is a Japanese family descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and the

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 ...

(Seiwa-Genji). They are a cadet branch of the

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 ...

and the

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 ...

. At the beginning of the 14th century AD, settled in

Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...

. His eighth generation descendant Yoshinaga settled in the district of Miyoshi (Awa province) and took the name of the place. They were vassals of the

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 ...

, then powerful in Shikoku. During the

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

, they controlled several provinces, including Settsu and Awa. Though they would fade from prominence, the Ogasawara, a clan closely related to them, would continue as a major political force throughout the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

. Among the retainers to the clan were Matsunaga Danjo Hisahide and his son Hisamichi from the

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 ...

during the

Ancestry

The family name of the clan is Genji (Minamoto Clan). It descends from one of the lineages of 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 members, including Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Minamoto no Yoritomo, ...

(the that falls into the branch family of

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 ...

) and is a branch family of the Ogasawara clan. It is believed that the clan used a deceptive name as there are many contradictions in each existing genealogy. The clan is also called the Awa Ogasawara clan. The clan moved from

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

into Miyoshi County, Awa Province, where it set its home ground.

Emergence

In the late

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

, the clan name was in use in the Awa Province. In the early period of the Northern and Southern Courts, the Miyoshi clan was loyal to the

Southern Court The were a set of four emperors ( Emperor Go-Daigo and his line) whose claims to sovereignty during the Nanboku-chō period spanning from 1336 through 1392 were usurped by the Northern Court. This period ended with the Southern Court definitivel ...

, and there was a period when it conflicted with the

on the

Northern Court The , also known as the Ashikaga Pretenders or Northern Pretenders, were a set of six pretenders to the throne of Japan during the Nanboku-chō period from 1336 through 1392. Even though the present Imperial House of Japan is descended from the ...

. However, with the Southern Court losing ground and the Hosokawa clan growing its influence in the ''

bakufu , 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 ...

'' (the Northern Court), the Miyoshi clan changed sides.

Early Muromachi period

In the

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

, , dubbed a great commander having both wisdom and courage, served the Hosokawa clan as Shogunal Deputy. In the case of the succession dispute in the Hosokawa clan, Nagayuki supported Hosokawa Sumimoto, who was a child of the ''

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 ...

'' of Awa of the Hosokawa clan and later adopted by ''

kanrei or, more rarely, ''kanryō'', was a high political post in feudal Japan; it is usually translated as ''shōguns deputy''. After 1349, there were actually two ''Kanrei'', the ''Kyoto Kanrei'' and the ''Kantō Kanrei''. But originally from 1219 unt ...

Hosokawa Masamoto was a deputy-'' shōgun,'' daimyo and shugo of the Hosokawa clan of Japan, and son of Hosokawa Katsumoto. Masamoto was appointed to the rank of deputy-shogun in 1486, but lost this status to his rival Hatakeyama Masanaga. His childhood name ...

. Nagayuki moved from place to place to fight and achieved military exploits gaining influence in the Kinki region and Shikoku. After the death of Yukinaga, his grandson supported the young lord Hosokawa Harumoto. Motonaga made achievements by helping Harumoto become ''kanrei'', and he ended up being the influential power in the Hosokawa clan. Viewing Motonaga's power as a threat, Harumoto accepted the slander from Masanaga and others who belonged to the Motonaga clan and were envious of Kizawa Nagamasa and Motonaga's rise. In 1532, with the help of the ''

Ikkō-ikki were armed military leagues that formed in several regions of Japan in the 15th-16th centuries, composed entirely of members of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism. In the early phases, these ''ikki'' leagues opposed the rule of local Shugo, go ...

'' sect that hated Miyoshi Motonaga, who was a patron of the ''Hokke'' sect, Harumoto attacked Motonaga in Kenpon-Ji Temple in

Sakai is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the medieval era. Sakai is known for its '' kofun'', keyhole-shaped burial mounds dating from the fifth century. The ''kofun ...

and forced Motonaga to kill himself. Due to the feud, the Miyoshi clan declined temporarily.

Height

Miyoshi Nagayoshi was braver and more resourceful than his father. At first, Nagayoshi served Harumoto as his loyal vassal. However, he married a daughter of Yusa Naganori, who was the ''

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 ...

'' of

Kawachi Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan in the eastern part of modern Osaka Prefecture. It originally held the southwestern area that was split off into Izumi Province. It was also known as . Geography The area was radically different in th ...

and had a strong influence in the Kinki region. His influence extended not only to Awa Province but also to Settsu Province. In cooperation with his brothers Miyoshi Yoshikata (Awa),

Sogō Kazumasa , other name Sogō Kazunari (十河和也), fourth son of Miyoshi Motonaga, was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period who was a member of Miyoshi clan, ''daimyō'' of Kawachi Province. Miyoshi Nagayoshi (eldest), Miyoshi Yukiyasu (second) and ...

