This is a list of Japanese clans. The old clans (''

gōzoku , in Japanese, refers to powerful regional families. In historical context, it can refer to powerful non-royal families regardless of their area of influence, in contrast to the Imperial Family. The most powerful ''gōzoku'' families of the Yam ...

'') mentioned in the ''

Nihon Shoki The or , sometimes translated as ''The Chronicles of Japan'', is the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the , the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeol ...

'' and ''

Kojiki The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperia ...

'' lost their political power before the

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 Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

, during which new aristocracies and families, ''

kuge The was a Japanese Aristocracy (class), aristocratic Social class, 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 ce ...

'', emerged in their place. After the Heian period, the

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

warrior clans gradually increased in importance and power until they came to dominate the country after the founding of the first

shogunate , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

. Japan traditionally practiced

cognatic primogeniture Primogeniture () is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit all or most of their parent's estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relat ...

, or male-line

inheritance Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...

in regard to passing down titles and estates. By allowing adult adoption, or for men to take their wife's name and be adopted into her family served as a means to pass down an estate to a family without any sons, Japan has managed to retain continuous family leadership for many of the below clans, the

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...

, and even ordinary family businesses. The ability for Japanese families to track their lineage over successive generations plays a far more important role than simply having the same name as another family, as many commoners did not use a family

name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A person ...

prior to 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 ...

, and many simply the name of the lord of their village, or the name of their domain, and may not necessarily have been a retainer to the clan. Other clan names are based on common geographic features or other arbitrary words that didn't necessarily indicate clan membership. Map Japan Genki1-en

Many families also adopted sons from other families or married their daughters into other families to cement ties with a larger kin group outside of those with the same name as the main family line, called ', a clan or family relationship built around both blood and maternal relations.

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

himself had adopted two dozen children of allies in addition to his 16 acknowledged children. The Meiji Restoration sought to dismantle the clan structure, giving clan leaders titles of

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

to inspire loyalty to the emperor rather than individual clans. However those familial relationships built over multiple generations still maintained their ties, first as '' monbatsu'', then with industrialization, evolved into the pre-war ''

zaibatsu is a Japanese language, Japanese term referring to industrial and financial vertical integration, vertically integrated business conglomerate (company), conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed control over signifi ...

'', which were formed by these same inter-clan relationships. With the abolishment of the

kazoku The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan, which existed between 1869 and 1947. It was formed by merging the feudal lords (''Daimyo, daimyō'') and court nobles (''kuge'') into one system modelled after the British peerage. Distin ...

in 1947, they reverted to their unofficial ''keibatsu'', and elements of which can be seen today in political families such as the Satō–Kishi–Abe family, with family ties to Marquess Inoue Kaoru, Viscount Ōshima Yoshimasa, and pre-war Foreign Minister Yōsuke Matsuoka, all descendants of lower ranking Chōshū samurai families who benefited from the clan's outsized influence in the Meiji era government, and effectively created their own new clan, despite the lack of official title.

Ancient clan names

There are ancient-era

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...

names called or .

Imperial Clan

* The Imperial clan – descended from

Amaterasu , often called Amaterasu () for short, also known as and , is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. Often considered the chief deity (''kami'') of the Shinto pantheon, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the () ...

. Its

emperors The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/ grand empress dowager), or a woman who rule ...

and clan members have no clan name but had been called "the imperial house" () if necessary.

Four noble clans

, 4 noble clans of Japan: Sasa Rindo

Minamoto clan was a Aristocracy (class), noble surname bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the Imperial House of Japan, imperial family who were excluded from the List of emperors of Japan, line of succession and demoted into the ranks of Nobili ...

( 源氏) – also known as Genji (源氏) or Genke (源家); 21

cadet branch A cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets (realm, titles, fiefs, property and incom ...

es of

Imperial House of Japan The is the reigning dynasty of Japan, consisting of those members of the extended family of the reigning emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present constitution of Japan, the emperor is "the symbol of the State ...

. ** Daigo Genji ( 醍醐源氏) – descended from 60th

emperor Daigo was the 60th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 醍醐天皇 (60)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Daigo's reign spanned the years from 897 through 930. He is named after his place of burial. Gen ...

. ** Go-Daigo Genji ( 後醍醐源氏) – descended from 96th emperor Go-Daigo. ** Go-Fukakusa Genji ( 後深草源氏) – descended from 89th emperor Go-Fukakusa. ** Go-Nijō Genji ( 後二条源氏) – descended from 94th emperor Go-Nijō. ** Go-Saga Genji ( 後嵯峨源氏) – descended from 88th

emperor Go-Saga was the 88th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This reign spanned the years Kamakura period, 1242 through 1246. This 13th-century monarch, sovereign was named after the 9th-century Emperor Saga and ''go-'' (後 ...

. ** Go-Sanjō Genji ( 後三条源氏) – descended from 71st emperor Go-Sanjō. ** Go-Shirakawa Genji ( 後白河源氏) – descended from 77th

emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His de jure reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158, though arguably he effectively maintained imperial power for almost thirty-seven years through the ''in ...

. ** Juntoku Genji ( 順徳源氏) – descended from 84th

emperor Juntoku (22 October 1197 – 7 October 1242) was the 84th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1210 through 1221, a part of Japan's Kamakura Period. Genealogy Before his ascension to the C ...

. ** Kameyama Genji ( 亀山源氏) – descended from 90th emperor Kameyama. ** Kazan Genji ( 花山源氏) – descended from 65th emperor Kazan. ** Kōkō Genji ( 光孝源氏) – descended from 58th

emperor Kōkō was the 58th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 光孝天皇 (58)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Kōkō reigned from 884 to 887. Traditional narrative Before the emperor's ascension to the Chr ...

. ** Montoku Genji ( 文徳源氏) – descended from 55th emperor Montoku. ** Murakami Genji ( 村上源氏) – descended from 62nd

emperor Murakami The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother/grandmother ( empress dowager/ grand empress dowager), or a woman who rul ...

. ** Ninmyō Genji ( 仁明源氏) – descended from 54th emperor Ninmyō. ** Ōgimachi Genji ( 正親町源氏) – descended from 106th emperor Ōgimachi. ** Reizei Genji ( 冷泉源氏) – descended from 63rd emperor Reizei. ** Saga Genji ( 嵯峨源氏) – descended from 52nd

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 lasted from 809 to 823. Traditional narrative Saga was the second son of ...

. ** Sanjō Genji ( 三条源氏) – descended from 67th emperor Sanjō. **

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 members, including Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Minamoto no Yoritomo, ...

( 清和源氏) – descended from 56th emperor Seiwa; origin of many samurai clans. ***

Kawachi Genji The Kawachi Genji () were members of a family line within that of the Seiwa Genji, which in turn was one of several branches of the Minamoto clan, one of the most famous noble clans in Japanese history. Descended from Minamoto no Yorinobu (968 ...

( 河内源氏) – descended from Minamoto no Yorinobu; origin of Hitachi Genji ( 常陸源氏), Ishikawa Genji ( 石川源氏); and Kai Genji ( 甲斐源氏); famous for 3 Kamakura shōguns. *** Settsu Genji ( 摂津源氏) – descended from Minamoto no Yorimitsu; origin of Tada Genji ( 多田源氏), Mino Genji ( 美濃源氏) and Shinano Genji ( 信濃源氏). *** Yamato Genji ( 大和源氏) – descended from Minamoto no Yorichika. **

Uda Genji The {{nihongo, Uda Genji, 宇多源氏} were the successful and powerful line of the Japanese Minamoto clan that were descended from Emperor Uda (宇多天皇). Overview Many of the famous Minamoto warriors, including Sasaki clan (佐々木� ...

( 宇多源氏) – descended from 59th

emperor Uda was the 59th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 宇多天皇 (59)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Uda's reign spanned the years from 887 through 897. Traditional narrative Name and legacy Befor ...

; origin of Ōmi Genji ( 近江源氏). ** Yōzei Genji ( 陽成源氏) – descended from 57th emperor Yōzei. Ageha-cho

Taira clan The was one of the four most important Japanese clans, clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period, Heian period of History of Japan, Japanese history – the others being the Minamoto clan, Minamoto, the Fujiwara clan, Fuji ...

( 平氏) – also known as Heishi (平氏) or Heike (平家); 4

es of

. ** Kanmu Heishi ( 桓武平氏) – descended from 50th emperor Kanmu; famous for

Taira no Masakado was a Heian period provincial magnate (''gōzoku'') and samurai based in eastern Japan, notable for leading the first recorded uprising against the central government in Kyōto. Along with Sugawara no Michizane and Emperor Sutoku, he is of ...

