All Topics  
Matsudaira clan

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Matsudaira clan
 
 
  Topics Matsudaira clan Topic Home

The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from 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....
. It first originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province
Mikawa Province

is an old provinces of Japan in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. Mikawa bordered on Owari province, Mino province, Shinano province, and Totomi Province provinces....
 (modern-day Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located in the Tokai region of the Chubu region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chukyo Metropolitan Area....
). Over the course of its history, the clan produced many branches, most of which also centered around Mikawa Province. In the 16th century, the main Matsudaira line experienced a meteoric rise to success during the headship of Matsudaira Motoyasu, who changed his name to Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu

Japanese name|Tokugawa}} was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara  in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868....
 and became the first Tokugawa shogun.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Matsudaira clan'
Start a new discussion about 'Matsudaira clan'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from 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....
. It first originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province
Mikawa Province

is an old provinces of Japan in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. Mikawa bordered on Owari province, Mino province, Shinano province, and Totomi Province provinces....
 (modern-day Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located in the Tokai region of the Chubu region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chukyo Metropolitan Area....
). Over the course of its history, the clan produced many branches, most of which also centered around Mikawa Province. In the 16th century, the main Matsudaira line experienced a meteoric rise to success during the headship of Matsudaira Motoyasu, who changed his name to Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu

Japanese name|Tokugawa}} was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara  in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868....
 and became the first Tokugawa shogun. Ieyasu's line formed what became the Tokugawa clan
Tokugawa clan

The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains mystery....
; however, the branches retained the Matsudaira surname. Other branches were formed in the decades after Ieyasu, which bore the Matsudaira surname. Most of those branches were 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....
 status.

After the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration

The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japan's political and social structure....
 and the abolition of the han system
Abolition of the han system

The was an act, in 1871, of the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan to replace the traditional feudal domain system and to introduce centralized government authority ....
, the Tokugawa and Matsudaira clans became part of the new nobility
Kazoku

The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947....
. Many Matsudaira family members remain significant in Japanese society today.

Origins

The Matsudaira clan originated in Mikawa Province
Mikawa Province

is an old provinces of Japan in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. Mikawa bordered on Owari province, Mino province, Shinano province, and Totomi Province provinces....
. Its origins are uncertain, but in the Sengoku era, the clan claimed descent from the medieval Seiwa Genji
Seiwa Genji

The were the most successful and powerful of the many branch families of the Japanese Minamoto clan. Many of the most famous Minamoto warriors, including Minamoto Yoshiie, also known as "Hachimantaro", or God of War, and Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura shogunate, were descended from this line....
 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....
. According to this claim, the founder of the Matsudaira line was Matsudaira Chikauji, who lived in the 14th century and established himself in Mikawa Province, at Matsudaira village.

Sengoku period


Minor power between major neighbors

In its territory in Mikawa Province, the Matsudaira clan was surrounded by much more powerful neighbors. To the west was the territory of the Oda clan of Owari Province
Owari Province

was an old Provinces of Japan of Japan that is now the western half of present day Aichi Prefecture, including much of modern Nagoya. Its abbreviation is Bishu ....
; to the east, the Imagawa clan
Imagawa clan

The was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from Emperor Seiwa . It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan....
 of Suruga
Suruga Province

was an old provinces of Japan in the area that is today the eastern part of Shizuoka prefecture. Suruga bordered on Izu province, Kai province, Sagami province, Shinano province, and Totomi Province provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Suruga Bay....
. Each generation of Matsudaira family head had to carefully negotiate his relationship with these neighbors.

Branches of the Matsudaira clan

Tokugawa Ieyasu
Before the Edo period, there were 19 major branches of the Matsudaira clan: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and . Each of these branches (with the exception of the Kaga-Matsudaira, which relocated to Kaga Province) took its name from the area in Mikawa where it resided. Also, many of the branches often fought with each other.

The Matsudaira of Okazaki

It was the main Matsudaira line residing in Okazaki Castle
Okazaki Castle

, although not the same castle as was originally built, nor in the same place, nevertheless has a long history dating back to 1455, when it was built by warrior Saigo Tsugiyori....
 which rose the highest during the Sengoku period. During the headship of Matsudaira Hirotada
Matsudaira Hirotada

was the lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa province, Japan during the Sengoku Period of the 16th century. He is best known for being the father of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate....
, it was threatened by the Oda and Imagawa clans, and for a time was forcibly brought into Imagawa service. After the death of Imagawa Yoshimoto
Imagawa Yoshimoto

was one of the leading daimyo in early Sengoku period Japan. Based in Suruga Province, he was one of the three daimyo that dominated the Tokaido . He was one of the dominant daimyo in Japan for a time, until his death in 1560....
 and the fall from power of the Imagawa clan, Hirotada's son Matsudaira Motoyasu was successful in forming an alliance with 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....
, the hegemon of Owari Province
Owari Province

was an old Provinces of Japan of Japan that is now the western half of present day Aichi Prefecture, including much of modern Nagoya. Its abbreviation is Bishu ....
. Motoyasu is better known as Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu

Japanese name|Tokugawa}} was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara  in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868....
, who became the first Tokugawa shogun in 1603.