(Sanuki), and Atagi Fuyuyasu, he beat the forces of Kizawa Nagamasa at the battle of Taihei-ji Temple and Miyoshi Nagamasa, both of whom had been his father's enemy. In 1549, Nagayoshi started to take revenge for his father's death. With the reinforcement from his father-in-law , he supported , the child of

Hosokawa Takakuni Hosokawa Takakuni (, 1484 – 17 July 1531) was the most powerful military commander in the Muromachi period under Ashikaga Yoshiharu, the twelfth ''shōgun''. His father was Hosokawa Masaharu, a member of the branch of the Hosokawa clan. His ch ...

. Nagayoshi defeated Miyoshi Nagamasa, who had been a loyal vassal of Harumoto, and backed his power on the military side in Enami, Settsu Province (the Battle of Eguchi). Being afraid of Nagayoshi's power, Harumoto ran away to

Ōtsu 270px, Ōtsu City Hall is the capital city of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 343,991 in 153,458 households and a population density of 740 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . History Ōtsu is ...

, and the Harumoto administration collapsed. As a result, Nagayoshi became famous as a daimyo in the Sengoku period. Nagayoshi also fought with the shogun

Ashikaga Yoshiteru , also known as Yoshifushi or Yoshifuji, was the 13th ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1546 to 1565 during the late Muromachi period of Japan. He was the eldest son of the 12th ''shōgun'', Ashikaga Yoshiharu, and his moth ...

and drove him away to

Ōmi Province was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō Circuit (subnational entity), circuit. Its nickname is . Under the ''Engishiki'' classification system, ...

. He grew to be a ''daidaimyo'' (daimyo having a greater stipend) to govern, in total, nine provinces in the Kinki region (Settsu, Kawachi,

Yamato was originally the area around today's Sakurai, Nara, Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a Names of Japan, name for the whole of Japan. Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial ...

, Tanba, Yamashiro, Izumi) and Shikoku (Awa, Sanuki, Awaji), as well as parts of Harima, Iyo, and Tosa provinces. As he went up to

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 ...

and declared his supreme power over Japan, he was called the first ' and tried to establish the Miyoshi administration. Facing strong resistance from the old power, Nagayoshi stopped fighting with Yoshiteru. He supported Yoshiteru and moved into the system to govern by Yoshiteru - Ujitsuna - Nagayoshi in order. Nagayoshi held real power while Yoshiteru and Ujitsuna were puppets.

Decline

Nagayoshi was a man of elegance and taste who loved ''

renga ''Renga'' (, ''linked poem'') is a genre of Japanese collaborative poetry in which alternating stanzas, or ''ku (''句), of 5-7-5 and 7-7 morae (sound units, not to be confused with syllables) per line are linked in succession by multiple poets ...

'' (linked verse), favored

Zen Zen (; from Chinese: ''Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka phil ...

, and enjoyed reading classics such as

The Tale of Genji is a classic work of Japanese literature written by the noblewoman, poet, and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu around the peak of the Heian period, in the early 11th century. It is one of history's first novels, the first by a woman to have wo ...

. He showed a tolerant attitude toward Christians and allowed various religions such as Buddhism,

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

, and Christianity. Due to his attitude, confrontation among Buddhists (between the ''Hokke'' and ''Ikkō'' sects) decreased. He posted his capable brothers in various places to administer his extended power. He restored Kyoto, which had been destroyed by battles since the

Ōnin War The , also known as the Upheaval of Ōnin and Ōnin-Bunmei war, was a civil war that lasted from 1467 to 1477, during the Muromachi period in Japan. ''Ōnin'' refers to the Japanese era name, Japanese era during which the war started; the war ende ...

. He acted energetically and made achievements including developing the town of

into a large trading port. However, the resistance from the old power did not stop, and Hatakeyama Takamasa, one of the ''sankanrei'' (three families in the post of kanrei, or shogunal deputy), and Rokkaku Yoshikata, a ''hankoku shugo'' (military governor in charge of the half area of the province) and male cousin of Harumoto raised a rebellion against the Miyoshi. With the struggle with them, Nagayoshi lost his brother Yoshikata in the battle of Kumeda (present Kishiwada City). He survived with his younger brothers,

and Atagi Fuyuyasu, and died at the age of 41. After the death of Nagayoshi, the adopted child Yoshitsugu from the Miyoshi clan, succeeded. As he was so young, Matsunaga Hisahide, the ''

karō were top-ranking samurai officials and advisors in service to the ''daimyōs'' of feudal Japan. Overview In the Edo period, the policy of ''sankin-kōtai'' (alternate attendance) required each ''daimyō'' to place a ''karō'' in Edo and anothe ...

'' (chief retainer), and Miyoshi ''sanninshū'' (three chief retainers of the Miyoshi clan) took the actual power. With the successive deaths of Nagayoshi and his younger brothers and as the result of Hisahide and ''sanninshū'' bickering over the leadership, the Miyoshi clan declined.

