Imagawa clan explained

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 the 13th century at Imagawa (Mikawa Province) and took its name.

Located at

Ounami no Kori, Mikawa (modern day Nishio, Aichi) mainly Suruga Province and Tōtōmi Province during the Warring States period

Crests

• Two hikiryou
• Yoshimoto's version of the akaitori (pictured)
• Two hikiryou and a paulownia planted in white soil

Major figures

• Imagawa Sadayo
• Imagawa Yoshitada
• Imagawa Ujichika
• Imagawa Ujiteru
• Imagawa Yoshimoto
• Imagawa Ujizane

Muromachi era

• Imagawa Sadayo, was a renowned Japanese poet and military commander who served as tandai ("constable") of Kyūshū under the Ashikaga bakufu from 1371 to 1395.

Sengoku era

During the Sengoku period in the 1540s and 1550s, Yoshimoto Imagawa attempted to establish his clan as the strongest in eastern Japan. However, after the death of Yoshimoto at the Battle of Okehazama in 1560, many Imagawa officers defected to other clans. Once a powerful clan. Within a decade, the clan had lost its entire land holdings to the Tokugawa and Takeda clans. The Imagawa subsequently became masters of ceremonies in the service of the Tokugawa clan.^[1]

Clan castles

Separated by province name.

• Suruga Province: Imagawa Kan (later known as Sunpu Castle), Shizuhatayama Castle, Mochifune Castle, Tanaka Castle
• Tōtōmi Province: Kakegawa Castle, Takatenjin Castle (ja), Futamata Castle, Inui Castle, Hamamatsu Castle, Utsuyama Castle.
• Mikawa Province: Yoshida Castle, Tahara Castle, Okazaki Castle, Anjō Castle
• Owari Province: Katsukake Castle, Ōdaka Castle, Narumi Castle

Edo period

• Shinagawa Takahisa, the son of Imagawa Ujizane. He was a hatamoto and served the Tokugawa clan.
• Imagawa Norinobu, an Imagawa of the late Edo period, was a wakadoshiyori in the Tokugawa administration.

Key genealogies

Suruga

1. Imagawa Kuniuji (1243–1282)
2. Imagawa Morouji (1261–1323)
3. Imagawa Norikuni (1295?-1384)
4. Imagawa Noriuji (1316–1365)
5. Imagawa Yasunori (1334?-1409?)
6. Imagawa Norimasa (1364–1433)
7. Imagawa Noritada (1408-1461?)
   1. 1. 1. 1. Imagawa Yoshitada Imagawa Ujichika Imagawa Ujiteru Imagawa Yoshimoto Imagawa Ujizane
8. Imagawa Naofusa (1594–1662)
9. Imagawa Ujinari (1642–1673)
10. Imagawa Ujimichi (1668–1699)
11. Imagawa Noritaka (1694–1712)
12. Imagawa Norinushi (1698–1728)
13. Imagawa Norihiko (1716–1749)
14. Imagawa Noriyasu (1731–1784)
15. Imagawa Yoshiaki (1756–1818)
16. Imagawa Yoshimochi (1786–1839)
17. Imagawa Yoshiyori (1810–1841)
18. Imagawa Norinobu
19. Imagawa Yoshihito (1854-1872)

Tōtōmi

• Imagawa Sadayo (1326-1420?)
• Imagawa Nakaaki
• Imagawa Sadaomi
• Imagawa Sadasuke
• Imagawa Norimasa (?-1464)

• Imagawa Sadanobu (?-1474)

Tōtōmi (Horikoshi branch)

• Horikoshi Sadamoto (?-1537)
• Horikoshi Ujinobu
• Horikoshi Sadatada
• Horikoshi Sadahisa
• Horikoshi Sadayoshi

• Horikoshi Sadatsugu

Tōtōmi (Sena branch)

• Sena Kazuhide
• Sena Ujisada
• Sena Ujitoshi
• Sena Ujiakira
• Sena Masakatsu

• Sena Kiyosada

Notable members

• Jukei-ni
• Lady Tsukiyama
• Lady Hayakawa

Notable retainers

• Matsudaira Motoyasu
• Toyotomi Hideyoshi
• Okabe Motonobu
• Matsui Munenobu
• Udono Nagateru
• Asahina Yasutomo
• Ii Naomori
• Abe Motozane
• Ichinomiya Munekore
• Ii Naochika
• Ii Naotora
• Iio Tsuratatsu
• Otazu no kata
• Katsurayama Ujimoto
• Taigen Sessai
• Iio Noritsura
• Itami Yasunao
• Yamaguchi Noritsugu
• Yamaguchi Noriyoshi
• Yokoe Magohachi
• Fuji Nobutada

Popular culture

Imagawa is a playable nation in Europa Universalis IV.

References

• "Suruga Imagawa-shi" on Harimaya.com (12 July 2008)

Notes and References

1. "Suruga Imagawa-shi" on Harimaya.com (12 July 2008)