O-Ie Sodo
Encyclopedia
O-Ie Sōdō were noble family disputes within the samurai
and aristocratic classes of Japan
, particularly during the early Edo period
(17th century). The most famous is the Date Sōdō
, which broke out among the Date family
in the 1660s-70s.
The Tokugawa shogunate
which ruled Japan in the Edo period established itself by subjugating warlords (daimyo
), militant religious groups (ikki
), and other violent groups; their control was predicated on a forcibly imposed peace. As a result, these sorts of noble house disputes, which often came quite close to erupting into outright battle, and which often took place among the powerful tozama
families, posed a serious threat to the stability of the bakuhan (shogunate-fiefdom) political system. These events were thus taken very seriously by the government, but also became very popular tales among the people, and were regarded as being quite interesting and exciting, due to the political and physical conflict involved. A number were related in books, and several were even transformed into plays and performed on the Kabuki
or bunraku
stage, under the genre known as O-ie-mono (御家物) or O-Ie Kyōgen
(御家狂言).
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
and aristocratic classes of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, particularly during the early Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
(17th century). The most famous is the Date Sōdō
Date Sodo
The Date Sōdō , or Date Disturbance, was a noble family dispute within the Date samurai clan, which occurred in 1671.-History:In 1660, the daimyō of the Sendai Domain, and clan head, Date Tsunamune was arrested in Edo, for drunkenness and debauchery...
, which broke out among the Date family
Date family
The ' was a lineage of daimyo who controlled northern Japan in the late 16th century and into the Edo period. Their most famous member was Date Masamune, who established the family's power by avenging his father's death and through support of Tokugawa Ieyasu.-History:The Date family was founded in...
in the 1660s-70s.
The Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
which ruled Japan in the Edo period established itself by subjugating warlords (daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
), militant religious groups (ikki
Ikki
The term Ikki can refer to:*In Japanese history, leagues of samurai, farmers, and clergy who engaged in common defense against shogunal forces and greater lords, initiating large and destructive agrarian uprisings. The uprisings were also called ikki...
), and other violent groups; their control was predicated on a forcibly imposed peace. As a result, these sorts of noble house disputes, which often came quite close to erupting into outright battle, and which often took place among the powerful 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.-Edo period:...
families, posed a serious threat to the stability of the bakuhan (shogunate-fiefdom) political system. These events were thus taken very seriously by the government, but also became very popular tales among the people, and were regarded as being quite interesting and exciting, due to the political and physical conflict involved. A number were related in books, and several were even transformed into plays and performed on the Kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
or bunraku
Bunraku
, also known as Ningyō jōruri , is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684.Three kinds of performers take part in a bunraku performance:* Ningyōtsukai or Ningyōzukai—puppeteers* Tayū—the chanters* Shamisen players...
stage, under the genre known as O-ie-mono (御家物) or O-Ie Kyōgen
Kyogen
is a form of traditional Japanese comic theater. It developed alongside Noh, was performed along with Noh as an intermission of sorts between Noh acts, on the same Noh stage, and retains close links to Noh in the modern day; therefore, it is sometimes designated Noh-kyōgen...
(御家狂言).
Notable family disputes
- 1608 - Tsutsui family, Iga-Ueno Domain (Tsutsui Sōdō)
- 1614 - Ōkubo NagayasuOkubo Nagayasuwas a Japanese samurai of the Edo period who served the Tokugawa clan. He worked as a mining magistrate in various Tokugawa-controlled mines. Due to misconduct, he was deprived of office, and died soon afterward.-References:*http://fine-vn.com/cat_11/ent_60.html...
(Ōkubo family), Odawara DomainOdawara Domainwas a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in western Sagami Province. It was centered on Odawara Castle in what is now the city of Odawara.-History:... - 1617 - Mogami family, Yamagata DomainYamagata DomainYamagata Domain was a Japanese fief , located in Dewa province, in the Tōhoku region . Modern-day Yamagata Prefecture is roughly contiguous with the domain, and its capital city, also called Yamagata, grew up out of the daimyo's castle town...
