The was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from Emperor Seiwa

Emperor Seiwa

was the 56th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Seiwa's reign spanned the years from 858 through 876.-Traditional narrative:...

 (850-880). It was a branch of the Minamoto clan

Minamoto clan

was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were demoted into the ranks of the nobility. The practice was most prevalent during the Heian Period , although its last occurrence was during the Sengoku Era. The Taira were another such offshoot of...

 by the Ashikaga clan

Ashikaga clan

The ' was a prominent Japanese samurai clan 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 in Shimotsuke province .For about a century the clan was...

.

Origins

Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in the 13th century at Imagawa (Mikawa province

Mikawa Province

is an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces....

) and took its name.

Imagawa Norikuni (1295–1384) received from his cousin the shogun Ashikaga Takauji

Ashikaga Takauji

was the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358...

 the province of Totomi, and later that of Suruga.

Located at

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

Crests

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

Sengoku era

After the death of Yoshimoto at the battle of Okehazama

Battle of Okehazama

The took place in June 1560. In this battle, Oda Nobunaga defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and established himself as one of the front-running warlords in the Sengoku period.-Background:...

 in 1560, many Imagawa officers defected to other clans. Within a decade the clan had lost all of its land holdings to the Tokugawa

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 a mystery.-History:...

 and Takeda clans. The Imagawa subsequently became masters of ceremonies

Koke

A was a noble ranking below a daimyo in Japan during the Edo period. Their lands were assessed at less than ten thousand koku, making them ineligible for the rank of daimyo.Unlike hatamoto, whose duties were military, the kōke had certain privileged missions...

 in the service of the Tokugawa clan.

Clan Castles

Separated by province name.

1. Suruga. Imagawa Kan (later known as Sunpu Castle

Sunpu Castle

was a Japanese castle in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan. The sobriquet of this feudal fortress was the "Castle of the Floating Isle." It was also referred to as or .-History:...

), Shizuhatayama Castle, Mochifune Castle, Tanaka Castle

2. Tōtōmi. Kakegawa Castle

Kakegawa Castle

is a hirayama-style Japanese castle. It was the seat of various fudai daimyō who ruled over Kakegawa Domain, Tōtōmi Province, in what is now central Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.-History:...

, Takatenjin Castle, Futamada Castle, Inui Castle, Hamamatsu Castle

Hamamatsu Castle

is a reconstructed hirayama-style Japanese castle. It was the seat of various fudai daimyō who ruled over Hamamatsu Domain, Tōtōmi Province, in what is now central Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan...

, Utsuyama Castle.

3. Mikawa

Mikawa

Mikawa may refer to:Places in Japan* Mikawa Province, an old province of Japan* Mikawa, Yamagata, a town in Yamagata Prefecture* Mikawa, Ishikawa, former town in Ishikawa Prefecture* Mikawa, Kumamoto, former town in Kumamoto Prefecture...

 Yoshida Castle

Yoshida Castle

is a Japanese castle located in Toyohashi, southeastern Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Yoshida Castle was home to the Inaba clan, daimyō of Tateyama Domain. The castle was also known as , and later as Toyohashi Castle.-Description:...

, Tahara Castle

Tahara Castle

is a Japanese castle located in Tahara, southern Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Tahara Castle was home to the Miyake clan, daimyō of the 12,000 koku Tahara Domain...

, Okazaki Castle

Okazaki Castle

is a Japanese castle located in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Okazaki Castle was home to the Honda clan, daimyō of Okazaki Domain, but the castle is better known for its association with Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Tokugawa clan...

, Anshō Castle

4. Owari

Owari

Owari may refer to:* Owari Province* Owari Domain* Owari, more commonly spelled oware, a game* Owari Mandarin orange, a form of citrus fruit...

 Katsukake Castle, Ōtaka Castle, Narumi Castle

Edo era and beyond

Imagawa Norinobu

Imagawa Norinobu

was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period.Norinobu was influential in the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate, being appointed a wakadoshiyori shortly before its demise and working for the new government to show clemency to the Tokugawa family.-Genealogy:...

, an Imagawa of the late Edo period, was a wakadoshiyori

Wakadoshiyori

The ', or "Junior Elders", were high government officials in 17th century Tokugawa Japan. The position was established around 1631, but appointments were irregular until 1662....

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
  Imagawa Yoshitada
  Imagawa Yoshitada, the father of the famed Imagawa Ujichika and the 9th head of the Imagawa clan. Yoshitada spent most of his time invading the Tōtōmi Province, attacking the Katsumada and Yokota clans...
  