. *** Bandō 8 Heishi ( 坂東八平氏) – descended from Taira no Yoshifumi. *** Ise Heishi ( 伊勢平氏) – descended from Taira no Korehira; famous for Taira no Kiyomori. ** Kōkō Heishi ( 光孝平氏) – descended from 58th

. ** Montoku Heishi ( 文徳平氏) – descended from 55th emperor Montoku. ** Ninmyō Heishi ( 仁明平氏) – descended from 54th emperor Ninmyō. Japanese crest Sagari Fuji

Fujiwara clan The 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 ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...

( 藤原氏) – descended from

Fujiwara no Kamatari , also known as , was a Japanese politician and aristocrat who, together with Prince Naka no Ōe (later Emperor Tenji), carried out the Taika Reform. He was the founder of the Fujiwara clan, the most powerful aristocratic family in Japan durin ...

, and through him, Ame-no-Koyane. ** 4 families of Fujiwara ( 藤原四家) – descended from 4 sons of Fujiwara no Fuhito. *** Fujiwara Hokke ( 藤原北家) – northern family; descended from Fujiwara no Fusasaki. *** Fujiwara Kyōke ( 藤原京家) – descended from

Fujiwara no Maro was a Japanese statesman, courtier, and politician during the Nara period. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Umakai" in ; Brinkley, Frank. (1915). Maro established the Kyōke branch of the Fujiwara clan. Career Maro was a m ...

. *** Fujiwara Nanke ( 藤原南家) – southern family; descended from Fujiwara no Muchimaro. *** Fujiwara Shikike ( 藤原式家) – descended from

Fujiwara no Umakai was a Japanese statesman, courtier, general and politician during the Nara period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Umakai" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). The third son of Fujiwara no Fuhito, he founded the Shikike ...

. ** Northern Fujiwara clan ( 奥州藤原氏) – also known as Ōshū Fujiwara clan; descended from Fujiwara no Hidesato. Japanese crest Tachibana

* Tachibana clan ( 橘氏) – descended from Prince Naniwa-Ō, son of

Prince Shōtoku , also known as or , was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was the son of Emperor Yōmei and his consort, Princess Anahobe no Hashihito, who was also Yōmei's younger half ...

(572–621), 2nd son of

Emperor Yōmei was the 31st Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 用明天皇 (31)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Yōmei's reign spanned the years from 585 until his death in 587. Traditional narrative He was ca ...

; no direct relation to the feudal Tachibana clan ( 立花氏)

Noble clans

Abe clan The was one of the oldest of the major Japanese clans (''uji''); and the clan retained its prominence during the Sengoku period and the Edo period.Meyer, Eva-Maria"Gouverneure von Kyôto in der Edo-Zeit." Universität Tübingen (in German). Th ...

( 阿部氏/安倍氏) – descended from Prince Ōhiko, son of Emperor Kōgen. The Tsuchimikado family, descendants of

Abe no Seimei , also known as Doujimaru (童子丸), was a Japanese ''onmyōji'', a court official and specialist of ''Onmyōdō'', during the middle of the Heian period.Miller, Laura. "Extreme Makeover for a Heian-era Wizard". ''Mechademia 3: Limits of the H ...

, assumed leadership of this line during the Sengoku period. It is disputed whether the Ōshū clan is related. * Abe clan of Ōshū ( 安倍氏) - descended from

Abe no Yoritoki (died 28 August 1057) was the head of the Abe clan of Emishi who were allowed to rule the six Emishi districts ( Iwate, Hienuki, Shiwa, Isawa, Esashi and Waga) in the from Morioka to Hiraizumi in what is now Iwate Prefecture. Background ...

, were considered a separate clan from the above during the Edo era. It is now believed they are distant relatives.

Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe (21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020. ...

has claimed descent from this line. * – According to the

descended from Prince Takekaiko, grandson of Emperor Keikō. * Hashiji clan ( 土師氏) – descended from the

kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...

Nomi no Sukune (legendary). * Imube clan ( 忌部氏) – descended from the

Ame no Futotama no Mikoto (legendary), and his descendant Ame no Tomi no Mikoto companion in arms of

Emperor Jimmu was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the and . His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC.Kelly, Charles F"Kofun Culture"紀氏) – descended from Emperor Kōgen by the Minister Takenouchi no Sukune; famous for

Ki no Tsurayuki was a Japanese author, poet and court noble of the Heian period. He is best known as the principal compiler of the ''Kokin Wakashū'', also writing its Japanese Preface, and as a possible author of the ''Tosa Diary'', although this was publish ...

. * ( 日下部氏) – descended from 9th Emperor Kaika, or 36th

Emperor Kōtoku was the 36th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 孝徳天皇 (33)/ref> according to the traditional List of emperors of Japan, order of succession. The years of his reign lasted from Asuka period, 645 through 654. Tradi ...

(disputed). *

Mononobe clan The was a Japanese aristocratic kin group (''uji'') of the Kofun period, known for its military opposition to the Soga clan. The Mononobe were opposed to the spread of Buddhism, partly on religious grounds, claiming that the local deities wo ...

( 物部氏) – descended from the

Nigihayahi no Mikoto (legendary), a descendant of the elder brother of Ninigi no Mikoto (legendary), great-grandfather of

Emperor Jimmu was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the and . His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC.Kelly, Charles F"Kofun Culture"Mononobe no Moriya. * Nakatomi clan ( 中臣氏) – descended from the

Ame no Koyane no Mikoto (legendary), and his descendant Ame no Taneko no Mikoto companion in arms of

Emperor Jimmu was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the and . His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC.Kelly, Charles F"Kofun Culture"Fujiwara clan The 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 ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...

. * Ō clan ( 多氏) – descended from Prince Kamuyaimimi no Mikoto, son of

Emperor Jimmu was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the and . His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC.Kelly, Charles F"Kofun Culture"Ō no Yasumaro was a Japanese nobleman, bureaucrat, and chronicler. He may have been the son of Ō no Honji, a participant in the Jinshin War of 672.Philippi (1968:546) He is most famous for compiling and editing, with the assistance of Hieda no Are, the ...

. * ( 越智氏) – descended from

. * ( 大江氏) – descended from Hashiji clan. * Ōtomo clan ( 大伴氏) – descended from Michi-omi no Mikoto companion in arms of

Emperor Jimmu was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the and . His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC.Kelly, Charles F"Kofun Culture"大友氏) or feudal Ōtomo clan ( 大友氏); famous for

Ōtomo no Yakamochi was a Japanese people, Japanese statesman and ''waka (poetry), waka'' poet in the Nara period. He was one of the ''Man'yō no Go-taika,'' the five great poets of his time, and was part of Fujiwara no Kintō's . Yakamochi was a member of the pr ...

. * ( 大筒木氏) *

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 ...

( 蘇我氏) – descended from Emperor Kōgen, by the Minister Takenouchi no Sukune; famous for

Soga no Umako was the son of Soga no Iname and a member of the powerful Soga clan of Japan. Conflicting evidence has suggested that Soga no Umako was actually an emperor during the Asuka period. Umako conducted political reforms with Prince Shōtoku during t ...

. * Sugawara clan ( 菅原氏) – descended from Hashiji clan; famous for Sugawara no Michizane * ( 高橋氏)

Aristocratic family names

From the late ancient era onward, the family name (Myōji/苗字 or 名字) had been commonly used by samurai to denote their family line instead of the name of the ancient clan that the family line belongs to (uji-na/氏名 or honsei/本姓), which was used only in the official records in the Imperial court.

Kuge The was a Japanese Aristocracy (class), aristocratic Social class, 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 ce ...

families also had used their family name (Kamei/家名) for the same purpose. Each of samurai families is called " amily nameclan (氏)" as follows and they must not be confused with ancient clan names. The list below is a list of various aristocratic families whose families served as

Shugo , commonly translated as ' ilitarygovernor', 'protector', or 'constable', was a title given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the shogun to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan. The position gave way to th ...

Shugodai were officials during feudal Japan. Shugodai were representatives of provincial shugo when the shugo could not virtually exercise his power, being often away from his province. Unlike shugo, who were appointed from the central power of the sa ...

Jitō were medieval territory stewards in Japan, especially in the Kamakura and Muromachi shogunates. Appointed by the shōgun, ''jitō'' managed manors, including national holdings governed by the '' kokushi'' or provincial governor. There were als ...

, and

Daimyo 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 nominally to ...

* Abe clan of Mikawa ( 阿部氏) – descended from Emperor Kōgen and the ancient

( 阿部氏); no direct relation to the Abe clan of Ōshū ( 安倍氏). *

Adachi clan The Adachi clan (安達氏) is a family of samurai who are said to have been descended from Fujiwara no Yamakage. Their historical significance derives from their successes during the Genpei War and their subsequent affiliation with the Hōjō ...

