Nitta family
Encyclopedia
The was one of several major families descended from the Seiwa Genji
, and numbered among the chief enemies of the Ashikaga shogunate
, and later the Hōjō clan
regents. The common ancestor of the Nitta, Minamoto no Yoshishige
, was the elder brother of Minamoto no Yoshiyasu
, the common ancestor of the Ashikaga clan
.
The Nitta clan rose to importance in the early 13th century; they controlled Kozuke Province
, and had little influence in Kamakura
(the capital of the shogunate
) because their ancestor, Minamoto no Yoshishige
had not joined his fellow clansmen in the Genpei War
, a century earlier.
In the 1330s, Nitta Yoshisada
led the clan, and a number of other Minamoto vassals against the Hōjō clan regents
. They succeeded, in June of 1333, in destroying the Bakufu's buildings in Kamakura
.
The Nitta clan played an important role once again, allying with the Date clan and the Southern Courts, during the Nanboku-cho
wars of the early 15th century.
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...
, and numbered among the chief enemies of the Ashikaga shogunate
Ashikaga shogunate
The , also known as the , was a Japanese feudal military regime, ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga clan.This period is also known as the Muromachi period and gets its name from Muromachi Street of Kyoto where the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu established his residence...
, and later the Hōjō clan
Hojo clan
See the late Hōjō clan for the Hōjō clan of the Sengoku Period.The in the history of Japan was a family who controlled the hereditary title of shikken of the Kamakura Shogunate. In practice, the family had actual governmental power, many times dictatorial, rather than Kamakura shoguns, or the...
regents. The common ancestor of the Nitta, Minamoto no Yoshishige
Minamoto no Yoshishige
Minamoto no Yoshishige was the progenitor of the Nitta branch family of the Minamoto samurai clan, who fought alongside the Minamoto in the Genpei War...
, was the elder brother of Minamoto no Yoshiyasu
Minamoto no Yoshiyasu
Minamoto no Yoshiyasu was son of Yoshikuni and ancestor of Ashikaga branch family of the Minamoto. Yoshiyasu was a samurai and participated at Hōgen Rebellion in Kyoto with forces loyal to Emperor Go-Shirakawa to fight against ex-Emperor Sutoku's forces.-External links:*...
, the common ancestor of 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...
.
The Nitta clan rose to importance in the early 13th century; they controlled Kozuke Province
Kozuke Province
was an old province located in the Tōsandō of Japan, which today comprises Gunma Prefecture. It is nicknamed as or .The ancient provincial capital was near modern Maebashi. During the Sengoku period, Kōzuke was controlled variously by Takeda Shingen, Uesugi Kenshin, the late Hōjō clan, and...
, and had little influence in Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
(the capital of the shogunate
Ashikaga shogunate
The , also known as the , was a Japanese feudal military regime, ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga clan.This period is also known as the Muromachi period and gets its name from Muromachi Street of Kyoto where the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu established his residence...
) because their ancestor, Minamoto no Yoshishige
Minamoto no Yoshishige
Minamoto no Yoshishige was the progenitor of the Nitta branch family of the Minamoto samurai clan, who fought alongside the Minamoto in the Genpei War...
had not joined his fellow clansmen in the Genpei War
Genpei War
The was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during the late-Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the fall of the Taira clan and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto Yoritomo in 1192....
, a century earlier.
In the 1330s, Nitta Yoshisada
Nitta Yoshisada
was the head of the Nitta family in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Nanboku-chō period, capturing Kamakura from the Hōjō clan in 1333....
led the clan, and a number of other Minamoto vassals against the Hōjō clan regents
Sessho and Kampaku
In Japan, was a title given to a regent who was named to assist either a child emperor before his coming of age, or an empress. The was theoretically a sort of chief advisor for the emperor, but was the title of both first secretary and regent who assists an adult emperor. During the Heian era,...
. They succeeded, in June of 1333, in destroying the Bakufu's buildings in Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
.
The Nitta clan played an important role once again, allying with the Date clan and the Southern Courts, during the Nanboku-cho
Nanboku-cho
The , spanning from 1336 to 1392, was a period that occurred during the formative years of the Muromachi bakufu of Japan's history.During this period, there existed a Northern Imperial Court, established by Ashikaga Takauji in Kyoto, and a Southern Imperial Court, established by Emperor Go-Daigo in...
wars of the early 15th century.
The successive present head of a household
- Nitta YoshishigeMinamoto no YoshishigeMinamoto no Yoshishige was the progenitor of the Nitta branch family of the Minamoto samurai clan, who fought alongside the Minamoto in the Genpei War...
- Nitta Yoshikane
- Nitta Yoshihusa
- Nitta Masayoshi
- Nitta Masauji
- Nitta Motouji
- Nitta Tomouji
- Nitta YoshisadaNitta Yoshisadawas the head of the Nitta family in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Nanboku-chō period, capturing Kamakura from the Hōjō clan in 1333....
See also
- Nitta YoshisadaNitta Yoshisadawas the head of the Nitta family in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Nanboku-chō period, capturing Kamakura from the Hōjō clan in 1333....
(1301-1338) - Nitta YoshiakiNitta Yoshiaki' , son of Nitta Yoshisada, fought for Emperor Go-Daigo, against the Ashikaga at the end of the Kamakura period. He was one of the chief generals at the fortress of Kanagasaki, which fell to the Ashikaga; Yoshiaki was killed, and Prince Tsunenaga captured....
- son of Yoshisada - Nitta YoshiokiNitta YoshiokiNitta Yoshioki was a samurai of the Nitta family, who fought for the Imperial Southern Court in the Nanboku-cho period of Japanese history. He was the second son of Nitta Yoshisada....
- son of Yoshisada - Nitta YoshimuneNitta Yoshimunewas the third son of Nitta Yoshisada, and a commander of loyalist forces during the Nanbokuchō Wars.In 1352, Yoshimune led a force from Echigo Province to contribute to the loyalist efforts to drive the Shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, from the city...
- son of Yoshisada - Wakiya Yoshisuke - brother of Yoshisada, and founder of a branch family of Nitta, called Wakiya