   (1436–1476)
• Imagawa Ujichika
  Imagawa Ujichika
  was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period. He was the 10th head of the Imagawa clan of Suruga Province.- Biography :Ujichika was the son of Imagawa Yoshitada. In 1476 Yoshitada invaded Tôtômi Province and defeated the Katsumada and Yokota clans...
  
   (1473?-1526)
• Imagawa Ujiteru
  Imagawa Ujiteru
  was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period, who ruled the Imagawa clan of Suruga Province....
  
   (1513–1536)

• Imagawa Yoshimoto
  Imagawa Yoshimoto
  was one of the leading daimyo in the Sengoku period Japan. Based in Suruga Province, he was one of the three daimyo that dominated the Tōkaidō region. He was one of the dominant daimyo in Japan for a time, until his death in 1560....
  
   (1519–1560)
• Imagawa Ujizane
  Imagawa Ujizane
  was a Japanese daimyo who lived from the mid-Sengoku through early Edo periods. He was the son of Imagawa Yoshimoto, and the father of Imagawa Norimochi and Shinagawa Takahisa.-Early life:Ujizane was born in Sunpu; he was the eldest son of Imagawa Yoshimoto...
  
   (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
  Imagawa Norinobu
  was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period.Norinobu was influential in the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate, being appointed a wakadoshiyori shortly before its demise and working for the new government to show clemency to the Tokugawa family.-Genealogy:...
  
   (1829–1887)
• Imagawa Yoshihito

Tōtōmi

• Imagawa Sadayo
  Imagawa Sadayo
  , also known as ', was a renowned Japanese poet and military commander who served as tandai of Kyūshū under the Ashikaga Bakufu from 1371 to 1395. His father, Imagawa Norikuni, had been a supporter of the first Ashikaga Shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, and for his services had been granted the position...
  
   (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
  Tokugawa Ieyasu
   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. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
  
  
• Toyotomi Hideyoshi
  Toyotomi Hideyoshi
  was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
  
  
• Okabe Motonobu
  Okabe Motonobu
  , also known by his common name Gorobei, was Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, in the service of the Imagawa clan. The second son of Okabe Chikatsuna, he became a senior retainer of the Imagawa, following in his father's footsteps. After his lord Imagawa Yoshimoto was killed at the Battle of...
  
  
• Matsui Munenobu
  Matsui Munenobu
  was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period. Born the son of Matsui Sadamune, he was a retainer of the Imagawa clan. After the death of his brother in Eiroku 2, he became lord of Futamata Castle in Tōtōmi Province. The next year, he joined Imagawa Yoshimoto's army on its march to Kyoto, and was...
  
  
• Udono Nagateru
  Udono Nagateru
  was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Imagawa clan. Lord of Kamisato Castle in Mikawa Province. He was Imagawa Yoshimoto's nephew, and fought at the Battle of Okehazama.-References: Japanese Wiki article on Nagateru...
  
  
• Asahina Yasutomo
• Ii Naomori
  Ii Naomori
  a retainer of the Japanese clan of Imagawa in the Sengoku period of the 16th century. During the Battle of Okehazama in 1560, Naomori was killed while trying to protect his lord, Imagawa Yoshimoto following the rain mist strategy attack led by Oda Nobunaga...
  
  
• Abe Motozane
  Abe Motozane
  was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Imagawa clan....
  
  
• Ichinomiya Munekore
  Ichinomiya Munekore
  was a retainer beneath the clan of Imagawa throughout the latter Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan. In the year of 1554 Takeda Shingen initiated a campaign into Shinano province, and as the Imagawa and the Takeda both shared a mutual friendship with one another at that present time, Munekore and other...
  
  
• Ii Naochika
  Ii Naochika
  was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Imagawa clan. His son Ii Naomasa was a feared general under Tokugawa Ieyasu who is considered one of his Four Guardians....
  
  

• Iio Tsuratatsu
  Iio Tsuratatsu
  was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period who served the Imagawa clan....
  
  
• Katsurayama Ujimoto
  Katsurayama Ujimoto
  was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Imagawa clan....
  
  
• Katsurayama Ujimoto
  Katsurayama Ujimoto
  was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Imagawa clan....
  
  
• Taigen Sessai
• Iio Noritsura
  Iio Noritsura
  was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, who served the Imagawa clan of Suruga. He was the lord of Hikuma Castle, and claimed the court title Buzen no kami. Noritsura's service to the Imagawa clan was during the life of Imagawa Yoshimoto. During the Eishō era , Noritsura built Hikuma Castle,...
  
  
• Itami Yasunao
• Yamaguchi Noritsugu
• Yamaguchi Noriyoshi
• Yokoe Magohachi