Matsudaira branches and the use of the surname


Pre-Edo branches

Several of the pre-Edo branch families survived into the Edo period; some of them became daimyo. The Takiwaki-Matsudaira family became daimyo of the Ojima Domain, and from 1868-1871, ruled the Sakurai Domain. The Nagasawa-Matsudaira, also known as the Okochi-Matsudaira, had several branches, one of them ruled the Yoshida Domain of Mikawa Province
Mikawa Province

is an old provinces of Japan in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. Mikawa bordered on Owari province, Mino province, Shinano province, and Totomi Province provinces....
. A prominent Nagasawa-Matsudaira is the early 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....
 politician Matsudaira Nobutsuna
Matsudaira Nobutsuna

was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period, who ruled the Kawagoe Domain. First serving Tokugawa Iemitsu as a Page , Nobutsuna was renowned for his sagacity....
. The Fukozu-Matsudaira ruled the Shimabara Domain
Shimabara Domain

The was a Han of Edo period Japan, located in Hizen Province, Kyushu, occupying most of Shimabara Peninsula....
. The Sakurai-Matsudaira ruled the Amagasaki Domain. The Ogyu-Matsudaira had many branches, one of which ruled the Okutono Domain
Okutono Domain

, also known as Ogyu-han and later, Tatsuoka-han, was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, with holdings scattered between Mikawa Province and Shinano Province....
. Nagai Naoyuki
Nagai Naoyuki

, also known as or , was a Japanese samurai and Tokugawa shogunate retainer of the late Edo era....
 was a prominent Bakumatsu-era descendant of the Ogyu-Matsudaira of Okutono. Other pre-Edo branches of the family became hatamoto
Hatamoto

A was a samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in History of Japan had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as gokenin. However, in the Edo period, hatamoto were the upper vassals of the Tokugawa house, and the gokenin were the lower va...
.

Tokugawa branches and the Matsudaira surname

The Tokugawa surname was not granted to all of the sons of the shogun or the heads of the six main Tokugawa branches. Only the inheritor received the Tokugawa name, while all of his siblings would receive the Matsudaira surname. For example, the last shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu was not the firstborn heir of his father (Tokugawa Nariaki
Tokugawa Nariaki

Tokugawa Nariaki was a prominent Japanese daimyo who ruled the Mito domain and contributed to the rise of nationalism and the Meiji restoration....
 of Mito
Mito Domain

was a prominent feudal domain in Japan during the Edo period. Beginning with the appointment of Tokugawa Yorifusa by his father, Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, in 1608, the Mito branch of the Tokugawa clan controlled the domain until the abolition of the han system in 1871....
). Consequently, Yoshinobu was known as Matsudaira Shichiroma during his minority. Some of these sons, particularly of the 3 main Tokugawa branches (the Gosanke
Gosanke

The were three branches of the Tokugawa clan of Japan. They were descended from Tokugawa Ieyasu through younger brothers of his heir, Tokugawa Hidetada....
), formed their own families, and received their own fiefs. These included Takamatsu
Takamatsu Domain

The was a Han or feudal domain in Sanuki Province , Japan during the Edo period. The domain was governed first by the Ikoma family then by the Matsudaira clan....
, Shishido
Shishido Domain

The was a Han of Japan's Edo period. Located in Hitachi Province , it was ruled for the majority of its history by a branch of the Tokugawa clan of Mito Domain....
,, Fuchu
Fuchu Domain

There were three han s or feudal domain in Japan called * Sunpu Domain in Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture* Fuchu Domain in Ishioka, Ibaraki, Ibaraki Prefecture...
, and Moriyama (branches of the Mito Tokugawa); Saijo (a branch of the Kii Tokugawa); and Takasu (a branch of the Owari Tokugawa). Notable Matsudaira of these branches include Matsudaira Yoritoshi
Matsudaira Yoritoshi

was a Japanese daimyo of the late Edo period, who ruled the Takamatsu Domain. Yoritoshi was the son-in-law of Ii Naosuke. His court title was Kokushi ....
 of Takamatsu, and Matsudaira Yoritaka
Matsudaira Yoritaka