( 安達氏) – descended from

. * Akamatsu clan ( 赤松氏) – descended from Murakami Genji. *

Akechi clan The is a branch of the Toki clan, which is descended from the Seiwa Genji. The Akechi clan thrived around the later part of the Sengoku period of the 16th century. The Akechi became the head (soryo) of the Toki clan after the Toki fell to the S ...

( 明智氏) – cadet branch of

Toki clan The is a Japanese kin group.Edmond Papinot, Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Toki," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 61 retrieved 2013-5-9. History The Toki claim desce ...

who descended from

; famous for

Akechi Mitsuhide , first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period. Mitsuhide was originally a bodyguard of the last Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later, one of ...

. * Akita clan ( 秋田氏) – descended from Abe clan of Ōshū. * Akiyama clan ( 秋山氏) – cadet branch of

Takeda clan The was a Japanese samurai clan active from the late Heian period until the late 16th century. The clan was historically based in Kai Province in present-day Yamanashi Prefecture. The clan reached its greatest influence under the rule of Taked ...

who descended from

. * Akizuki clan ( 秋月氏) – descended from Prince Achi no Omi of the Chinese

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

. *

Amago clan The , descended from the Emperor Uda (868–897) by the Kyogoku clan, descending from the Sasaki clan (Uda Genji). Kyogoku Takahisa in the 14th century, lived in Amako-go (Izumo Province), and took the name 'Amago'. The family crest is also t ...

( 尼子氏) – cadet branch of Sasaki clan who descended from

. * Amakusa clan ( 天草氏) – descended from Ōkura clan. * Anayama clan ( 穴山氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from

. * Andō clan – descended from Abe clan of Ōshū, by

Abe no Hirafu was a Japanese military commander, strategist, and politician of the Asuka period. Some sources say he lived from c.575-664 Biography Events in his life are accounted in the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki, both written several decades after his dea ...

. *

Asakura clan The is a Japanese samurai kin group.Edmond Papinot, Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Asakura", ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 3 DF 7 of 80/nowiki> retrieved 2013-5-4. ...

( 朝倉氏) – descended from

Prince Kusakabe was a Japanese imperial crown prince from 681 until his death. He was the second son of Emperor Tenmu. His mother was the empress Unonosarara, today known as Empress Jitō. Kusakabe was the sole child of his mother. According to ''Nihon Shok ...

son of

Emperor Tenmu was the 40th Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 天武天皇 (40) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. He ascended ...

. * Asano clan ( 浅野氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from

. *

Ashikaga clan The was a Japanese samurai Japanese clans, clan and dynasty which established the Ashikaga shogunate and ruled History of Japan, Japan from roughly 1333 to 1573. The Ashikaga were descended from a branch of the Minamoto clan, deriving originall ...

( 足利氏) – descended from

; famous for Ashikaga shogunate; no direct relation to the Fujiwara-descent Ashikaga clan. Ashikaga mon

* Ashikaga clan (Fujiwara) ( 足利氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke; no direct relation to the Genji-descent Ashikaga clan. * Ashina clan ( 蘆名氏) – cadet branch of

Miura clan The was one of the branch families descended from the Taira clan. They held large fiefs, and retained great political influence. They were one of the primary opponents of the Hōjō clan, Hōjō family of Shikken, regents in the mid-13th ce ...

who descended from Kanmu Heishi. * Aso clan ( 阿蘇氏) – descended from

Emperor Jimmu was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the and . His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC.Kelly, Charles F"Kofun Culture"Ō clan. * Asō clan ( 麻生氏) – cadet branch of Utsunomiya clan who descended from Fujiwara Hokke; famous for Tarō Asō. * Atagi clan ( 安宅氏) – cadet branch of

Ogasawara clan The was a Japanese samurai clan descended from the Seiwa Genji.Papinot, Jacques. (2003)''Nobiliare du Japon'' – Ogasawara, pp. 44–45 Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon.'' (in Fren ...

who descended from

(disputed). * Azai clan ( 浅井氏) – descended from

; famous for

Azai Nagamasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period known as the brother-in-law and enemy of Oda Nobunaga. Nagamasa was head of the Azai clan seated at Odani Castle in northern Ōmi Province and married Nobunaga's sister Oichi in 1564, fathering ...

. * Bitō clan ( 尾藤氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. * Chiba clan ( 千葉氏) – descended from Kanmu Heishi. *

Date clan The is a Japanese samurai kin group.Edmond Papinot, Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Date", ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 5 retrieved 2013-5-5. History The Date fam ...

( 伊達氏) – also known as Idate clan or Idachi clan, descended from Fujiwara Hokke; famous for

Date Masamune was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama period through the early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful feudal lords in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he w ...

. * Doi clan ( 土井氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from

(disputed); no direct relation to the Heishi-descent Doi clan. Japanese Crest mitu Uroko

* Doi clan ( 土肥氏) – descended from Kanmu Heishi; no direct relation to the Genji-descent Doi clan. * Fuji clan ( 富士氏) – descended from Wani clan ( 和珥氏). * Gotō clan ( 後藤氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from

. * Hachisuka clan ( 蜂須賀氏) – cadet branch of

by the

Shiba clan was a Japanese clan.Edmond Papinot, Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)("Shiba," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 54 DF 58 of 80/nowiki> retrieved 2013-05-03. History ...

who descended from

, famous for Hachisuka Masakatsu. * Haga clan ( 芳賀氏) – descended from Kiyowara clan. * Hashiba clan ( 羽柴氏) – also known as their honsei:

Toyotomi clan The was a Japanese clan that ruled over the Japanese before the Edo period. Unity and conflict The most influential figure within the Toyotomi was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three "unifiers of Japan". Oda Nobunaga was another primary ...

( 豊臣氏); descended from

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...

. *

Hatakeyama clan The was a Japanese samurai clan. Originally a branch of the Taira clan and descended from Taira no Takamochi, they fell victim to political intrigue in 1205, when Hatakeyama Shigeyasu, first, and his father Shigetada later were killed in batt ...

( 畠山氏) – descended from Kanmu Heishi before 1205. After 1205 the Hatakeyama are a cadet branch of

who descended from

. * Hatano clan ( 波多野氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. * Hayashi clan ( 林氏) – descended from Ogasawara clan, a cadet branch of

who descended from

. * Hayashi clan of Owari ( 尾張林氏) – descended from Inaba clan who descended from Prince Iyo, son of Emperor Kanmu; no direct relation to the Hayashi clan ( 林氏) of

Jōzai Domain was a Han (Japan), feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, located in Kazusa Province (modern-day Chiba Prefecture), Japan. The domain was centered on Manube jin’ya, in what is now the city of Kisarazu, Chiba. It was rul ...

. * Hiki clan ( 比企氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. * Hirano clan – descended from Prince Toneri son of

, by the Kiyowara clan. * Hisamatsu clan ( 久松氏) – cadet branch of Takatsuji family who descended from Sugawara clan. Japanese crest Honda Tachi Aoi

* Hitotsuyanagi clan ( 一柳氏) – cadet branch of Kōno clan who descended from Prince Iyo, son of Emperor Kanmu. *

Hōjō clan The was a Japanese samurai family who controlled the hereditary title of '' shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate between 1203 and 1333. Despite the title, in practice the family wielded actual political power in Japan during this perio ...

( 北条氏) – descended from Kanmu Heishi (disputed); no direct relation to the

Later Hōjō clan The was one of the most powerful samurai families in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region. Their last name was simply , but were called "Later Hōjō" to differentiate between the earlier Hōjō clan who h ...

( 北条氏) or Kitajō clan ( 北条氏); regents of the

Kamakura shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no Yori ...

. *

( 後北条氏) – also known as Hōjō clan or Go-Hōjō clan; descended from Kanmu Heishi; no direct relation to the regent

( 北条氏) or Kitajō clan ( 北条氏). Japanese Crest Hosokawa Kuyou

* Honma clan ( 本間氏) – also known as Homma clan or Honma clan of Sado; cadet branch of Yokoyama clan who descended from Ono no Takamura (disputed). ** Honma clan of Sakata ( 酒田本間氏) – cadet branch. *

Honda clan The is a Japanese family that claims descent from the medieval court noble Fujiwara no Kanemichi. The family settled in Mikawa and served the Matsudaira clan as retainers. Later, when the main Matsudaira family became the Tokugawa clan, the H ...

( 本多氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke; famous for

Honda Tadakatsu , also called Honda Heihachirō (本多平八郎) was a Japanese samurai, general, and daimyo of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Honda Tadakatsu was one of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings (Shitennō) a ...