Fall

The clan supported the 14th shogun Ashikaga Yoshihide from their home province of Awa. But in 1568, when

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 ...

entered Kyoto under the 15th shogun

Ashikaga Yoshiaki "Ashikaga Yoshiaki" in '' The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. was the 15th and final ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573 when he ...

, the Miyoshi clan did not have the strength to hold out against Nobunaga. The Miyoshi clan challenged Nobunaga to a decisive battle but lost, and some of the Miyoshi fled to Awa while others became vassals of Nobunaga. Later, when the shogun Yoshiaki conflicted with Nobunaga and the anti-Nobunaga network was laid, Miyoshi Yoshitsugu and the Miyoshi clan ''sanninshū'' took Yoshiaki's side and confronted Nobunaga. However, they did not have the strength to hold out against Nobunaga's more powerful military. In 1573, while he was under attack by

Sakuma Nobumori was a Samurai retainer of Oda Nobuhide. He was treated as Oda Nobunaga's most important retainer and would come to fight in every important battle under Nobunaga's command such as the 1567 Siege of Inabayama Castle, the 1571 and 1573 Siege o ...

, one of Nobunaga's vassals, Yoshitsugu killed himself. The head family of the Miyoshi clan died out. In Awa Province in Shikoku, Miyoshi Nagaharu succeeded Miyoshi Yoshikata, and his real brother Sogō Masayasu still exerted influence in the eastern part of Shikoku. However, after Nagaharu killed his loyal vassal Shinohara Nagafusa, the vassals of Nagaharu became anxious and defected from the Miyoshi clan. Later, Nagaharu was killed by his vassal acquainted with

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 ...

in Tosa Province.

Later

Miyoshi Yasunaga became Nobunaga's vassal and was given territory in part of Kawachi Province. Sogō Masayasu served

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: ...

and gained territory in Sanuki Province. Yasunaga was unaccounted for after the

Honnō-ji Incident The was the assassination of Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga at Honnō-ji, a temple in Kyoto, on 21 June 1582 (2nd day of the sixth month, Tenshō 10). Nobunaga was on the verge of unifying the country, but died in the unexpected rebellion of ...

, and Masayasu died in the battle of Hetsu-gawa and had his rank of samurai and properties revoked. In 1615, Sogō Masahide, the child of Masayasu, and Miyoshi Masayasu, the only survivor of the Miyoshi ''sanninshu'', died in the Sieges of Osaka. Miyoshi Masakatsu survived by serving the Tokugawa clan while others served other daimyos. Miyoshi Yoshikane and Miyoshi Yoshishige, who were the eldest legitimate son and second son, respectively, of Miyoshi Yoshitsugu fled to Ibuki island in Sanuki Province and settled there. During the period of the rule by the Ikoma clan, Miyoshi Yoshikiyo, the grandson of Yoshikane, was given the endorsement of the Administrative Board from the Ikoma clan and changed his family name to Sakuemon. At Ibuki-Hachiman-jinja Shrine on Ibuki Island, there still exists an '' ema'' (votive horse tablet) depicting the scene of Yoshikane and his vassals with reduced 80 horses by gunshots getting to Ibuki Island and offering the ''seimon'' (covenant) to the shrine.

In popular culture

*In the 2020

Taiga drama is the name NHK gives to the annual year-long historical drama television series it broadcasts in Japan. Beginning in 1963 with the black-and-white ''Hana no Shōgai'', starring kabuki actor Onoe Shoroku II and Awashima Chikage, the network regul ...

Kirin ga Kuru Awaiting Kirin is a 2020 Jidaigeki, Japanese historical drama television series starring Hiroki Hasegawa as Akechi Mitsuhide, a samurai and general during the Sengoku period. The series is the 59th NHK taiga drama, premiering on January 19, 2020 ...

, Miyoshi Nagayoshi is played by

Kazuhiro Yamaji is a Japanese actor and voice actor affiliated with the Seinenza Theater Company. He has been married to Romi Park since 2020. Filmography Live-action films * 2000: '' Whiteout'' (Takayoshi Yoshikane) * 2001: ''Inugami'' (Takanao) * 2004: '' Ka ...

, Miyoshi Yoshitsugu by Hiroyasu Kurobe, Miyoshi Nagayasu by Shōgo Miyahara, Iwanari Tomomichi by Hiroki Takano and Miyoshi Sōi by Kenji Oka.

Notable clan members

* Miyoshi Nagayoshi * Miyoshi Yoshikata *

* Sogō Masayasu * Atagi Fuyuyasu * Atagi Nobuyasu * Miyoshi Yoshitsugu * Iwanari Tomomichi * Miyoshi Masanaga

Miyoshi clan's prominent castles

* Akutagawayama Castle * Iimoriyama Castle * Shōzui Castle * Kishiwada Castle * Shigisan Castle * Takiyama Castle * Shōryūji Castle

References

Miyoshi family tree and information
{{in lang, ja Japanese clans