; was a Japanese daimyo of the late Edo Period who served as daimyo of Shishido han. Retiring early, he was succeeded by his son Matsudaira Yorinori, but Yoritaka returned to headship following Yorinori's death in 1864....
 of Fuchu. Yoritsune Matsudaira
Yoritsune Matsudaira

was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music.Matsudaira was descended, on his father's side of the family, from the Matsudaira clan, related to the Tokugawa clan who ruled Japan as shogun during the Edo Period , and on his mother's side of the family from the Fujiwara family, who were court regents from the 7th to the 12th centuri...
 and his son Yoriaki Matsudaira, who were 20th century composers, were descendants of the Matsudaira of Fuchu.

Yuki-Matsudaira clan (Echizen)

The Yuki-Matsudaira clan was founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu's son Yuki Hideyasu
Yuki Hideyasu

was a Japanese daimyo who lived during the Azuchi-Momoyama period and early Edo periods. Born the second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, he established the Echizen Province Fukui Domain....
. Several branches of the Yuki-Matsudaira came into existence during the Edo period. Though the Yuki-Matsudaira retained control of Kitanosho (later renamed Fukui), the main Yuki line was not there, but in Tsuyama
Tsuyama Domain

The was a feudal domain in Mimasaka Province of Japan during the Edo period....
 instead. Branches of the family ruled the Fukui
Fukui Domain

The was a feudal domain in Echizen Province of Japan during the Edo period. It is also sometimes called . The family name of the heads of the domain is "Matsudaira"....
, Hirose, Mori, Matsue
Matsue Domain

The was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. It was headquartered in what is now Matsue, Shimane.List of lords*Horio clan, 1600-1633 ...
, Tsuyama, Akashi
Akashi Domain

The was a Han of Japan. It occupied Akashi District and surroundings in Harima Province. Fudai and Shinpan daimyo were assigned, and frequently reassigned, to Akashi....
, Itoigawa, and Maebashi domains. Famous Yuki-Matsudaira include Matsudaira Naritami
Matsudaira Naritami

was a Japanese daimyo of the late Edo period who ruled the Tsuyama Domain of Mimasaka Province.Born Tokugawa Ginnosuke, the 16th son of the shogun Tokugawa Ienari, Naritami was adopted by Matsudaira Naritaka of Tsuyama....
 and Matsudaira Yoshinaga
Matsudaira Yoshinaga

, also known as Matsudaira Keiei, was the 14th head of Fukui Domain during the Late Tokugawa shogunate and politician of the Meiji era. "Yoshinaga" is his imina and "Shungaku" is his Japanese name....
, two daimyo of the late Edo period. Matsudaira Yoshinaga in particular was very important to Japanese politics of the early Meiji period, and his leadership put the Fukui Domain on the side of the victors in 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....
 (1868-69).

Hisamatsu-Matsudaira clan

The Hisamatsu-Matsudaira clan was founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu's half-brother Hisamatsu Sadakatsu
Hisamatsu Sadakatsu

was a retainer beneath the clan of Tokugawa clan throughout the latter Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan. As Hisamatsu was a son of Hisamatsu Toshikatsu and the respective half-brother of Tokugawa Ieyasu by virtue of sharing the same mother, it is easily speculated that Sadakatsu supported his half-brother in retainership around the year of 15...
. Due to his close relation to Ieyasu, Sadakatsu was allowed the use of the Matsudaira surname. Eventually, some of the branches of the Hisamatsu-Matsudaira were also allowed the use of the Tokugawa family crest, as well as being formally recognized as Tokugawa relatives (shinpan
Shinpan (daimyo)

The daimyo were certain relatives of the Tokugawa shoguns of Japan. While all shinpan were relatives of the shogun, not all relatives of the shogun were shinpan; an example of this is the Matsudaira clan of the Okutono Domain....
), rather than simply being a fudai
Fudai

was a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration....
 family. Branches of the Hisamatsu-Matsudaira ruled the Kuwana
Kuwana Domain

The was a Japanese Han of the Edo period, located in Ise Province ....
, Imabari
Imabari Domain

The was a Japanse Han of the Edo period, located in Iyo Province ....
, and Iyo-Matsuyama
Iyo-Matsuyama Domain

The was a Japanese Han of the Edo period, with its holdings centered in modern-day Matsuyama, Ehime....
 domains. Famous Hisamatsu-Matsudaira include the political reformer Matsudaira Sadanobu
Matsudaira Sadanobu