. *

Hosokawa clan The is a Japanese samurai kin group or Japanese clan, clan. The clan descends from the Seiwa Genji, a branch of the Minamoto clan, and ultimately from Emperor Seiwa, through the Ashikaga clan. It produced many prominent officials in the Ashikaga ...

( 細川氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from

. ** Hosokawa Keichō family ( 細川京兆家) – head family. ** Hosokawa Tenkyū family ( 細川典厩家) – cadet branch. ** Hosokawa family of Awa ( 阿波細川氏) – cadet branch; descended from Hosokawa Akiharu. ** Hosokawa family of Ōshū ( 奥州細川家) – cadet branch; descended from Hosokawa Akiuji. * Hotta clan ( 堀田氏) descended from Emperor Kōgen through the Ki clan. *

Ichijō family The was a Japanese aristocratic kin group. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Ichijō," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 13 retrieved 2013-7-7. The Ichijō was a branch o ...

( 一条家) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. * Ichijō clan of Tosa ( 土佐一条氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from Fujiwara Hokke. * Ide clan ( 井出氏) – cadet branch of Nikaidō clan who descended from Fujiwara Nanke. Japanese Crest Bizenn Chou

Ii clan is a Japanese clan which originates in Tōtōmi Province. It was a retainer clan of the Imagawa clan, Imagawa family, and then switched sides to the Matsudaira clan of Mikawa Province at the reign of Ii Naotora. A famed 16th-century clan membe ...

( 井伊氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke; famous for Ii Naotora,

Ii Naomasa was a general under the Sengoku period ''daimyō'', and later ''shōgun'', Tokugawa Ieyasu.Ii Naosuke. * Ikeda clan ( 池田氏) – descended from

; no direct relation to other clans called Ikeda. * Ikeda clan of Iyo ( 伊予池田氏) – no direct relation to other clans called Ikeda. * Ikeda clan of Mino ( 美濃池田氏) – no direct relation to other clans called Ikeda. * Ikeda clan of Sasaki ( 池田氏) – cadet branch of Sasaki clan; no direct relation to other clans called Ikeda. * Ikeda clan of Settsu ( 摂津池田氏) – descended from Ki clan (disputed). no direct relation to other clans called Ikeda. *

Imagawa clan was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji by way of the Kawachi Genji. It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan. Origins Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in ...

( 今川氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from

; famous for

Imagawa Yoshimoto was a Japanese ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the Sengoku period. Based in Suruga Province, he was known as ; he was one of the three ''daimyō'' that dominated the Tōkaidō region. He died in 1560 while marching to Kyoto to become Shogun. He ...

. * Inaba clan – cadet branch of Kōno clan who descended from Prince Iyo, son of Emperor Kanmu. Inaba crest1

* Inoue clan ( 井上氏) – descended from

** Inoue clan of Shinano ( 信濃井上氏) – head family. ** Inoue clan of Aki ( 安芸井上氏) – cadet branch. ** Inoue clan of Mikawa ( 三河井上氏) – cadet branch. * Ishida clan ( 石田氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from Kanmu Heishi (disputed). famous for

Ishida Mitsunari was a Japanese samurai and military commander of the late Sengoku period of Japan. He is probably best remembered as the commander of the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi–Momoyama period of the 16th century. He ...

Ishikawa clan is a Japanese samurai family which descended from the Seiwa Genji. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Ina" at ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 16 retrieved 2013-4-11. His ...

( 石川氏) – also known as Ishikawa Genji; descended from

. * Ishimaki clan ( 石巻氏) – descended from Nanke. * Itō clan ( 伊東氏) – cadet branch of Kudō clan who descended from Nanke. * Kamiizumi clan ( 上泉氏) – cadet branch of Fujiwara-descent Ashikaga clan who descended Fujiwara Hokke. * Kanamaru clan ( 金丸氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from

by way of Takeda Nobushige. * Kagawa clan ( 香川氏) – descended from Kanmu Heishi. * Kikkawa clan ( 吉川氏) – cadet branch of Kudō clan who descended from Fujiwara Nanke. After the mid 16th century they are a cadet branch of the

Mōri clan The was a Japanese clan, Japanese samurai clan descended from Ōe no Hiromoto. Ōe no Hiromoto was descended from the Fujiwara clan. The family's most illustrious member, Mōri Motonari, greatly expanded the clan's power in Aki Province. Durin ...

who descended from the Ōe clan, famous for Kikkawa Motoharu. * Kikuchi clan ( 菊池氏) – descended from the

Kira clan The Kira clan(吉良氏 - kira-shi) was a Japanese clan, descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880), and was a cadet branch of the Ashikaga clan, Ashikaga family from the Minamoto clan (Seiwa Genji). Ashikaga Mitsuuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuj ...

( 吉良氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from

; famous for

Kira Yoshinaka (October 5, 1641 – January 30, 1703) was a Japanese ''kōke'' (master of ceremonies). His court title was ''Kokushi (officials), Kōzuke no suke (上野介)''. He is famous as the adversary of Asano Naganori in the events of the forty-seven ...

. * Kiso clan ( 木曾氏) – descended from

; famous for

Minamoto no Yoshinaka , also known as , was a Japanese samurai lord mentioned in the epic poem '' The Tale of the Heike.'' A member of the Minamoto clan, he was a cousin and later rival of ''shogun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo during the Genpei War between the Minamoto and t ...

. *

Kitabatake clan The Kitabatake clan was a clan that ruled south Ise Province in Japan and had strong ties to the eastern provinces through Pacific sea routes. Among its leaders included Kitabatake Tomonori. Clan heads # Kitabatake Masaie (1215–1274, founder ...

( 北畠氏) – descended from Murakami Genji. * Kitajō clan ( 北条氏) – also known as Kitajō clan of Echigo or Mōri Kitajō clan; cadet branch of

; no direct relation to the

( 北条氏) or Late Hōjō clan ( 北条氏). * Kiyowara clan ( 清原氏) – descended from Prince Toneri, son of the

(631–686). Japanese crest Kaga Umebachi

* Kobayakawa clan ( 小早川氏) – cadet branch of Doi clan who descended from Kanmu Heishi. After the mid 16th century they are a cadet branch of the

who descended from the Ōe clan, famous for Kobayakawa Takakage and

Kobayakawa Hideaki (1577 – December 1, 1602) was the fifth son of Kinoshita Iesada and a nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was gained the rank of ''Saemon no Kami'' (左衛門督) or in China ''Shikkingo'' (執金吾) at genpuku and held the court title of ...

. * Kodama clan ( 児玉氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. * Koga family ( 久我家) – descended from Murakami Genji. * Kōno clan ( 河野氏) – descended from Prince Iyo son of Emperor Kanmu. * Konoe family ( 近衛家) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. famous for Konoe Fumimaro. * Kudō clan ( 工藤氏) – descended from Fujiwara Nanke. *

Kujō family is a Japanese aristocratic kin group. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Konoe," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 24 retrieved 2013-8-13. The family is a branch of Hokke a ...

( 九条家) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. * Kuzuyama clan ( 葛山氏) – cadet branch of Ozutsuki clan; famous for medical knowledge. *

Kyōgoku clan The were a Japanese ''daimyō'' 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 ...

( 京極氏) – cadet branch of Sasaki clan who descended from

. *

Maeda clan The was a Japanese samurai clan who occupied most of the Hokuriku region of central Honshū from the end of the Sengoku period through the Meiji Restoration of 1868. The Maeda claimed descent from the Sugawara clan through Sugawara no Kiyotom ...

( 前田氏) – descended from Sugawara clan; famous for Maeda Toshiie. *

Makino clan The are a ''daimyō'' branch of the ''samurai'' Minamoto clan in Edo period Japan.Alpert, Georges. (1888) ''Ancien Japon,'' p. 70./ref> In the Edo period, the Makino were identified as one of the ''fudai'' or insider ''daimyō'' clans which wer ...

( 牧野氏) – descended from

; claimed descent from the legendary Takenouchi no Sukune. * Manabe clan ( 間部氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. * Matsuda clan ( 松田氏) – cadet branch of Hatano clan who descended from Fujiwara Hokke. *

Matsudaira clan The was a Japanese samurai clan that descended from the Minamoto clan. It originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province (modern-day Aichi Prefecture). During the Sengoku period, the chieftain of the main line of the ...

( 松平氏) – cadet branch of

Nitta clan The was one of several major families descended from the Seiwa Genji, and numbered among the chief enemies of the Hōjō clan regents, and later the Ashikaga shogunate. The common ancestor of the Nitta, Minamoto no Yoshishige (1135–1202), wa ...

