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The was a Japanese samurai clan, descended from Emperor Seiwa
Emperor Seiwa

Emperor Seiwa was the 56th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 858 through 876....
 (850-880) and a branch of the Minamoto clan
Minamoto clan

was one of the honorary surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan of the Heian Period on those of their sons and grandsons who were not considered eligible for the throne....
, by the Ashikaga clan
Ashikaga clan

The was a prominent Japanese samurai Japanese clans which established the Muromachi shogunate and ruled Japan from roughly 1336 to 1573.The Ashikaga were descended from a branch of the Minamoto clan, deriving originally from the town of Ashikaga, Tochigi in Shimotsuke province ....
. It produced many prominent officials in the Ashikaga shogunate
Ashikaga shogunate

The was a feudal military dictatorship ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga family.This period is also known as the Muromachi period and gets its name from the Muromachi street of Kyoto where the third shogun Yoshimitsu established his residence....
's administration. In the Edo period, the Hosokawa clan was one of the largest landholding daimyo
Daimyo

The were powerful territorial lords who ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. The term derives from a shortening of the title , which literally means "great named land" and originally simply referred to the owner of a large estate....
 families in Japan. In the present day, Morihiro Hosokawa
Morihiro Hosokawa

Morihiro Hosokawa is a Japanese politician who was the 79th Prime Minister of Japan from August 9, 1993 to April 28, 1994. His coalition was the first non-Liberal Democratic Party government since 1955....
, one of its descendants, has achieved notoriety through his tenure as Prime Minister of Japan
Prime Minister of Japan

The is the usual English-language term used for the head of government of Japan, although the literal translation of the Japanese name for the office is Prime Minister of the Cabinet....
.

kaga Yoshisue, son of Ashikaga Yoshizane, was the first to take the name of Hosokawa.






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The was a Japanese samurai clan, descended from Emperor Seiwa
Emperor Seiwa

Emperor Seiwa was the 56th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 858 through 876....
 (850-880) and a branch of the Minamoto clan
Minamoto clan

was one of the honorary surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan of the Heian Period on those of their sons and grandsons who were not considered eligible for the throne....
, by the Ashikaga clan
Ashikaga clan

The was a prominent Japanese samurai Japanese clans which established the Muromachi shogunate and ruled Japan from roughly 1336 to 1573.The Ashikaga were descended from a branch of the Minamoto clan, deriving originally from the town of Ashikaga, Tochigi in Shimotsuke province ....
. It produced many prominent officials in the Ashikaga shogunate
Ashikaga shogunate

The was a feudal military dictatorship ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga family.This period is also known as the Muromachi period and gets its name from the Muromachi street of Kyoto where the third shogun Yoshimitsu established his residence....
's administration. In the Edo period, the Hosokawa clan was one of the largest landholding daimyo
Daimyo

The were powerful territorial lords who ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. The term derives from a shortening of the title , which literally means "great named land" and originally simply referred to the owner of a large estate....
 families in Japan. In the present day, Morihiro Hosokawa
Morihiro Hosokawa

Morihiro Hosokawa is a Japanese politician who was the 79th Prime Minister of Japan from August 9, 1993 to April 28, 1994. His coalition was the first non-Liberal Democratic Party government since 1955....
, one of its descendants, has achieved notoriety through his tenure as Prime Minister of Japan
Prime Minister of Japan

The is the usual English-language term used for the head of government of Japan, although the literal translation of the Japanese name for the office is Prime Minister of the Cabinet....
.

