The was a Japanese

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 ...

clan descended 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 f ...

.Papinot, Jacques. (2003)
''Nobiliare du Japon'' – Ogasawara, pp. 44–45
Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon.'' (in French/German). The Ogasawara acted as ''

shugo , commonly translated as “(military) governor,” “protector,” or “constable,” was a title given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the ''shōgun'' to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan. The pos ...

'' (governors) of

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

during the Sengoku period (c. 1185–1600), and as ''

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 ...

'' (feudal lords) of territories on

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 ...

during the

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 ...

(1600–1867). During the

Kamakura is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939. Kamak ...

and

Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by ...

s, the clan controlled Shinano province, while related clans controlled the provinces of Awa, Bizen, Bitchū, Iwami, Mikawa, Tōtōmi and Mutsu. According to some theories, the

Miyoshi clan is a Japanese family descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and the Minamoto clan (Seiwa-Genji). They were a cadet branch of the Ogasawara clan and the Takeda clan. At the beginning of the 14th century AD, Ogasawara Nagafusa settled in Shi ...

and the Mizukami clan were descendants of the Ogasawara clan. The clan developed a number of schools of martial arts during this period, known as Ogasawara-ryū, and contributed to the codification of

bushido is a moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. There are multiple bushido types which evolved significantly through history. Contemporary forms of bushido are still used in the social and economic organization of Japan. ...

etiquette. Towards the end of 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 ...

(late 16th century), the clan opposed both

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 ...

and

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the 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 Nobunaga and fello ...

. During the Edo period, the Ogasawara were identified as one of the '' fudai'' or insider ''daimyō'' clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa,Alpert, Georges. (1888)
''Ancien Japon,'' p.75.
/ref> in contrast with the '' tozama'' or outsider clans.

Ogasawara clan branches

The ''fudai'' Ogasawara clan originated in 12th century

. They claim descent from Takeda Yoshikiyo and 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 ...

. Broadly, there are two genealogical lines of the Ogasawara, the Matsuo and the Fukashi, each of which identify places in Shinano. The Matsuo line gave rise to the Ogasawara of Echizen, and the Fukashi line is ultimately established at the Ogasawara of Bunzen. The great grandson of Yoshikiyo, Nagakiyo, was the first to take the name Ogasawara. The area controlled by his descendants grew to encompass the entire province of Shinano. Nagakiyo's grandson, (1569–1615), served Ieyasu; and in 1590, Hidemasa received Koga Domain (20,000 ''koku'') in Shimōsa Province. In 1601, Ieyasu transferred Hidemasa to Iida Domain (50,000 ''koku'') in Shinano; then, in 1613, he was able to return to the home of his forebears, Fukashi Castle (80,000 ''koku''), now known as

Matsumoto Castle , originally known as Fukashi Castle, is one of Japan's premier historic castles, along with Himeji and Kumamoto. The building is also known as the due to its black exterior. It was the seat of Matsumoto Domain under the Edo Period Tokugawa ...

. The branches of the ''fudai'' Ogasawara clan include the following: * The senior branch of the Ogasawara from the beginning were ''

'' at Fukashi; then, in 1617, the ''daimyō'' was transferred to Akashi Domain (120,000 ''koku'') in

Harima Province or Banshū (播州) was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is the southwestern part of present-day Hyōgo Prefecture. Harima bordered on Tajima, Tanba, Settsu, Bizen, and Mimasaka Provinces. Its capital was Himeji. During t ...

. In the years spanning 1632 through 1868, the descendants of this branch of the Ogasawara were ''daimyō'' at Kokura Domain (150,000 ''koku'') in

Buzen Province was an old province of Japan in northern Kyūshū in the area of Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Bungo Province. Buzen bordered on Bungo and Chikuzen Provinces. History The ruins of the ancient capital ...

. The head of this clan line was ennobled as a "Count" in 1884. * A cadet branch of the Ogasawara were ''daimyō'' at Chizuka Domain (10,000 ''koku'')Papinot
p. 45.
/ref> in

up 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 practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

. The head of this clan line was ennobled as a "Viscount" in the Meiji period. * A cadet branch of the Ogasawara were ''daimyō'' in 1617 at Tatsuno Domain in

; and in 1632, they were transferred as ''daimyō'' at Nakatsu Domain in

. In the period spanning the years 1716 through 1868, the descendants of this branch of the Ogasawara were ''daimyō'' at Anshi Domain (10,000 ''koku'') in

. The head of this clan line was ennobled as a "Viscount" in the Meiji period. * A cadet branch of the Ogasawara were ''daimyō'' in 1632 at Kizuki Domain in Bungo Province; in 1645 at Yoshida Domain in Mikawa Province; in 1697 at Iwatsuki Domain in

Musashi Province was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Metropolis, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama. Musashi bordered on Kai, Kōzuke, Sagami, ...