Japanese daimyo of the mid-Edo period, famous for his financial reforms which saved the Shirakawa Domain, and the similar reforms he undertook during his tenure as chief Roju of the Tokugawa Shogunate, from 1787 to 1793....
, the final Kyoto Shoshidai
Kyoto Shoshidai

The was an important administrative and political office in the early modern government of Japan. However, the significance and effectiveness of the office is credited to the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, who developed these initial creations as bureaucratic elements in a consistent and coherent whole....
 Matsudaira Sadaaki
Matsudaira Sadaaki

was a Japanese daimyo of the Bakumatsu period, who was the last ruler of the Kuwana Domain. Sadaaki was the adopted heir of Matsudaira Sadamichi, the descendant of Sadatsuna, the third son of Hisamatsu Sadakutsu , who was Tokugawa Ieyasu's brother....
, and shogunate politican Itakura Katsukiyo
Itakura Katsukiyo

was a Japanese daimyo of the late Edo period. Famed for his tenure as roju, Itakura later became a Shinto priest....
. In the Meiji era, the heads of all the Hisamatsu-Matsudaira branches received titles in the new nobility
Kazoku

The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947....
.

Ochi-Matsudaira clan

The Ochi-Matsudaira clan was founded by Matsudaira Kiyotake, the younger brother of the 6th shogun Tokugawa Ienobu. The Ochi-Matsudaira ruled the Hamada Domain
Hamada Domain

The was a Japanese Han of the Edo period, located in Iwami Province . The domain came to an end with its conquest by forces of the Choshu Domain and its subsequent absorption of Hamada into Choshu territory....
. The family lost most of its territory in 1866, when the castle town was occupied by Choshu Domain forces under Omura Masujiro
Omura Masujiro

was a Japanese military leader and theorist in Bakumatsu period Japan. He is regarded as the?Father of the Modern Japanese Army.?...
 during the Choshu War. Matsudaira Takeakira, the last daimyo, escaped Hamada and went to Tsuruta, one of the domain's non-contiguous territories; there he set up the Tsuruta Domain, which existed until the abolition of the domains in 1871. In the Meiji era, Takeakira's son Matsudaira (Ochi) Takenaga received the title of viscount
Kazoku

The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947....
.

Hoshina-Matsudaira clan (Aizu)

Wakamatsucastle
The Hoshina-Matsudaira clan was founded by Hoshina Masayuki. Masayuki, a son of the second shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, was adopted by Hoshina Masamitsu
Hoshina Masamitsu

was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, who served the Tokugawa clan. Masamitsu was the son of Hoshino Masanao, and after having lent his support to Tokugawa Ieyasu at the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara, he was given the Takato Domain fief in 1600.With his father's death the following year in Takato, Masamitsu became the new head of the Hoshina...
, the lord of the Takato Domain
Takato Domain

The was a Japanese han of the Edo period, located in southern Shinano province. Its capital was at Takato Castle, in what is today the city of Ina, Nagano, Nagano Prefecture....
. Masayuki was recognized as a relative of the Tokugawa family by his half-brother Tokugawa Iemitsu
Tokugawa Iemitsu

Tokugawa Iemitsu , sometimes Romanisation Iyemitsu, was the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate who reigned from 1623 to 1651. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu....
; after Iemitsu's death, Masayuki served as a regent for his nephew, the underaged shogun Tokugawa Ietsuna
Tokugawa Ietsuna

was the fourth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan who was in office from 1651 to 1680. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, thus making him the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu....
, thus effectively running the shogunate. It was at this time that Masayuki received rulership of the fief of Aizu
Aizu

is an area comprising the westernmost third of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The principal city of the area is Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima.During the Edo period, Aizu was a han known as and part of Mutsu province....
 (with an income of 230,000 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....
). Two generations later, during the reign of the 3rd lord Masakata, the family was allowed the use of the Matsudaira surname and crest. The family remained prominent in shogunate affairs and in security duty in Ezo (Hokkaido
Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island and the largest, northernmost of its 47 prefectures of Japan....
). It also sponsored several schools of martial arts, as well as working to develop and spread the production of local crafts. In the Bakumatsu period, the 8th lord Matsudaira Katataka
Matsudaira Katataka

Matsudaira Katataka Japanese daimyo lord, ruler of the 230,000 koku Aizu domain in Mutsu Province. Known in his youth as Keizaburo ???, he was born to Matsudaira Yoshikazu, the lord of the Takasu domain, in Mino....
 assisted with security duties during and after the arrival of Matthew C. Perry's US Navy vessels; Katataka's successor, 9th lord Matsudaira Katamori
Matsudaira Katamori

was a samurai that lived in the Bakumatsu and the early to mid Meiji period. He was the 9th daimyo of the Aizu and the Kyoto Shugoshoku during the Bakumatsu period....
 served as Kyoto Protector, but his clan was later defeated in 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....
. The Aizu-Matsudaira survived the Meiji Restoration, and were ennobled with the title of viscount
Kazoku