Muromachi and Sengoku eras

Ashikaga Yoshisue, son of Ashikaga Yoshizane, was the first to take the name of Hosokawa. Hosokawa Yoriharu, a Hosokawa of the late Kamakura period, fought for the Ashikaga clan
Ashikaga clan

The was a prominent Japanese samurai Japanese clans which established the Muromachi shogunate and ruled Japan from roughly 1336 to 1573.The Ashikaga were descended from a branch of the Minamoto clan, deriving originally from the town of Ashikaga, Tochigi in Shimotsuke province ....
 against the Kamakura shogunate
Kamakura shogunate

The Kamakura shogunate was a feudal military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura, Kanagawa....
. Another, Hosokawa Akiuji
Hosokawa Akiuji

was a samurai general in the service of the Ashikaga shogunate Northern Court , during Japan's Nanboku-cho period.In 1338, he was sent by Ashikaga Takauji to assist in the defence of the Sieges of Kuromaru, a fortress belonging to Kanrei Shiba Takatsune....
, helped establish the Ashikaga shogunate
Ashikaga shogunate

The was a feudal military dictatorship ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga family.This period is also known as the Muromachi period and gets its name from the Muromachi street of Kyoto where the third shogun Yoshimitsu established his residence....
.

The clan wielded significant power over the course of the Muromachi
Muromachi period

The was a division of History of Japan running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1336 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji....
 (1336-1467), Sengoku
Sengoku period

The was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict in Japan that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century....
 (1467-1600), and Edo period
Edo period

The , or , is a division of History of Japan running from 1603 to 1868. The period marks the governance of the Edo or Tokugawa shogunate, which was officially established in 1603 by the first Edo shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu....
s, moving, however, from Shikoku
Shikoku

is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshu and east of Kyushu island. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima ....
, to Kinai, and then to Kyushu
Kyushu

or Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its Japanese Archipelago. Its alternate ancient names include Kyukoku , Chinzei , and Tsukushi-no-shima ....
 over the centuries.

The clan was also one of three families to dominate the post of Kanrei
Kanrei

or, more rarely, kanryo, was a high political post in feudal Japan; it is usually translated as shogun Deputy. After 1349, there were actually two Kanrei, the Kyoto Kanrei and the Kanto Kanrei....
 (Shogun's deputy), under the Ashikaga shogunate. One such individual was Hosokawa Yoriyuki
Hosokawa Yoriyuki

was a samurai of the Hosokawa clan, and prominent government minister under the Ashikaga shogunate, serving as Kanrei from 1367 to 1379. The first to hold this post, he solidified the power of the shogunate, as well as elements of its administrative organization....
. At the beginning of the Ashikaga's rule, the Hosokawa were given control of the entirety of Shikoku. Over the course of this period, members of the Hosokawa clan were Constables (shugo
Shugo

was a title, commonly translated as "Governor," given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the shogun to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan....
) of Awa
Awa Province (Tokushima)

Awa was an old provinces of Japan of Japan in the area that is today a part of Tokushima prefecture on Shikoku. Awa was bordered by Tosa province, Sanuki province, and Iyo provinces....
, Awaji
Awaji Province

Awaji was an old provinces of Japan of Japan covering Awaji Island, between Honshu and Shikoku. Today it is part of Hyogo Prefecture. It is sometimes called Tanshu ....
, Bitchu
Bitchu Province

was a Provinces of Japan of Japan on the Seto Inland Sea side of western Honshu, in what is today western Okayama Prefecture. Bitchu bordered Hoki Province, Mimasaka Province, Bizen Province, and Bingo Province provinces....
, Izumi
Izumi Province

was a Provinces of Japan of Japan. It is also referred to as . It lay in Kinai, and its area today composes the south-western part of Osaka Prefecture ....
, Sanuki
Sanuki Province

was an old provinces of Japan of Japan on the island of Shikoku, with the same boundaries as modern Kagawa Prefecture. It faced the Inland Sea and bordered on Awa province and Iyo provinces....
, Settsu
Settsu Province

was a Provinces of Japan of Japan, which today comprises the eastern part of Hyogo Prefecture and the northern part of Osaka Prefecture. It was also referred to as Tsu province , or Sesshu ....
, Tamba
Tamba Province

was an Provinces of Japan of Japan. The ambit of its borders encompassed both the central part of modern Kyoto Prefecture and the east-central part of Hyogo Prefecture....
, Tosa
Tosa Province

is the name of a provinces of Japan of Japan in the area that is today Kochi prefecture on Shikoku. Tosa was bordered by Iyo province and Awa province Provinces....
, and Yamashiro Province
Yamashiro Province