; in 1711 at

Kakegawa Domain was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. The domain was centered at Kakegawa Castle in Tōtōmi Province, in what is now the city of Kakegawa, Shizuoka.

in Tōtōmi Province; and in 1747 at Tanakura Domain in

Mutsu Province was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori Prefectures and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture. Mutsu Province is also known as or . The term is often used to refer to the co ...

. Finally, in the years spanning 1817 through 1868, the descendants of this branch of the Ogasawara were ''daimyō'' at Karatsu Domain (60,000 ''koku'') in Hizen Province. The head of this clan line was ennobled as a "Viscount" in the Meiji period. * A cadet branch of the Ogasawara claim a line of descent from Takeda Yoshikiyo and also descent from Ogasawara Sadamune who had joined

Nitta Yoshisada was a samurai lord of the Nanboku-chō period Japan. He was the head of the Nitta clan in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Nanboku-chō period. He famously marched on Kamakura, besieging ...

in overthrowing the Hōjō at Kamakura in the 14th century. This same Sadamune had been a general under Ashikaga Takauji. This branch of the Ogasawara were established in 1590 at Honjō Domain in

; in 1608 at Koga Domain in Shimōsa Province; in 1619 at

Sekiyado Domain was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, located in Shimōsa Province (the northern portion of Chiba Prefecture and southern portion of Ibaraki Prefecture in modern-day, Japan). It was centered on Sekiyado Castle i ...

in Shimōsa province; and in 1637 at Takasu Domain in Mino Province. In the years spanning 1691 through 1868, this branch of the Ogasawara were ''daimyō'' at Echizen-Katsuyama Domain (22,000 ''koku'') in Echizen Province. The head of this clan line was ennobled as a "Viscount" in the Meiji period.

Ogasawara-Miyoshi line

The Miyoshi clan of ''daimyō'' were cadet descendants of the Ogasawara; and through them, they were also descendants of the Seiwa-Genji

Minamoto 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 ...

.Papinot, Jacques. (2003)
''Nobiliare du Japon'' – Miyoshi, p. 35.
/ref> At the beginning of the 14th century, Ogasawara Nagafusa established himself in Shikoku. Amongst his descendants in the 8th generation was Yoshinaga, who established himself at Miyoshi in Awa province (now

Tokushima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Tokushima Prefecture has a population of 728,633 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,146 km2 (1,601 sq mi). Tokushima Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the nort ...

). Osagawa Yoshinaga took the name Miyoshi Yoshinaga and became a vassal of the

Hosokawa clan The is a Japanese Samurai kin group or clan. Ancestors # Emperor Jimmu # Emperor Suizei # Emperor Annei # Emperor Itoku # Emperor Kōshō # Emperor Kōan # Emperor Kōrei # Emperor Kōgen # Emperor Kaika # Emperor Sujin # Emperor Sui ...

, who were then the strongest force on the island. Accounts from the late 16th century include mention of Miyoshi Yoshitsugu as the nephew and adopted son of Miyoshi Chōkei. Any remnants of the Miyoshi branch of the Ogasawara clan would have been vanquished by the

Chōsokabe clan , also known as , was a Japanese samurai kin group. Over time, they were known for serving the Hosokawa clan, then the Miyoshi clan and then the Ichijo clan. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géograph ...

as they gradually took control of the entire island of Shikoku.

Notable clan members

: * Ogasawara Sadamune, 1294–1350. *

Ogasawara Nagahide was a Japanese nobleman and military commander during the Muromachi period (1336 – 1573). ''Sangi ittō ōsōji'' Nagahide, a scion of the Ogasawara clan, was responsible for codifying the teachings of the Ogasawara-ryū into an antholo ...

, 1366–1424. * Ogasawara Nagatoki, 1519–1583. * Ogasawara Ujioki, 1529–1569. * Ogasawara Nagatada, d. 1590. * Ogasawara Hidemasa, 1569–1615. *

Ogasawara Sadayori Ogasawara (written: 小笠原) is a Japanese surname. It may also refer to: Locations * Ogasawara Islands, also known as the Bonin Islands, an archipelago of over 30 islands about 1000 km south of Tokyo, Japan * Ogasawara National Park, an i ...