The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947....
. Katamori's son Matsudaira Morio
Matsudaira Morio

Viscount was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy....
 served as an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy

The origins of the Imperial Japanese Navy trace back to early interactions with nations on the Asia, beginning in the early history of Japan#Feudal Japan and reaching a peak of activity during the 16th and 17th centuries at a time of cultural diffusion with European power during the Age of Discovery....
. The family survives to the present day. Isao Matsudaira, who was governor of Fukushima Prefecture
Fukushima Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located in the Tohoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima, Fukushima....
 in the 1980s, was a descendant of this family. Princess Chichibu
Princess Chichibu

was the wife of Prince Chichibu of Japan.Princess Chichibu was born Matsudaira Setsuko in Walton on Thames, England. She was the daughter of Matsudaira Tsuneo , Japanese ambassador to the United States and later to Great Britain , and still later, Imperial Household Agency and his wife, the former Nabeshima Nobuko....
 Setsuko, the wife of Emperor Hirohito
Hirohito

, also known as , was the 124th Emperor of Japan of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989....
's brother Prince Chichibu
Prince Chichibu

, also known as Prince Yasuhito, was the second son of Emperor Taisho and a younger brother of the Showa Emperor. As a member of the Imperial Household of Japan, he was the patron of several sporting, medical, and international exchange organizations....
 Yasuhito, was another.

Matsudaira as an honorific

Over the course of the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate granted the use of the Matsudaira surname to certain families as an honorific. These families included both fudai
Fudai

was a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration....
 and 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....
 daimyo families. The Date clan of Sendai
Sendai Domain

was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. Most of its holdings were contiguous, covering all of modern-day Miyagi Prefecture, small portions of southern Iwate Prefecture, and a portion of northeastern Fukushima Prefecture....
, the Shimazu clan of Satsuma, the Mori clan
Mori clan

The Mori clan was a Japanese clans of daimyo, descended from Oe no Hiromoto and established themselves in Aki Province. Their name was derived from a shoen in Mori, Aiko District, Sagami Province....
 of Choshu, the Maeda clan
Maeda clan

The was a branch of the Sugawara clan who descended from Sugawara no Kiyotomo and Sugawara no Michizane in the eighth and ninth centuries. It was one of the most powerful samurai families in Japan and they were second only to the Tokugawa clan in rice production and fief size....
 of Kaga
Kaga Domain

The was a powerful feudal domain in Kaga Province, Noto Province and Etchu Province Provinces of Japan of Japan during the Edo period. The domain was founded by Maeda Toshiie and headed by the Maeda clan....
 (and its branches at Daishoji and Toyama), the Yamanouchi clan of Tosa
Tosa Domain

The was a feudal domain in Tosa Province of Japan during the Edo period. Its official name is . Some from the domain played important roles in events in the late Tokugawa shogunate....
, the Kuroda clan of Fukuoka, the Asano clan of Hiroshima (and its branch at Hiroshima-shinden), the Nabeshima of Saga, the Ikeda of Tottori (as well as its branches of Okayama, Shikano, Wakazakura, Hirafuku, as well as hatamoto-level Ikeda), and the Hachisuka of Tokushima were all tozama families that had the use of the Matsudaira surname. The Yanagisawa clan of Yamato and Honjo clan of Miyazu
Miyazu Domain

The was a Japanese Han of the Edo period, located in Tango Province ....
 were two fudai families among those who had the right to use the Matsudaira surname. In addition, if a Tokugawa princess married into another family, her husband had the right to use the Matsudaira surname and the Tokugawa crest for one generation.

Matsudaira in the present day

Prominent Matsudaira in the present day include Matsudaira Ryumon (actor) and Matsudaira Sadatomo (anchor for NHK
NHK

, or Japan Broadcasting Corporation, is Japan's public broadcaster. The NHK is financed by a television licence. This Japanese public corporation has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, NHK....
), among others.