(Mogami Sōdō) - 1626 - Sō family, Tsushima Domain (Yanagawa Iken)
- 1633 - Kuroda family, Fukuoka DomainFukuoka DomainThe ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Chikuzen Province .-List of lords:*Kuroda clan, 1600-1871 #Nagamasa#Tadayuki#Mitsuyuki#Tsunamasa#Nobumasa...
- 1634 - Tsugaru family, Hirosaki DomainHirosaki DomainThe ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in northern Mutsu Province . It was ruled by the Tsugaru clan...
(Funabashi Sōdō) - 1635 - Kamei family, Tsuwano DomainTsuwano DomainThe ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Iwami Province . The Meiji-era author Mori Ōgai was the son of a Tsuwano retainer.-List of Daimyo:*Sakazaki clan #Sakazaki Naomori...
(Enchi Sōdō) - 1639 - Katō family, Aizu Domain
- 1640 - Ikoma family, Takamatsu DomainTakamatsu DomainThe 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 Mito-Matsudaira clan.-History:...
- 1640 - Ikeda family, Yamasaki Domain
- 1640 - Sagara family, Hitoyoshi DomainHitoyoshi DomainThe ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Higo Province . It was ruled by the Sagara family. The Sagara, like the Shimazu of the neighboring Satsuma domain, had ruled their territory for centuries prior to the Edo era.-List of lords:*Sagara clan The ' was a Japanese domain of the...
(Oshimo no Ran) - 1648 - Inaba family, Fukuchiyama Domain (Tamba-Fukuchiyama Sōdō)
- 1648 - Yoshida family, Hamada DomainHamada DomainThe ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Iwami Province . The domain came to an end with its conquest by forces of the Chōshū Domain and its subsequent absorption of Hamada into Chōshū territory.-List of lords:...
- 1648 - Kitsuregawa family, Kitsuregawa Domain
- 1660-1671 - Date familyDate familyThe ' was a lineage of daimyo who controlled northern Japan in the late 16th century and into the Edo period. Their most famous member was Date Masamune, who established the family's power by avenging his father's death and through support of Tokugawa Ieyasu.-History:The Date family was founded in...
, Sendai DomainSendai Domainwas 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 domain's capital, and the ruling family's castle, were located in what...
(Date SōdōDate SodoThe Date Sōdō , or Date Disturbance, was a noble family dispute within the Date samurai clan, which occurred in 1671.-History:In 1660, the daimyō of the Sendai Domain, and clan head, Date Tsunamune was arrested in Edo, for drunkenness and debauchery...
, Tsunamune Inkyo Jiken) - 1679 - Matsudaira family, Takata Domain (Echigo Sōdō)
- 1697 - Date familyDate familyThe ' was a lineage of daimyo who controlled northern Japan in the late 16th century and into the Edo period. Their most famous member was Date Masamune, who established the family's power by avenging his father's death and through support of Tokugawa Ieyasu.-History:The Date family was founded in...
, Sendai DomainSendai Domainwas 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 domain's capital, and the ruling family's castle, were located in what...
(Tsunamura Inkyo Jiken) - 1748 - Maeda family, Kaga DomainKaga DomainThe was a powerful feudal domain in Kaga, Noto and Etchū Provinces of Japan during the Edo period. The domain was founded by Maeda Toshiie and headed by the Maeda clan. Its income rating, over 1,000,000 koku, was the highest in the nation after the Tokugawa shogunate itself...
(Kaga Sōdō) - 1754 - Satake clanSatake clanThe was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Minamoto clan. Its first power base was in Hitachi Province. The clan was subdued by Minamoto no Yoritomo in the late 12th century, but later entered Yoritomo's service as vassals...
, Akita Domain (Satake Sōdō) - 1759 - Sagara family, Hitoyoshi DomainHitoyoshi DomainThe ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in Higo Province . It was ruled by the Sagara family. The Sagara, like the Shimazu of the neighboring Satsuma domain, had ruled their territory for centuries prior to the Edo era.-List of lords:*Sagara clan The ' was a Japanese domain of the...
(Take-teppō Jiken) - 1808 - Shimazu familyShimazu familyThe were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
, Satsuma Domain - 1824 - Sengoku family, Izushi Domain
- 1849 - Shimazu familyShimazu familyThe were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
, Satsuma Domain (Oyura Sōdō)