, by the

Tokugawa clan The is a Japanese dynasty which produced the Tokugawa shoguns who ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868 during the Edo period. It was formerly a powerful ''daimyō'' family. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and were a branch of ...

descended from

(disputed); famous for

. *

Matsumae clan The was a Japanese aristocratic family who were daimyo of Matsumae Domain, in present-day Matsumae, Hokkaidō, from the Azuchi–Momoyama period until the Meiji Restoration. They were given the domain as a march fief in 1590 by Toyotomi ...

– cadet branch of

who descended from

. *

Matsunaga clan is a Japanese Japanese clans#Family names, Samurai Clan who are descended from the Fujiwara clan.''The Origin, History, and Crest of the Family Name Matsunaga from Saga'' The lineage of Matsunaga Hisahide, Matsunaga Danjo Hisahide strengthens ...

( 松永氏) – descended from

and retainers for the Miyoshi clan. Famous for Matsunaga Danjo Hisahide. Japanese crest Tuta

* Matsuura clan ( 松浦氏) – cadet branch of Watanabe clan who descended from Saga Genji. *

( 三浦氏) – descended from Kanmu Heishi. * Mikumo clan ( 三雲氏) – cadet branch of Kodama clan who descended from Fujiwara Hokke. * Miyahara clan ( 宮原氏) – descended from Ashikaga Motouji (

). * Miyoshi clan (Ogasawara) ( 三好氏) – cadet branch of

, by the

who descended from

, famous for Miyoshi Nagayoshi; no direct relation to the Fujiwara-descent Miyoshi clan ( 三吉氏). Japanese crest Sanngai Hisi ni itutu Kuginuki

* Miyoshi clan ( 三吉氏) – descended from

; no direct relation to the Ogasahara-descent Miyoshi clan ( 三好氏). * Mizuryū clan (水龍氏) – descended from

. *

Mogami clan were Japanese ''daimyōs'', and were a branch of the Ashikaga family. In the Sengoku period, they were the Sengoku ''daimyōs'' who ruled Dewa Province which is now Yamagata Prefecture and part of Akita Prefecture. The Mogami clan is derived ...

( 最上氏) – cadet branch by the

of the

who descended from

* Mori clan ( 森氏) – descended from

; famous for

Mori Ranmaru , also known as Mori Naritoshi (森成利), was a samurai retainer to the Oda clan. He was son of Mori Yoshinari, and had 5 brothers in total, from the province of Mino Province, Mino. He was a member of the Mori clan (Genji), Mori Clan, descen ...

. *

( 毛利氏) – descended from Ōe clan; no direct relation to the Genji-descent Mōri clan ( 毛利氏) or Fujiwara-descent Mōri clan ( 毛利氏); famous for

Mōri Motonari was a prominent ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) in the western Chūgoku region of Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. The Mōri clan claimed descent from Ōe no Hiromoto (大江広元), an adviser to Minamoto no Yoritomo. Motonari w ...

and his sons. ** Mōri clan of Inaba ( 因幡毛利氏) – cadet branch. * Mōri clan ( 毛利氏) – descended from

; no direct relation to Ōe-descent Mōri clan ( 毛利氏) or Fujiwara-descent Mōri clan ( 毛利氏); * Mōri clan ( 毛利氏) – descended from

(disputed); no direct relation to Ōe-descent Mōri clan ( 毛利氏) or Genji-descent Mōri clan ( 毛利氏); * Murakami clan ( 村上氏) – descended from

. ** Murakami clan of Inland Sea ( 村上水軍) – also known as Murakami Suigun; famous for their naval forces. *** Murakami clan of Innoshima ( 因島村上氏) *** Murakami clan of Kurushima ( 来島村上氏) *** Murakami clan of Nōnoshima ( 能島村上氏) ** Murakami clan of Shinano ( 信濃村上氏) – also known as Shinshū Murakami clan; famous for Murakami Yoshikiyo. *

Nagao clan was a Japanese samurai clan. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Nagao," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 39 retrieved 2013-5-5. History The Nagao clan descend fro ...

( 長尾氏) – descended from Kanmu Heishi; famous for

Uesugi Kenshin , later known as , was a Japanese ''daimyō'' (magnate). He was born in Nagao clan, and after adoption into the Uesugi clan, ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan. He was one of the most powerful ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period ...

. * Nabeshima clan ( 鍋島氏) – cadet branch of

Shōni clan was a family of Japanese nobles descended from the Fujiwara family, many of whom held high government offices in Kyūshū. Prior to the Kamakura period (1185–1333), "Shōni" was originally a title and post within the Kyūshū ( Dazaifu) gover ...

who descended from Fujiwara Hokke. * Nakayama family ( 中山家) - descended from Nakayama Tadachika, third son of Fujiwara no Tadamune of the Fujiwara Hokke. Known for

Nakayama Tadayasu Kazoku, Marquess Nakayama Tadayasu (Japanese: 中山忠能, 17 December 1809 – 12 June 1888) was a Japanese nobleman and courtier of the Edo period and then one of the Kazoku of the post-1867 Empire of Japan. He was the father of Nakayama Yos ...

and his daughter Nakayama Yoshiko, mother of the Emperor Meiji. * Niiro clan ( 新納氏) – cadet branch of

Shimazu clan 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 contr ...

of the

Satsuma Domain The , briefly known as the , was a Han system, domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1600 to 1871. The Satsuma Domain was based at Kagoshima Castle in Satsuma Province, the core of the modern city of ...

who descended from

. * Nakamura clan ( 中村氏) *

Nanbu clan The was a Japanese clan, Japanese samurai clan who ruled most of northeastern Honshū in the Tōhoku region of Japan for over 700 years, from the Kamakura period through the Meiji Restoration of 1868. The Nanbu claimed descent from the Seiwa Ge ...

( 南部氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from

. *

Nijō family is a Japanese aristocratic kin group. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Nijō," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 42 retrieved 2013-7-7. The Nijō was a branch of the Fuji ...

( 二条家) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. *

( 新田氏) – descended from

; famous for

Nitta Yoshisada also known as Minamoto no 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 famo ...

. * Niwa clan ( 丹羽氏) – cadet branch of Kodama clan who descended from Fujiwara Hokke (disputed); no direct relation to the Isshiki-descent Niwa clan ( 丹羽氏). * Niwa clan ( 丹羽氏) – cadet branch of

Isshiki clan is a Japanese kin group of the Sengoku period.Edmond Papinot, Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Isshiki," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 16 retrieved 2013-5-25. History ...

who descended from

; no direct relation to the Kodama-descent Niwa clan ( 丹羽氏). Oda emblem

Oda clan The is a Japanese samurai family who were daimyo and an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they reached the peak of their power under Oda Nobunaga and fell soon after, several branches of the ...

( 織田氏) – descended from Kanmu Heishi; famous for

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 ...

. * Ôishi clan of Ako ( 大石氏) – descended from the

. The name Oishi comes from 'Oishi no sho' in Omi province. Famous for Ōishi Yoshio. * Ôishi clan of Shinano ( 大石氏) – descended from the

through the Numata clan. The name Oishi comes from 'Oishi go', in Shinano province. * Ôishi clan of Musashi ( 大石氏) – descended from the Kiso clan (

). * Ōkōchi clan ( 大河内氏) – descended from

. * Ōta clan – descended from

; famous for Ōta Dōkan. *

( 小笠原氏) – cadet branch of

descended from

* Ōtomo clan ( 大友氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke; no direct relation to the ancient Ōtomo clan ( 大友氏) or Ōtomo clan ( 大伴氏); famous for

Ōtomo Sōrin , also known as Fujiwara no Yoshishige (藤原義鎮) or Ōtomo Yoshishige (大友義鎮), was a Japanese feudal lord (''daimyō'') of the Ōtomo clan, one of the few to have converted to Catholicism. The eldest son of , he inherited the Funa ...

. *

Ōuchi clan was one of the most powerful and important families in Western Japan during the reign of the Ashikaga shogunate in the 14th to 16th centuries. Their domains, ruled from the castle town of Yamaguchi in the western tip of Honshu island, compris ...

( 大内氏) – descended from Tatara clan and claim to descend from the royal house of

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (; ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BCE to 660 CE. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. While the three kingdoms were in separate existence, Baekje had the h ...

. *

. * Sagara clan (:ja:相良氏, 相良氏) – descended from Fujiwara Nanke. * Saitō clan (:ja:斉藤氏, 斉藤氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke; famous for

Saitō Dōsan , also known as Saitō Toshimasa (斎藤利政), was a Japanese samurai lord and daimyo during the Sengoku period.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Saitō Dōsan"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 809. He was also known as the f ...

. *

Sakai clan The was a Japanese clan, Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Nitta clan, Nitta branch of the Minamoto clan, who were in turn descendants of Emperor Seiwa. Serata (Nitta) Arichika, a samurai of the 14th century, was the common a ...

