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) supplanted the formerly dominant Katsuragi clan 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. 261–2 ...

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 (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...

, 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 and

Emperor Senka (466 — 15 March 539) was the 28th legendary emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 宣化天皇 (28)/ref> according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. No firm dates can be assigned to this e ...

Emperor Keitai (died 10 March 531) was the 26th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 継体天皇 (26)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. No firm dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign, but he is conve ...

, 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 in Japan. Through the 5th and ...

. Soga clan leader

Soga no Iname was a leader of the Soga clan, an early proponent of Buddhism in Japan, and a statesman during the reign of Emperor Kinmei, Emperors Kinmei and Emperor Senka, Senka in the Asuka period. He was the first person to hold the position of Omi (title), ...

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

References

Japanese clans {{Japan-hist-stub