Imagawa clan

Imagawa clan 今川氏
The emblem (mon) of the Imagawa clan
Home province	Mikawa Suruga Tōtōmi
Parent house	Ashikaga clan
Titles	Various
Founder	Imagawa Kuniji (Ashikaga Kuniuji)
Founding year	13th century
Cadet branches	Horikoshi clan Sena clan

Imagawa clan (今川氏 Imagawa-uji) was a Japanese noble military 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.

Imagawa Norikuni (1295–1384) received from his cousin the shogun Ashikaga Takauji the province of Tōtōmi, and later that of Suruga.

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, Ujichika, Yoshimoto, Ujizane

Sengoku era

After the death of Yoshimoto at the Battle of Okehazama in 1560, many Imagawa officers defected to other clans. Within a decade the clan had lost all of its 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, Futamada Castle, Inui Castle, Hamamatsu Castle, Utsuyama Castle.
• Mikawa Province: Yoshida Castle, Tahara Castle, Okazaki Castle, Anshō Castle
• Owari Province: Katsukake Castle, Ōtaka Castle, Narumi Castle

Edo period

Imagawa Norinobu, an Imagawa of the late Edo period, was a wakadoshiyori in the Tokugawa administration.

Key genealogies

Suruga

Imagawa Kuniuji (1243–1282) Imagawa Morouji (1261–1323) Imagawa Norikuni (1295?-1384) Imagawa Noriuji (1316–1365) Imagawa Yasunori (1334?-1409?)

Imagawa Norimasa (1364–1433) Imagawa Noritada (1408-1461?) Imagawa Yoshitada (1436–1476) Imagawa Ujichika (1473?-1526) Imagawa Ujiteru (1513–1536)

Imagawa Yoshimoto (1519–1560) Imagawa Ujizane (1538–1615) Imagawa Naofusa (1594–1662) Imagawa Ujinari (1642–1673) Imagawa Ujimichi (1668–1699)

Imagawa Noritaka (1694–1712) Imagawa Norinushi (1698–1728) Imagawa Norihiko (1716–1749) Imagawa Noriyasu (1731–1784) Imagawa Yoshiaki (1756–1818)

Imagawa Yoshimochi (1786–1839) Imagawa Yoshiyori (1810–1841) Imagawa Norinobu (1829–1887) Imagawa Yoshihito

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 retainers

• Matsudaira Motoyasu
• Toyotomi Hideyoshi
• Okabe Motonobu
• Matsui Munenobu
• Udono Nagateru
• Asahina Yasutomo
• Ii Naomori
• Abe Motozane
• Ichinomiya Munekore
• Ii Naochika
• Iio Tsuratatsu
• Katsurayama Ujimoto
• Katsurayama Ujimoto
• Taigen Sessai
• Iio Noritsura
• Itami Yasunao
• Yamaguchi Noritsugu
• Yamaguchi Noriyoshi
• Yokoe Magohachi

Popular Culture

Imagawa is a playable nation in Europa Universalis IV.

Notes

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

References

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