( 酒井氏) – cadet branch of

, by the

descended from

. * Sakuma clan ( 佐久間氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from Kanmu Heishi. *

Sanada clan The is a Japanese clan.Edmond Papinot, Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)("Sanada," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 52 DF 56 of 80/nowiki> retrieved 2013-5-3. The Sana ...

( 真田氏) – descended from

(disputed); famous for Sanada Nobushige who is more commonly known as Sanada Yukimura. * Sanjō family ( 三条家) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke; famous for Sanjō Sanetomi. * Sasaki clan ( 佐々木氏) – descended from

. *

Satake clan The was a Japanese clan, Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Minamoto clan. Its first power base was in Hitachi Province. The clan was subdued by Minamoto no Yoritomo in the late 12th century, but later entered Yoritomo's serv ...

( 佐竹氏) – descended from

. * Satomi clan ( 里見氏) – descended from

. *

( 斯波氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from

. * Shimizu clan of Mino ( 清水氏) – descended from Minamoto no Yorimitsu of the

. * Shimizu clan of Bicchu ( 清水氏) – descended from the

. * Shimizu clan of Izu ( 清水氏) – descended from the

. * Shimizu clan of Dewa ( 清水氏) – cadet branch of the

and through the

from the

(

). *

( 島津氏) – also known as Satsuma Clan; descended from

. * Shinmen clan ( 新免氏) – also known as Shimmen clan; cadet branch of Akamatsu clan who descended from Murakami Genji. *

( 少弐氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. *

Sō clan were a Japanese clan claiming descent from Taira no Tomomori. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Toki," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 56 retrieved 2013-5-10. The clan ...

( 宗氏) – descended from Koremune clan. * Sogō clan ( 十河氏) – descended from Emperor Keikō. * Sōma clan ( 相馬氏) – cadet branch of Chiba clan who descended from Kanmu Heishi. ** Sōma clan of Ōshū ( 奥州相馬氏) – head family. ** Sōma clan of Shimōsa ( 下総相馬氏) – cadet branch. * Suda clan ( :ja:須田) – famous for being a clan of

, and

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...

practitioners. While the northeastern and west-central family branches state that they are descended from the Minamoto clan through the Inoue family, the family branch in Okinawa has the legend that they are descendants of the Japanese dragon (Nihon ryū). * Sue clan ( 陶氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from Tatara clan. famous for

Sue Harukata was a samurai who served as a senior retainer of the Ōuchi clan in the Sengoku period in Japan. He was the second son of Sue Okifusa, a senior retainer of the Ōuchi clan. His childhood name was Goro, and he previously had the name Takafusa ...

. * Sugi clan ( 杉氏) – cadet branch of Sasaki clan who descended from

; famous for Yoshida Shōin. * Suwa clan ( 諏訪氏) – more or less unknown ancestors, many believed Suwa descended from

through Minamoto no Tsunetomo. * Tachibana clan ( 立花氏) – cadet branch of Ōtomo clan, descended from Ōtomo Yoshinao; no direct relation to the ancient Tachibana clan ( 橘氏); famous for Tachibana Ginchiyo and her husband

Tachibana Muneshige , was a Japanese ''samurai'', known in his youth as Senkumamaru (千熊丸) and alternatively called Tachibana Munetora (立花宗虎 or 立花統虎), during the Azuchi–Momoyama period and an Edo-period ''daimyō''. He was the eldest biol ...

* Takanashi clan ( 高梨氏) – cadet branch of Inoue clan who descended from

(disputed). * Takaoka clan ( 高岡氏) – descended from

. * Takatsuji family ( 高辻家) – descended from Sugawara clan. * Takatsukasa family ( 鷹司家) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. *

( 武田氏) – also known as Takeda clan of Kai; descended from

; famous for

Takeda Shingen was daimyō, daimyo of Kai Province during the Sengoku period of Japan. Known as "the Tiger of Kai", he was one of the most powerful daimyo of the late Sengoku period, and credited with exceptional military prestige. Shingen was based in a p ...

. ** Takeda clan of Aki ( 安芸武田氏) – cadet branch. ** Takeda clan of Kazusa ( 上総武田氏) – cadet branch. ** Takeda clan of Wakasa ( 若狭武田氏) – cadet branch. Tokikikyo

* Takenaka clan ( 竹中氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from

. * Takigawa clan ( 滝川氏) – descended from Ki clan or Tomo clan (disputed). * Tanegashima clan ( 種子島氏) – descended from Kanmu Heishi (disputed); famous for production of early

firearm A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions). The first firearms originate ...

s. * To clan ( 東氏) – cadet branch of the Chiba clan who descend from the

. * Toda clan ( 戸田氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. * Tōdō clan ( 藤堂氏) – clan of humble origins founded by

Tōdō Takatora was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Tōdō clan from the Azuchi–Momoyama to Edo periods. He rose from relatively humble origins as an ashigaru (a light foot soldier) to become a ''daimyō''. During his lifetime he changed his feudal master ...

, who was a highly trusted commander under

and

. *

( 土岐氏) – descended from the Settsu Genji, branch of

. *

( 徳川氏) – descended from

from

; famous for

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 ...

** Tokugawa Shōgun family ( 徳川将軍家) – head family. *** Tokugawa family of Kōfu ( 甲府徳川家) – descended from Tokugawa Tsunashige, 3rd son of

Tokugawa Iemitsu was the third ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate, Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, who acted as his political adviser and was at the ...

. *** Tokugawa family of Tatebayashi ( 館林徳川家) – descended from

Tokugawa Tsunayoshi was the fifth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the younger brother of Tokugawa Ietsuna, as well as the son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu.Nussbaum, Louis- ...

. *** Tokugawa Yoshinobu family ( 徳川慶喜家) – descended from

Tokugawa Yoshinobu Kazoku, Prince was the 15th and last ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful. He resigned his position as shogun in late 1867, while ai ...

. **

Gosanke The , also called simply , or even , were the most noble three branches of the Tokugawa clan of Japan: Owari, Kii, and Mito, all of which were descended from clan founder Tokugawa Ieyasu's three youngest sons, Yoshinao, Yorinobu, and Yorifusa ...

( 御三家) *** Tokugawa family of Kishū ( 紀州徳川家) – also known as Kii Tokugawa family; descended from Tokugawa Yorinobu, 10th son of

; famous for

Tokugawa Yoshimune was the eighth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1716 until his abdication in 1745. He was the son of Tokugawa Mitsusada, the grandson of Tokugawa Yorinobu, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Yoshimune is know ...

and

Tokugawa Iemochi (17 July 1846 – 29 August 1866) was the 14th '' shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office from 1858 to 1866. During his reign there was much internal turmoil as a result of the "re-opening" of Japan to western nations. I ...

. *** Tokugawa family of Mito ( 水戸徳川家) – descended from

Tokugawa Yorifusa , also known as Mito Yorifusa, was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the early Edo period. Biography Known in his childhood as Tsuruchiyomaru (鶴千代丸), he was the eleventh son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun with his concubine, Ka ...

, 11th son of

; famous for

Tokugawa Mitsukuni , also known as , was a Japanese daimyō, daimyo who was known for his influence in the politics of the early Edo period. He was the third son of Tokugawa Yorifusa (who in turn was the eleventh son of Tokugawa Ieyasu) and succeeded him, becoming ...

. **** Tokugawa family of Matsudo ( 松戸徳川家) – cadet branch of Tokugawa family of Mito. *** Tokugawa family of Owari ( 尾張徳川家) – descended from Tokugawa Yoshinao, 9th son of

. **

Gosankyō The were three branches of the Tokugawa clan of Japan. They were descended from the eighth of the fifteen Tokugawa shōguns, Yoshimune (1684–1751). Yoshimune established the ''Gosankyo'' to augment (or perhaps to replace) the '' Gosanke' ...

( 御三卿)

*** Tokugawa family of Hitotsubashi ( 一橋徳川家) – descended from Tokugawa Munetada, 4th son of

. *** Tokugawa family of Shimizu ( 清水徳川家) – descended from Tokugawa Shigeyoshi, 2nd son of Tokugawa Ieshige. *** Tokugawa family of Tayasu ( 田安徳川家) – descended from Tokugawa Munetake, 2nd son of

. * Tomuro clan ( 戸室氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. * Torii clan ( 鳥井氏) – descended from Taira no Yukinori. *

( 豊臣氏) – given to

and his family. Goshichi_no_kiri_inverted

Tsugaru clan The was a Japanese samurai clan who ruled the northwestern half of what is now Aomori Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. The Tsugaru were ''daimyō'' of Hirosaki Domain and its semi-subsidiary, ...