was a Provinces of Japan of Japan, located in Kinai. It overlaps the southern part of modern Kyoto Prefecture on Honshu. Aliases include , the rare , and ....
s. A conflict between Hosokawa Katsumoto
Hosokawa Katsumoto

was one of the Kanrei, the Deputies to the Ashikaga Shogunate, during Japan's Muromachi Period. He is famous for his involvement in the creation of Ryoan-ji, a temple famous for its rock garden, and for his involvement in the Onin War, which sparked the 130-year Sengoku period....
, the fifth Kanrei, and his father-in-law Yamana Sozen, over the shogunate's succession, sparked the Onin War
Onin War

The was a civil war from 1467 to 1477 during the Muromachi period in Japan. A dispute between Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Sozen escalated into a nationwide war involving the Ashikaga shogunate and a number of daimyo in many regions of Japan....
, which led to the fall of the shogunate and a period of 150 years of chaos and war, known as Sengoku. Following the fall of the Ashikaga shogunate, which was based in Kyoto, control of the city, and thus obstensibly the country, fell into the hands of the Hosokawa clan (who held the post of Kyoto Kanrei - Shogun's deputy in Kyoto) for a few generations.

Katsumoto's son, Hosokawa Masamoto
Hosokawa Masamoto

a notable Deputy-Shogun of the Hosokawa clan of Japan, and son of Hosokawa Katsumoto. Masamoto was appointed to this very high rank during the year of 1486....
, held power in this way at the end of the 15th century, but was assassinated in 1507. After his death, the clan became divided and was weakened by internecine fighting. What power they still had, however, was centered in and around Kyoto. This gave them the leverage to consolidate their power to some extent, and came to be strong rivals with the Ouchi family
Ouchi family

The was one of the most powerful and important families in Japan during the reign of the Ashikaga shogunate in the 12th to 14th centuries descended from the Korean Baekje Dynasty's Royal family....
, both politically, and in terms of dominating trade with China. The Hosokawa remained in Kyoto for roughly one hundred years, fleeing the city when it was attacked by Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga

was a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of History of Japan. He was the second son of Oda Nobuhide, a deputy shugo with land holdings in Owari province....
.

Edo era


The Hosokawa of Kokura (later Kumamoto) became the "main" line of the Hosokawa clan during the Edo period. Hosokawa Gracia
Hosokawa Gracia

', usually referred to as ', was a Japanese people noblewoman, daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide. She was named Tama at birth; Garasha, the name she is known by in history, is taken from her baptismal name, Gracia....
, the wife of Hosokawa Tadaoki
Hosokawa Tadaoki

was the eldest son of Hosokawa Fujitaka. He fought in his first battle at the age of 15. In that battle, he was in the service of Oda Nobunaga....
, was one of the most famous samurai converts to Christianity; she was also the daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide
Akechi Mitsuhide

, nicknamed Jubei or , was a samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan Japan.Mitsuhide was a samurai and a general under daimyo Oda Nobunaga, although he later betrayed Nobunaga and caused him to commit seppuku....
.

The Hosokawa sided with Ishida Mitsunari
Ishida Mitsunari

Ishida Mitsunari was a samurai who led the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi-Momoyama period of the 17th century....
 during the decisive Sekigahara Campaign, and thus were made tozama
Tozama

A was a daimyo who was considered an outsider by the rulers of Japan. The term came into use in the Kamakura period and continued until the end of the Edo period....
 (outsider) daimyo under the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate

The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the , and the , was a feudalism regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family....
. They were given Higo province
Higo Province

Higo was an old provinces of Japan of Japan in the area that is today Kumamoto prefecture on the island of Kyushu. Higo bordered on Chikugo Province, Bungo Province, Hyuga Province, Osumi Province, and Satsuma Province....
, with an income of 540,000 koku
Koku

The is a unit of volume in Japan, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres....
, as their han
Han (Japan)

The , or domains, were the fiefs of feudal lords of Japan that were created by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and existed until their Abolition of the han system in 1871, three years after the Meiji Restoration....
 (fief).