Key Genealogies


Main line (Tokugawa shogun)

  • Serata Arichika
  • Matsudaira Chikauji
  • Matsudaira Yasuuji
  • Matsudaira Nobumitsu
  • Matsudaira Chikatada (1431-1501)
  • Matsudaira Nagachika (1473-1544)
  • Matsudaira Nobutada (1486-1531)
  • Matsudaira Kiyoyasu
    Matsudaira Kiyoyasu

    Matsudaira Kiyoyasu was the 7th lord over the Matsudaira clan during the Sengoku period of Japan. Kiyoyasu was the grandfather of the exceedingly famous unifier of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu....
     (1511-1535)
  • Matsudaira Hirotada
    Matsudaira Hirotada

    was the lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa province, Japan during the Sengoku Period of the 16th century. He is best known for being the father of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate....
     (1526-1549)
  • Tokugawa Ieyasu
    Tokugawa Ieyasu

    Japanese name|Tokugawa}} was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara  in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868....
     (1543-1616)
  • Tokugawa Hidetada
    Tokugawa Hidetada

    was the second shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa bakufu....
     (1579-1632)
  • Tokugawa Iemitsu
    Tokugawa Iemitsu

    Tokugawa Iemitsu , sometimes Romanisation Iyemitsu, was the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate who reigned from 1623 to 1651. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu....
     (1604-1651)
  • Tokugawa Ietsuna
    Tokugawa Ietsuna

    was the fourth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan who was in office from 1651 to 1680. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, thus making him the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu....
     (1641-1680)
  • Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
    Tokugawa Tsunayoshi

    Tokugawa Tsunayoshi was the fifth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was the younger brother of Tokugawa Ietsuna, thus making him the son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu....
     (1646-1709)
  • Tokugawa Ienobu
    Tokugawa Ienobu

    was the sixth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Tsunashige, thus making him the nephew of Tokugawa Ietsuna and Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the grandson of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the great-grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the great-great grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu....
     (1662-1712)
  • Tokugawa Ietsugu
    Tokugawa Ietsugu

    Tokugawa Ietsugu; ?? ?? was the seventh shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, who ruled from 1713 until his death in 1716. He was the son of Tokugawa Ienobu, thus making him the grandson of Tokugawa Tsunashige, daimyo of Kofu, great-grandson of Tokugawa Iemitsu, great-great grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and finally the great-great-great grandso...
     (1709-1716)
  • Tokugawa Yoshimune
    Tokugawa Yoshimune

    was the eighth shogun 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....
     (1684-1751)
  • Tokugawa Ieshige
    Tokugawa Ieshige

    Tokugawa Ieshige; ?? ?? was the ninth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan.The first son of Tokugawa Yoshimune, his mother was the daughter of Okubo Tadanao, known as Osuma no kata....
     (1712-1761)
  • Tokugawa Ieharu
    Tokugawa Ieharu

    Tokugawa Ieharu Ieharu was the eldest son of Tokugawa Ieshige, the ninth shogun....
     (1737-1786)
  • Tokugawa Ienari
    Tokugawa Ienari

    Tokugawa Ienari; ?? ?? was the eleventh shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan who held office from 1787 to 1837....
     (1773-1841)
  • Tokugawa Ieyoshi
    Tokugawa Ieyoshi

    Tokugawa Ieyoshi was the 12th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan.He was the second son of the 11th shogun, Tokugawa Ienari, and employed Mizuno Tadakuni to conduct the Tenpo reform....
     (1793-1853)
  • Tokugawa Iesada
    Tokugawa Iesada

    Tokugawa Iesada...
     (1824-1858)
  • Tokugawa Iemochi
    Tokugawa Iemochi

    was the 14th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office 1858 to 1866. During his reign, there was much internal turmoil caused by the first major contact with the United States which occurred under Matthew C....
     (1846-1866)
  • Tokugawa Yoshinobu
    Tokugawa Yoshinobu

    Prince Tokugawa Yoshinobu was the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful....
     (1837-1913)
  • Tokugawa Iesato
    Tokugawa Iesato

    Prince was the first head of the Tokugawa clan family after the overthrow of the Tokugawa bakufu and figure in Japanese politics during the Meiji period, Taisho period and early Showa period period Japan....
     (1863-1940)
  • Tokugawa Iemasa
    Tokugawa Iemasa

    Prince , 2nd Prince Tokugawa Japanese political figure of the Taisho and Showa periods. 17th head of the former Tokugawa shogunal house, he held a variety of government positions, including ambassador to Turkey....
     (1884-1963)
  • Tokugawa Tsunenari
    Tokugawa Tsunenari

    Present head of the main Tokugawa house. His great-grandfather by his birth family was the famed Matsudaira Katamori of Aizu. Tsunenari was active for many years in the shipping company Nippon Yusen, and at present is the head of the nonprofit Tokugawa Foundation....
     (1940-)


Hoshina-Matsudaira clan (Aizu)