( 津軽氏) – also known as Ōura clan; descended from Fujiwara Hokke. * Tsuru clan ( Miyako-Todomaru) – descended from Takeda Kai clan.Guardians 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 ...

(Miyako) the Capital city. *

Tsutsui clan Tsutsui clan is a Japanese clan originating during the Sengoku period (16th century) of Japan. Throughout the time of the 16th century, the Tsutsui clan would mainly control the Yamato Province, due to the efforts of the feudal lord (''daimyō'') ...

( 筒井氏) – descended from

; famous for Tsutsui Junkei. *

Uesugi clan The is a Japanese samurai clan which was at its peak one of the most powerful during the Muromachi period, Muromachi and Sengoku periods (14th to 17th centuries).Georges Appert, Appert, Georges. (1888) ''Ancien Japon,'' p. 79./ref> At its heigh ...

( 上杉氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. ** Uesugi family of Inukake ( 犬懸上杉家) – descended from Uesugi Norifuji. ** Uesugi family of Ōgigayatsu ( 扇谷上杉家) – descended from Uesugi Shigeaki. ** Uesugi family of Takuma ( 宅間上杉家) – descended from Uesugi Shigeyoshi. ** Uesugi family of Yamanouchi ( 山内上杉家) – descended from Uesugi Noriaki; famous for

. *** Uesugi family of Fukaya ( 深谷上杉家) – also known as Kobanawa Uesugi family; descended from Uesugi Norifusa. * Ukita clan ( 宇喜多氏) – descended from Kojima Takanori of

; famous for

Ukita Hideie was the ''daimyō'' of Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces (modern Okayama Prefecture), and one of the council of Five Elders appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Son of Ukita Naoie, he married Gōhime, a daughter of Maeda Toshiie. Having fought a ...

. * Urakami clan ( 浦上氏) – descended from Emperor Kōgen by the Ki clan. Japanese Crest Watanabe Hosi

* Utsunomiya clan ( 宇都宮氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. ** Utsunomiya clan of Shimotsuke ( 下野宇都宮氏) – head family. ** Utsunomiya clan of Buzen ( 豊前宇都宮氏) – cadet branch. ** Utsunomiya clan of Chikugo ( 筑後宇都宮氏) – cadet branch. ** Utsunomiya clan of Iyo ( 伊予宇都宮氏) – cadet branch. * Wakiya clan ( 脇屋氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from

. * Watanabe clan ( 渡辺) – descended from the Saga Genji. *

Yagyū clan The were a family of ''daimyōs'' (feudal lords) with lands just outside Nara, Nara, Nara, who became the heads of one of Japan's greatest schools of swordsmanship, Yagyū Shinkage-ryū. The Yagyū were also Kenjutsu teachers to the Tokugawa sh ...

( 柳生氏) – descended from Sugawara clan; famous for their swordsmanship called

Yagyū Shinkage-ryū is one of the oldest Japanese schools of swordsmanship (''kenjutsu''). Its primary founder was Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, who called the school Shinkage-ryū. In 1565, Nobutsuna bequeathed the school to his greatest student, Yagyū Munetoshi, who ...

. * Yamana clan ( 山名氏) – cadet branch of

who descended from

. * Yamanouchi clan ( 山内氏) – also known as Yamanouchi Sudō clan, descended from Fujiwara Hokke. ** Yamanouchi clan of Bingo ( 備後山内氏) – head family. ** Yamanouchi clan of Ōshū ( 奥州山内氏) – cadet branch. ** Yamanouchi clan of Tosa ( 土佐山内氏) – cadet branch; famous for Yamauchi Kazutoyo. * Yanagisawa clan – cadet branch of

who descended from

* Yonekura clan – cadet branch of

who descended from

. *

Yūki clan is a Japanese samurai kin group.Edmond Papinot, Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Yūki," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', pp. 71–72 retrieved 2013-5-6. History The Yūki c ...

( 結城氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. Japanese Crest mitu Tomoe Old design

** Yūki clan of Shimousa ( 下総結城氏) – head family. ** Yūki clan of Shirakawa ( 白河結城氏) – cadet branch.

Zaibatsu

Zaibatsu is a Japanese language, Japanese term referring to industrial and financial vertical integration, vertically integrated business conglomerate (company), conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed control over signifi ...

were the industrial and financial vertically integrated business conglomerates in the

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

, whose influence and size allowed control over significant parts of the

Japanese economy The economy of Japan is a highly developed mixed economy, often referred to as an East Asian model. According to the IMF forecast for 2025, it will be the fifth-largest economy in the world by nominal GDP as well as by purchasing power par ...

from the Meiji period until the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. * Iwasaki family ( 岩崎家) – founder of

Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group traces its origins to the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company that existed from 1870 to 194 ...

; descended from

from

Mitsui family The is one of the most powerful families of merchants and industrialists in Japan. The Mitsui, Mitsui enterprise (present-day Mitsui Group) was established in 1673 when Mitsui Takatoshi (1622–1694), the son of merchant parents, established Ec ...

( 三井家) – founder of

Mitsui is a Japanese corporate group and '' keiretsu'' that traces its roots to the ''zaibatsu'' groups that were dissolved after World War II. Unlike the ''zaibatsu'' of the pre-war period, there is no controlling company with regulatory power. Ins ...

; descended from Fujiwara Hokke. However,

Mitsui Takatoshi was the founder of the Mitsui family of merchants and industrialists that later emerged as the Mitsui Group, a powerful Japanese ''zaibatsu'' (business conglomerate). Life Mitsui was born in 1622, in Matsusaka, Ise Province (present-day M ...

's great-great-grandfather's father was originally from the

Rokkaku clan The was a Japanese samurai clan. Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)">DF 53 of 80">"Rokkaku" at ''Nobiliare du Japon'', p. 49 Mitsui family The is one of the most powerful families of merchants and industrialists in Japan. The Mitsui, Mitsui enterprise (present-day Mitsui Group) was established in 1673 when Mitsui Takatoshi (1622–1694), the son of merchant parents, established Ec ...

. * Sumitomo family ( 住友家) – founder of Sumitomo">:ja:住友家">住友家) – founder of Sumitomo; descended from Kanmu Heishi

Sacerdotal clans

* Abe clan * Kamo clan * Nakatomi clan * Urabe clan

Ryukyu

Ryukyuan people are not Yamato people, but the

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...

have been part of Japan since 1879. Hidari gomon

Ryukyuan dynasties: * Tenson Dynasty ( 天孫王朝) – legendary dynasty (ended 12th century) * Shunten Dynasty ( 舜天王統) – first dynasty of Ryukyu (1187–1259) * Eiso Dynasty ( 英祖王統) – second dynasty of Ryukyu (1260–1354) * Haniji Dynasty ( 怕尼芝王統) – kings of

Hokuzan , also known as before the 18th century, located in the north of Okinawa Island, was one of three independent political entities which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century during Sanzan period. The political entity was identified as a tiny c ...

(1314–1416) * Ōzato Dynasty ( 大里王統) – kings of

Nanzan Nanzan (), also known as Sannan (山南) before the 18th century, located in the south of Okinawa Island, was one of three independent political entities which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century. The political entity was identified as a tiny ...

(1314–1429) * Satto Dynasty ( 察度王統) – kings of

Chūzan was one of three kingdoms which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century. Okinawa, previously controlled by a number of local chieftains or lords, loosely bound by a paramount chieftain or king of the entire island, split into these three more ...

(1355–1407) * First Shō Dynasty ( 第一尚氏) – kings of the

Ryukyu Kingdom The Ryukyu Kingdom was a kingdom in the Ryukyu Islands from 1429 to 1879. It was ruled as a Tributary system of China, tributary state of Ming dynasty, imperial Ming China by the King of Ryukyu, Ryukyuan monarchy, who unified Okinawa Island t ...

(1407–1469) * Minshi Kameya family ( 明氏亀谷家) – descended from Shō Toku, last king of the First Shō Dynasty. *

Second Shō Dynasty The was the last dynasty of the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1469 to 1879, ruled by the under the title of King of Chūzan. This family took the family name from the earlier rulers of the kingdom, the first Shō family, even though the new royal famil ...

( 第二尚氏) – kings of the

(1469–1879)

Toraijin (渡来人)

Toraijin is used to describe migrants in many contexts, from the original migration of a Yamato peoples to more recent migrants. According to the book ''

Shinsen Shōjiroku is an imperially commissioned Japanese genealogical record. It was first conceived during Emperor Kanmu's reign in 799 to properly track the clans' then ambiguous lineages, but was not completed before his death in 806. The project was later car ...