Hosokawa Tadatoshi
Hosokawa Tadatoshi

was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period, who ruled the Kumamoto Domain. He was a patron of the martial artist Miyamoto Musashi.Tadatoshi's grave is in Kumamoto....
, the third lord of Kumamoto, was the patron of the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi

, also known as Shinmen Takezo, Miyamoto Bennosuke, or by his Buddhist name Niten Doraku, was a Japanese people swordsman famed for his duels and distinctive style....
.

Though the Hosokawa domain was far from the capital, on Kyushu, they were among the wealthiest of the daimyo. By 1750, Higo was one of the top producers of rice, and was in fact counted as a standard by the Osaka rice brokers. The domain suffered from serious economic decline after that, as most domains did, but Hosokawa Shigekata instituted a number of reforms which turned the situation around. He also founded a school, Seisei-ko, in 1755.

There were four major branches of the Hosokawa clan in the Edo period, each of which held the title of daimyo
Daimyo

The were powerful territorial lords who ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. The term derives from a shortening of the title , which literally means "great named land" and originally simply referred to the owner of a large estate....
. Another two branches of the family, under the Nagaoka surname, served the Hosokawa of Kumamoto as karo
KARO

KARO is a radio station city of license to serve Nyssa, Oregon, USA. The station is owned by the Educational Media Foundation.It broadcasts a Contemporary Christian music format as part of the Air 1 network....
. The residence of one of those families, , is still extant, and is a Tangible Culutral Property of Kumamoto Prefecture
Kumamoto Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located on Kyushu Island. The capital is the city of Kumamoto, Kumamoto....
.

Boshin war

During the Boshin War
Boshin War

The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the Emperor of Japan....
 of 1868-69, the Hosokawa of Kumamoto, Kumamoto-Shinden, and Udo sided with the imperial government. Its forces took part in the Battle of Aizu
Battle of Aizu

The Battle of Aizu was fought in northern Japan in autumn 1868, and was part of the Boshin War.Aizu was known for its martial skill, and maintained at any given time, a standing army of over 5000....
 and the Battle of Hakodate
Battle of Hakodate

The was fought in Japan from 1868-10-20 to 1869-05-17, between the remnants of the Tokugawa shogunate army, consolidated into the armed forces of the rebel Ezo Republic, and the armies of the newly formed Imperial government ....
, among others.

Meiji and beyond

Following the abolition of the feudal class in 1871, the Hosokawa clan and its branches were made part of the new nobility
Kazoku

The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947....
 in the Meiji era. They were given the hereditary title of Marquis (koshaku); the title became obsolete in 1947. The present head of the main family line, Morihiro Hosokawa
Morihiro Hosokawa

Morihiro Hosokawa is a Japanese politician who was the 79th Prime Minister of Japan from August 9, 1993 to April 28, 1994. His coalition was the first non-Liberal Democratic Party government since 1955....
, former Prime Minister of Japan
Prime Minister of Japan

The is the usual English-language term used for the head of government of Japan, although the literal translation of the Japanese name for the office is Prime Minister of the Cabinet....
, is a descendant of the Hosokawa of Kumamoto.

Key Genealogies

Kumamoto
  • Hosokawa Fujitaka
    Hosokawa Fujitaka

    ' was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period. Also known as '. Fujitaka was a prominent retainer of the last Ashikaga shoguns. When he joined the Oda, Oda Nobunaga awarded him with Tango fief....
     (1534-1610)
  • Hosokawa Tadaoki
    Hosokawa Tadaoki

    was the eldest son of Hosokawa Fujitaka. He fought in his first battle at the age of 15. In that battle, he was in the service of Oda Nobunaga....
     (1563-1645)
  • Hosokawa Tadatoshi
    Hosokawa Tadatoshi