, d. 1625. * Ogasawara Ichian * Ogasawara Tadazane, 1596–1667. * Ogasawara Tadamoto * Ogasawara Nagashige, 1650–1732. – 11th Kyoto ''shoshidai''.Meyer, Eva-Mari
"Gouverneure von Kyôto in der Edo-Zeit."
Universität Tübingen (in German). * Ogasawara Nagamichi, 1822–1891. ** Miyoshi Yutaka – ??-1869 – brother of Nagamichi;

Shinsengumi The was a special police force organized by the (military government) during Japan's Bakumatsu period (late Tokugawa shogunate) in 1863. It was active until 1869. It was founded to protect the shogunate representatives in Kyoto at a time w ...

) * Ogasawara Tadanobu, 1862–1897. * Ogasawara Naganari, 1867–1958. –

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...

* Ogasawara Nagamoto – House of Peers (1925)."Nobility, Peerage and Ranks in Ancient and Meiji-Japan," p. 13.
/ref>

Ogasawara Islands (Bonin Islands)

The Ogasawara clan is inlinked to Japanese discovery of the

Bonin Islands The Bonin Islands, also known as the , are an archipelago of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands, some directly south of Tokyo, Japan and northwest of Guam. The name "Bonin Islands" comes from the Japanese word ''bunin'' (an archaic rea ...

, and to Japan's claim over those islands which are now administratively considered part of metropolitan Tokyo: * ''

Bunroku was a after '' Tenshō'' and before '' Keichō.'' This period spanned the years from December 1592 to October 1596.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Bunroku''" i ''Japan encyclopedia'', p. 92 n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-F ...

1'' (1592):

claims to have discovered the Bonin Islands, and the territory was granted to him as a fief by

. These claims are later proven false and Ogasawara is exiled. * ''

Kanbun A is a form of Classical Chinese used in Japan from the Nara period to the mid-20th century. Much of Japanese literature was written in this style and it was the general writing style for official and intellectual works throughout the period. ...

10'' (1670): The islands are discovered by the Japanese when a ship bound for Edo from Kyushu is blown off course by a storm.Tanaka, Hiroyuki (1993).
"''Edo Jidai ni okeru Nihonjin no Mujin Tou (Ogasawara Tou) ni tai-suru Ninshiki''" ("The Ogasawara Islands in Tokugawa Japan").
''Kaiji Shi Kenkyuu''(''Journal of the Maritime History''). No. 50, June, 1993. * ''

Enpō (contemporarily written as 延寳) is the after '' Kanbun'' and before '' Tenna.'' This period spanned the years from September 1673 to September 1681. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 1673 : The new era of ''Enpō'' (meaning "Prolon ...

3'' (1675): The islands are explored by shogunate expedition, following up "discovery" in ''

'' 10. The islands are claimed as a territory of Japan. * ''

Bunkyū was a after ''Man'en'' and before '' Genji''. This period spanned the years from March 1861 through March 1864. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * March 29, 1861 (''Man'en 2/Bunkyū 1, 19th day of the 2nd month'') : The new era name of ...

1'' (January 1862): The islands are re-confirmed as a territory of Japan, following "discovery" of the islands in ''

'' 10 (1670) and a shogunate expedition to the islands in ''

'' 3 (1675).

Notes

References

* Appert, Georges and H. Kinoshita. (1888)
''Ancien Japon.''
Tokyo: Imprimerie Kokubunsha. * Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth (2002). "Ogasawara.
''Japan Encyclopedia.''
Cambridge:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...

. (cloth) – (paper) * Papinot, Jacques Edmund Joseph. (1906) ''Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du japon.'' Tokyo: Librarie Sansaish
..Click link for digitized 1906 ''Nobiliaire du japon'' (2003)
* Turnbull, Stephen. (1998).
''The Samurai Sourcebook.''
London: Arms & Armour. reprinted

Cassell & Company Cassell & Co is a British book publishing house, founded in 1848 by John Cassell (1817–1865), which became in the 1890s an international publishing group company. In 1995, Cassell & Co acquired Pinter Publishers. In December 1998, Cassell ...

, London, 2002. (paper) * Varley, H. Paul. (1965)
''The Onin War: History of Its Origins and Background with a Selective Translation of the Chronicle of Ōnin ''
New York

Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by Jennifer Crewe (2014–present) and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fie ...

. (cloth)

External links

Ogasawara clan history web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ogasawara clan Japanese clans Meiji Restoration