  • Hoshina Masayuki (1611-1673)
  • Hoshina Masatsune (1647-1681)
  • Matsudaira Masakata (1669-1731)
  • Matsudaira Katasada (1724-1750)
  • Matsudaira Katanobu (1744-1805)
  • Matsudaira Kataoki (1779-1806)
  • Matsudaira Katahiro
    Matsudaira Katahiro

    was a Japanese daimyo of the late Edo period, who ruled the Aizu domain. He succeeded family headship at age 4, and died at age 20. With his death, the direct line of descent from Tokugawa Hidetada came to an end....
     (1803-1822)
  • Matsudaira Katataka
    Matsudaira Katataka

    Matsudaira Katataka Japanese daimyo lord, ruler of the 230,000 koku Aizu domain in Mutsu Province. Known in his youth as Keizaburo ???, he was born to Matsudaira Yoshikazu, the lord of the Takasu domain, in Mino....
     (1806-1852)
  • Matsudaira Katamori
    Matsudaira Katamori

    was a samurai that lived in the Bakumatsu and the early to mid Meiji period. He was the 9th daimyo of the Aizu and the Kyoto Shugoshoku during the Bakumatsu period....
     (1836-1893)
  • Matsudaira Nobunori
    Matsudaira Nobunori

    Viscount ; was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period who served as daimyo of Aizu Domain from 1868-69. Born the son of Tokugawa Nariaki of Mito, he was adopted by Matsudaira Katamori as successor....
     (1855-1891)
  • Matsudaira Kataharu
    Matsudaira Kataharu

    Viscount ; was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period who served as the daimyo of Tonami han in the early Meiji Era. Born the eldest son of Matsudaira Katamori, he succeeded Katamori's adopted son Matsudaira Nobunori in 1869....
     (1869-1910)
  • Matsudaira Morio
    Matsudaira Morio

    Viscount was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy....
     (1878-1944)
  • Matsudaira Morisada
    Matsudaira Morisada

    ; is a retired Japanese businessman who is active in historical preservation. The grandson of Matsudaira Katamori, he spends a fair amount of time in Aizu....
     (1926-)
  • Matsudaira Morihisa


Yuki-Matsudaira clan (Echizen)

  • Yuki Hideyasu
    Yuki Hideyasu

    was a Japanese daimyo who lived during the Azuchi-Momoyama period and early Edo periods. Born the second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, he established the Echizen Province Fukui Domain....
     (1574-1607)
  • Matsudaira Tadanao
    Matsudaira Tadanao

    was a Japanese daimyo who ruled the Fukui Domain in the early Edo period. Tadanao was born 'Matsudaira Senchiyo', the eldest son of Yuki Hideyasu, by his concubine Lady Nakagawa....
     (1595-1650)
  • Matsudaira Tadamasa
    Matsudaira Tadamasa

    was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period. The 2nd son of Yuki Hideyasu, he succeeded the family headship following his brother Tadanao's forced retirement....
     (1598-1645)
  • Matsudaira Mitsumichi
    Matsudaira Mitsumichi

    was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period who ruled the Fukui Domain. The second son of Matsudaira Tadamasa, he was the second lord of the domain after its official name change to Fukui....
     (1636-1674)
  • Matsudaira Masachika
    Matsudaira Masachika

    was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period who ruled the Fukui Domain twice, from 1674-1676 and from 1686-1710....
     (1640-1711)
  • Matsudaira Tsunamasa
    Matsudaira Tsunamasa

    was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period who ruled the Fukui Domain. Born in Edo, the eldest son of Matsudaira Masakatsu . After the succession dispute with his uncle Matsudaira Masachika, the latter resigned, and allowed Tsunamasa to become lord of Fukui....
     (1661-1699)
  • Yoshinori (the former Masachika
    Matsudaira Masachika

    was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period who ruled the Fukui Domain twice, from 1674-1676 and from 1686-1710....
    )
  • Matsudaira Yoshikuni
    Matsudaira Yoshikuni (Fukui)

    was a Japanese daimyo of the mid Edo period who ruled the Fukui Domain. 6th son of Matsudaira Masakatsu. Born in Edo in 1681, he was first known as 'Katsuchiyo'....
     (1681-1722)
  • Matsudaira Munemasa
    Matsudaira Munemasa

    was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, who ruled the Fukui Domain. He succeeded to the headship of the Matsudaira family of Matsuoka Domain, before being chosen as the next lord of the Fukui Domain....
     (1675-1724)
  • Matsudaira Munenori (1715-1749)
  • Matsudaira Shigemasa
    Matsudaira Shigemasa