    was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period, who ruled the Kumamoto Domain. He was a patron of the martial artist Miyamoto Musashi.Tadatoshi's grave is in Kumamoto....
     (1586-1641)
  • Hosokawa Mitsunao (1619-1650)
  • Hosokawa Tsunatoshi (1643-1714)
  • Hosokawa Nobunori (1676-1732)
  • Hosokawa Munetaka (1716-1747)
  • Hosokawa Shigekata (1718-1785)
  • Hosokawa Harutoshi (1758-1787)
  • Hosokawa Narishige (1755-1835)
  • Hosokawa Naritatsu (1797-1826)
  • Hosokawa Narimori (1804-1860)
  • Hosokawa Yoshikuni (1835-1876)-Last ruling Lord of Kumamoto; 1st Marquis of Kumamoto
  • Hosokawa Morihisa, 2nd Marquis (1839-1893)
  • Hosokawa Morishige, 3rd Marquis (1868-1914)
  • Hosokawa Moritatsu, 4th Marquis (title obsolete in 1947) (1883-1970)
  • Hosokawa Morisada, 5th Marquis (1912-2005)
  • Morihiro Hosokawa
    Morihiro Hosokawa

    Morihiro Hosokawa is a Japanese politician who was the 79th Prime Minister of Japan from August 9, 1993 to April 28, 1994. His coalition was the first non-Liberal Democratic Party government since 1955....
    , 6th Marquis (1938-)


Kumamoto-Shinden (Takase)
  • Hosokawa Toshishige (1647-1687)
  • Hosokawa Toshimasa (1672-1715)
  • Hosokawa Toshiyasu (1701-1749)
  • Hosokawa Toshihiro (1716-1767)
  • Hosokawa Toshiyuki (1750-1781)
  • Hosokawa Toshitsune (1754-1805)
  • Hosokawa Toshikuni (1784-1810)
  • Hosokawa Toshichika (1788-1844)
  • Hosokawa Toshimochi (1808-1864)
  • Hosokawa Toshinaga (1829-1901)
  • Hosokawa Toshisuke


Udo
  • Hosokawa Yukitaka (1615-1645)
  • Hosokawa Aritaka (1676-1733)
  • Hosokawa Okinari (1699-1737)
  • Hosokawa Okisato (1722-1745)
  • Hosokawa Okinori (1723-1785)
  • Hosokawa Tatsuhiro (1755-1835)
  • Hosokawa Tatsuyuki (1784-1818)
  • Hosokawa Tatsumasa (1804-1860)
  • Hosokawa Yukika (1811-1876)
  • Hosokawa Tatsunori (1832-1888)
  • Hosokawa Yukizane (1842-1902)


Hitachi-Yatabe
  • Hosokawa Okimoto (1564-1619)
  • Hosokawa Okimasa (1604-1643)
  • Hosokawa Okitaka (1632-1690)
  • Hosokawa Okinaga (1658-1737)
  • Hosokawa Okizane (1687-1728)
  • Hosokawa Okitora (1710-1737)
  • Hosokawa Okiharu (1737-1794)
  • Hosokawa Okinori (1759-1837)
  • Hosokawa Okitatsu (1798-1855)
  • Hosokawa Okitsura (1832-1907)
  • Hosokawa Okitsugu
  • Hosokawa Okiharu


Japanese


English

  • Bodiford, William (1993). Soto Zen in Medieval Japan. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
  • Bingham, Woodbridge (1964). A History of Asia. New York: Allyn and Bacon.
  • Frederic, Louis (2002). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
  • Motoyama, Yukihiko (1997). Proliferating Talent. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press.
  • Sansom, George (1961). A History of Japan: 1334-1615. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
  • Sansom, George (1963). A History of Japan: 1615-1867. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
  • Wilson, William S. (2004). The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi. New York: Kodansha International.


See also

  • Matsui Okinaga
  • Miyamoto Musashi
    Miyamoto Musashi

    , also known as Shinmen Takezo, Miyamoto Bennosuke, or by his Buddhist name Niten Doraku, was a Japanese people swordsman famed for his duels and distinctive style....
  • Kumamoto Castle
    Kumamoto Castle

    Kumamoto Castle is a castle in Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan that has been opened to the public for tours. A large, and in its day, an extremely well fortified Japanese castle....