'' compiled in 815, a total 326 out of 1,182 families in the

Kinai is a Japanese term denoting an ancient division of the country. ''Kinai'' is a name for the ancient provinces around the capital Nara and Heian-kyō. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kinai''" in . The five provinces were called ''go-kin ...

area on Honshū were regarded as people with foreign genealogy. The book specifically encompasses immigrants from ancient Korea and China and that these families are considered notable, although not inherently noble. Despite the book being highly regarded by many, there are certain claims that are under scrutiny by modern historians, and some corrections and revisions have been made over the recent years with certain clans of specific origins being classified differently.

Baekje (Korea)

* Asukabe clan ( 飛鳥部氏) – descended from

Buyeo Gonji Buyeo Gonji (? – July, 477) was a member of the royal family of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was a son of the 21st king, Gaero of Baekje and younger brother of the 22nd king, Munju of Baekje. Life According to the ''Samguk Sagi ...

, younger brother of King Munju of Baekje and son of King Gaero of Baekje. * Fuha clan ( 不破氏) * Funa clan ( 船氏) * Hirota clan ( 廣田氏) * Ka clan ( 賈氏) * Kaguyama clan ( 香山氏) * Kazurai clan ( 葛井氏) * Kinunui clan ( 衣縫氏) * Kudara no Konikishi clan ( 百済王氏) – descended from Zenkō (善光 or 禅広), son of the last king of Baekje, King Uija. Kudarao Shrine

** Mimatsu clan ( 三松氏) – cadet branch of Kudara no Konikishi clan. ** Miyake clan ( 三宅氏) – cadet branch of Kudara no Konikishi clan. *

( 大内氏) – descended from Prince Imseong, third son of King Seong of Baekje. Japanese Crest Oouchi Hisi

** Sue clan ( 陶氏) – cadet branch of Ōuchi clan. ** Washizu clan ( 鷲頭氏) – cadet branch of Ōuchi clan. ** Yamaguchi clan ( 山口氏) – cadet branch of Ōuchi clan. * Sakata clan ( 坂田氏) * Sugano clan ( 菅野氏) * Tsu clan ( 津氏) * Kawachinofumi clan ( 西文氏) – descended from the scholar Wani. * Yamato no Fuhito clan ( 和史氏) – descended from Prince Junda, son of King

Muryeong of Baekje Muryeong (461/462–523) was the 25th king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, reigning from 501 to 523. During his reign, Baekje remained allied with Silla against Goguryeo, and expanded its relationships with China and Japan. Acco ...

. ** Takano clan ( 高野氏) – cadet branch of Yamato clan, famous for Takano no Niigasa. * Yamatonoaya clan ( 東漢氏) – descended from Achi no omi. ** Akizuki clan ( 秋月氏) – cadet branch of Yamatonoaya clan. Mon Akizuki

** Haruda clan ( 原田氏) – cadet branch of Yamatonoaya clan. ** Inoue clan ( 井上氏) – there is a branch of Yamatonoaya clan with the name Inoue; they are different from the Seiwa Genji Inoue clan. ** Kawachi no Aya clan ( 西漢氏) – cadet branch of Yamatonoaya clan. ** Ōkura clan ( 大蔵氏) – cadet branch of Yamatonoaya clan. ** Sakanoue clan ( 坂上氏) – cadet branch of Yamatonoaya clan. ** Tamura clan ( 田村氏) – cadet branch of Yamatonoaya clan. ** Yamato no Fumi clan ( 東文氏) – not a branch of the Yamatonoaya clan.

Goguryeo (Korea)

* Kifumi clan ( 黄文氏) – descended from King Yeongnyu of Goguryeo. * Koma clan ( 高麗氏) – descended from Jakkō, son of the last of

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC – 668 AD) (; ; Old Korean: Guryeo) also later known as Goryeo (; ; Middle Korean: 고ᇢ롕〮, ''kwòwlyéy''), was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korea, Korean Peninsula an ...

, King

Bojang of Goguryeo Bojang (died 682; ) was the 28th and last monarch of Goguryeo the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was placed on the throne by the military leader Yeon Gaesomun. His reign ended when Goguryeo fell to the allied forces of the south ...

. * Kuwabara clan ( 桑原氏) * Sena clan ( 背奈氏) – descended from Sena no Fukutoku (背奈福徳), son of King Yeongnyu of Goguryeo. * Toyohara clan ( 豊原氏) * Yasaka clan ( 八坂氏) * Yahamara clan ( 八坂氏豊原氏)

Silla (Korea)

* Hata clan ( 秦氏) – claims to be descended from Yuzuki no Kimi. The clan claimed descent from

Qin Shi Huang Qin Shi Huang (, ; February 25912 July 210 BC), born Ying Zheng () or Zhao Zheng (), was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of China. He is widely regarded as the first ever supreme leader of a unitary state, unitary d ...

, but recent Japanese research points this to be aggrandization and their true origin to be from Silla. ** Chōshi clan ( 調子氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Chōsokabe clan ( 長宗我部氏) – descended from Hata clan (disputed); famous for

Chōsokabe Motochika was a prominent ''daimyō'' in Japanese Sengoku period, Sengoku-period. He was the 21st chief of the Chōsokabe clan of Tosa Province (present-day Kōchi Prefecture), the ruler of Shikoku, Shikoku region. Early life and rise He was the son and ...

** Fujiki clan ( 藤木氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Hakura clan ( 羽倉氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Hirata clan ( 平田氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Kada clan ( 荷田氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Kawakatsu clan ( 川勝氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan, named after Hata no Kawakatsu. Kugi nuki01

** Matsumuro clan ( 松室氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Matsuo clan ( 松尾氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Matsushita clan ( 松下氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Mikami clan ( 三上氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Minami clan ( 南氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Mokusei clan (木星) – cadet branch of the Hata Clan. ** Nishiōji clan ( 西大路氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Obata clan ( 小畑氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Ōkura clan ( 大蔵氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Ōnishi clan ( 大西氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Seo clan ( 瀬尾氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Tōgi clan ( 東儀氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. ** Tsuchiyama clan ( 土山氏) – cadet branch of Hata clan. *** Koremune clan ( 惟宗氏) – lateral branch of the Hata clan. * Fushimaru clan ( 伏丸氏) * Hine clan ( 日根氏) * Itoi clan ( 糸井氏) – descended from

Amenohiboko was a legendary prince of Silla who settled in Japan during the era of Emperor Suinin, around the 3rd or 4th century. Amenohiboko is said to have lived in Tajima Province, and his descendants are the Tajima clan (多遅摩氏). He is the ancestra ...

, a prince 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 ...

who came to Japan in the 3rd or 4th century. * Maki clan ( 真城氏) * Tachibanamori clan ( 橘守氏) – descended from

, a prince of

who came to Japan in the 3rd or 4th century. * Tajima clan ( 但馬氏) – descended from

, a prince of

who came to Japan in the 3rd or 4th century. * Unabara clan ( 海原氏)

Gaya (Korea)

* Arara clan ( 荒荒氏) * Hirata clan ( 辟田氏) – descended from Tsunugaarashito (都怒我阿羅斯等), a prince of Gaya. * Karabito clan ( 韓人氏) * Michita clan ( 道田氏) * Ōchi clan ( 大市氏) – descended from Tsunugaarashito (都怒我阿羅斯等), a prince of Gaya. * Tatara clan ( 多多良氏) – descended from Tsunugaarashito (都怒我阿羅斯等), a prince of Gaya. * Toyotsu clan ( 豊津氏)

China

* Ōtomo clan ( 大友氏) – descended from Tei (称), a descendant of

Emperor Xian of Han Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last Emperor of China, emperor of the Han dynasty#Eastern Han (25–220 AD), Eastern Han dynasty of China. He reigned from ...

; no direct relation to the native Ōtomo clan ( 大伴氏) or feudal Ōtomo clan ( 大友氏). * Takamuko clan ( 高向氏) – descended from Emperor Wen of the Chinese

Cao Wei Wei () was one of the major Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic states in China during the Three Kingdoms period. The state was established in 220 by Cao Pi based upon the foundations laid by his father Cao Cao during the end of the Han dy ...

dynasty; famous for Takamuko no Kuromaro.

Notes

References

* Newell, William Hare. (1976)
''Ancestors.''

Walter de Gruyter Walter de Gruyter GmbH, known as De Gruyter (), is a German scholarly publishing house specializing in academic literature. History The roots of the company go back to 1749 when Frederick the Great granted the Königliche Realschule in Be ...

. ; {{DEFAULTSORT:Japanese Clans Japanese clans, *

Ancient clan names

Imperial Clan

Four noble clans

Noble clans

Aristocratic family names

Zaibatsu

Sacerdotal clans

Ryukyu

Toraijin (渡来人)

Baekje (Korea)

Goguryeo (Korea)

Silla (Korea)

Gaya (Korea)

China

See also

Notes

References