agatainukai no Michiyo *

(橘諸兄) - Son of Michiyo; also known as Katsuragi no Ō-kimi (葛城王) *

(橘佐為) - Son of Michiyo; also known as Sai no Ō-kimi (佐為王) *

Muro no Ōkimi Muro, a word meaning wall in the Spanish, Portuguese Italian, Esperanto and Ido languages, may refer to: Places France * Muro, Haute-Corse, a commune in the ''département'' of Haute-Corse Italy * Muro Leccese, a municipality of the Province ...

(牟漏女王) － Daughter of Michiyo; wife of

Fujiwara no Fusasaki Fujiwara no Fusasaki (藤原房前, 681 – May 25, 737) was a member of the Fujiwara clan and the founder of the Hokke branch of the Fujiwara.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Fusasaki" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). ...

Tachibana no Naramaro was a Japanese aristocrat (''kuge''), courtier, and statesman of the Nara period. He was the son of ''sadaijin'' Tachibana no Moroe and the second head of the Tachibana clan. He attained the court rank of and the position of '' sangi'', and pos ...

(橘奈良麻呂) － Eldest son of Moroe *

Tachibana no Shimadamaro The term has at least two different meanings, and has been used in several contexts. People * – a clan of ''kuge'' (court nobles) prominent in the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185) * – a clan of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) prominent in the Mu ...

(橘島田麿) － Son of Naramaro *

Tachibana no Kiyotomo The term has at least two different meanings, and has been used in several contexts. People * – a clan of ''kuge'' (court nobles) prominent in the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185) * – a clan of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) prominent in the Mu ...

(橘清友) － Son of Naramaro *

Tachibana no Kachiko , also known as , was a Japanese empress, the chief consort of Emperor SagaPonsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan,'' pp. 318-319. and the daughter of .Ponsonby-Fane, p. 319. The empress was a devout Buddhist. She founded ...

(橘嘉智子) － Daughter of Kiyotomo, Empress to

Emperor Saga was the 52nd emperor of Japan, Emperor Saga, Saganoyamanoe Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Saga's reign spanned the years from 809 through 823. Traditional narrative Saga was the ...

Tachibana no Ujikimi The term has at least two different meanings, and has been used in several contexts. People * – a clan of ''kuge'' (court nobles) prominent in the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185) * – a clan of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) prominent in the Mu ...

(橘氏公) － Son of Kiyotomo * 橘岑継－ Son of Ujikimi *

Tachibana no Hayanari was a Heian period Japanese government official, calligrapher, and member of the Tachibana family. He travelled to China in 804, returning in 806. He died while traveling to exile in Izu Province for supposed participation in an imperial success ...

(橘逸勢) － Poet, calligrapher; one of the

Sanpitsu {{no footnotes, date=October 2019 The term ''Sanpitsu'' (三筆) or "three brushes" is used in Japanese to refer to a group of three famous Heian period calligraphers: * Emperor Saga 嵯峨天皇, 786–842. * Kūkai 空海, 774–835. * Tachibana ...

* Tachibana no Hiromi (橘広相) － Scholar, five generations from Moroe; Served Emperors Yōzei, Kōkō, and Uda *

Tachibana no Kimisai The term has at least two different meanings, and has been used in several contexts. People * – a clan of ''kuge'' (court nobles) prominent in the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185) * – a clan of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) prominent in the Mu ...

(?)(橘公材) － Second son of Hiromi *

Tachibana no Kimiyori The term has at least two different meanings, and has been used in several contexts. People * – a clan of ''kuge'' (court nobles) prominent in the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185) * – a clan of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) prominent in the Mu ...

(橘公頼) － Fifth son of Hiromi; '' Dazai Gonnosochi'' (a post akin to Governor of Kyūshū); fought

's younger brother Fujiwara no Suminori * Tachibana no Kern (源久直) － Member of the Saga Morimoto line of the

Ochi clan is a form of ''yose'', which is itself a form of Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone sits on a raised platform, a . Using only a and a as props, and without standing up from the seiza sitting position, the rakugo artist depicts a long ...

* Tachibana no Toshimichi (橘敏通) － Third son of Kimiyori; played an important role in fighting Fujiwara no Sumitomo and Suminori; lord of

Chikugo province is the name of a former province of Japan in the area that is today the southern part of Fukuoka Prefecture on Kyūshū. It was sometimes called or , with Chikuzen Province. Chikugo was bordered by Hizen, Chikuzen, Bungo, and Higo Provi ...

and founder of the Chikugo (Kyūshū) branch of the Tachibana * Senkan (千観) － Fourth son of Kimiyori; preacher of Jodo Shu (Pure Land Buddhism) * Tachibana no Yoshiyuki (橘善行) － Also known by the Buddhist name Shōkū; founder of Enkyō-ji * Zōga (蔵賀) － Lived on Tōnomine * Kōkei (皇慶) － Priest of

Esoteric Buddhism Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...

* Tachibana no Nagayasu (橘永愷) － Poet; also known by Buddhist name Nōin *

Tachibana no Michisada The term has at least two different meanings, and has been used in several contexts. People * – a clan of ''kuge'' (court nobles) prominent in the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185) * – a clan of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) prominent in the Mu ...

(橘道貞) － worked with

Fujiwara no Michinaga was a Japanese statesman. The Fujiwara clan's control over Japan and its politics reached its zenith under his leadership. Early life Michinaga was born in Kyōto, the son of Kaneiye. Kaneiye had become Regent in 986, holding the position unt ...

* Ko-shikibu no Naishi (小式部内侍) － Poet; daughter of Michisada *

Tachibana no Tamenaka The term has at least two different meanings, and has been used in several contexts. People * – a clan of ''kuge'' (court nobles) prominent in the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185) * – a clan of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) prominent in the Mu ...

(橘為仲) － Poet * Tachibana no Tōyasu (橘遠保) － Formerly of the

, founder of the Iyo Tachibana branch; played an important role in fighting Fujiwara no Sumitomo * Tachibana no Isamu (橘勇)- medicine, son of Sachiko * Tachibana no Tōshige (橘遠茂) － '' mokudai'' (governor) of Suruga; descendant of Tōyasu (Iyo branch) * Tachibana no Kiminaga (橘公長) － executioner of

Taira no Munemori was heir to Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira clan's chief commanders in the Genpei War. As his father Taira no Kasemori uch a name does not existlay on his deathbed, Kiyomori declared, among his last wishes, that all affairs of the cla ...

* Tachibana no Kiminari (橘公業) － Son of Kiminaga; founder of Kokajima clan * Tachibana no Narisue (橘成季) － Served

Kujō Michiie Kujō Michiie (九条道家) (July 28, 1193 — April 1, 1252) was a Japanese regent in the 13th century. He was the father of Kujō Yoritsune and grandson of Kujō Kanezane (also known as Fujiwara no Kanezane). He was the father of Norizane a ...

* Minamoto no Hisanao (源久直) － Member of the

Saga Genji is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, f ...

line 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 ...

; founder of Kamachi family from the Chikugo Tachibana branch

References

*Most of this article's content is derived from the information on the Japanese Wikipedia.

Tachibana The term has at least two different meanings, and has been used in several contexts. People * – a clan of ''kuge'' (court nobles) prominent in the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185) * – a clan of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) prominent in the Mu ...

Imperial House of Japan