    was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, who ruled the Fukui Domain.References ...
     (1743-1758)
  • Matsudaira Shigetomi (1748-1809)
  • Matsudaira Haruyoshi
    Matsudaira Haruyoshi

    was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, who ruled the Fukui Domain.References ...
     (1768-1826)
  • Matsudaira Naritsugu
    Matsudaira Naritsugu

    was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, who ruled the Fukui Domain.References ...
     (1811-1835)
  • Matsudaira Narisawa
    Matsudaira Narisawa

    was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period, who ruled the Fukui Domain. He was the 22nd son of Tokugawa Ienari....
     (1820-1838)
  • Matsudaira Yoshinaga
    Matsudaira Yoshinaga

    , also known as Matsudaira Keiei, was the 14th head of Fukui Domain during the Late Tokugawa shogunate and politician of the Meiji era. "Yoshinaga" is his imina and "Shungaku" is his Japanese name....
     (1828-1890)
  • Matsudaira Mochiaki
    Matsudaira Mochiaki

    Marquis was a Japanese daimyo of the late Edo period. He first ruled the Itoigawa Domain, before being adopted by Matsudaira Yoshinaga as his successor for the position of ruler of the Fukui Domain....
     (1836-1890)


Ochi-Matsudaira clan (Hamada)

  • Matsudaira Kiyotake (1663-1724)
  • Matsudaira Takemasa (1702-1728)
  • Matsudaira Takemoto (1714-1779)
  • Matsudaira Takehiro (1754-1789)
  • Matsudaira Nariatsu (1783-1839)
  • Matsudaira Takeoki (1827-1842)
  • Matsudaira Takeshige (1825-1847)
  • Matsudaira Takeakira (1842-1882)
  • Matsudaira Takenaga


Hisamatsu-Matsudaira clan (Kuwana)

  • Matsudaira Sadatsuna (1592-1652)
  • Matsudaira Sadayoshi (1632-1657)
  • Matsudaira Sadashige (1644-1717)
  • Matsudaira Sadamichi (1677-1718)
  • Matsudaira Sadateru (1704-1725)
  • Matsudaira Sadanori (1680-1727)
  • Matsudaira Sadayoshi (1709-1770)
  • Matsudaira Sadakuni (1720-1790)
  • Matsudaira Sadanobu
    Matsudaira Sadanobu

    Japanese daimyo of the mid-Edo period, famous for his financial reforms which saved the Shirakawa Domain, and the similar reforms he undertook during his tenure as chief Roju of the Tokugawa Shogunate, from 1787 to 1793....
     (1759-1829)
  • Matsudaira Sadanaga (1791-1838)
  • Matsudaira Sadakazu (1812-1841)
  • Matsudaira Sadamichi (1831-1859)
  • Matsudaira Sadaaki
    Matsudaira Sadaaki

    was a Japanese daimyo of the Bakumatsu period, who was the last ruler of the Kuwana Domain. Sadaaki was the adopted heir of Matsudaira Sadamichi, the descendant of Sadatsuna, the third son of Hisamatsu Sadakutsu , who was Tokugawa Ieyasu's brother....
     (1847-1908)
  • Matsudaira Sadanori (1857-1899)


Ogyu-Matsudaira clan (Okutono)


  • Matsudaira Sanetsugu
  • Matsudaira Noritsugu (1632-1687)
  • Matsudaira Norinari (1658-1703)
  • Matsudaira Norizane (1686-1716)
  • Matsudaira Mitsunori (1716-1742)
  • Matsudaira Noriyasu (1739-1783)
  • Matsudaira Noritomo (1760-1824)
  • Matsudaira Noritada (1777-1818)
  • Matsudaira Noriyoshi (1791-1827)
  • Matsudaira Noritoshi (1811-1854)
  • Matsudaira Norikata
    Matsudaira Norikata

    Count , was the 8th and final daimyo of Okutono Domain in Mikawa Province, and 1st daimyo of Tanoguchi Domain in Shinano Province. He served in the Tokugawa Shogunate in the positions of Roju and Wakadoshiyori, and became a leader in the Meiji government following the Meiji restoration as a politician....
     (1839-1910)
  • Matsudaira Noritake


Gallery



See also

  • Sakai clan
    Sakai clan

    The was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from the Nitta clan branch of the Minamoto clan, who were in turn descendants of Emperor Seiwa. Serata Arichika, a samurai of the 14th century, was the common ancestor of both the Sakai clan and the Matsudaira clan, which the Sakai later served....
  • Tokugawa clan
    Tokugawa clan

    The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains mystery....
  • 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....