So clan
Encyclopedia
Japanese clans
This is a list of Japanese clans. The ancient clans mentioned in the Nihonshoki and Kojiki lost their political power before the Heian period. Instead of gozoku, new aristocracies, Kuge families emerged in the period...
claiming descent from Taira Tomomori. The clan governed and held Tsushima Island
Tsushima Island
Tsushima Island is an island of the Japanese Archipelago situated in the middle of the Tsushima Strait at 34°25'N and 129°20'E. The main island of Tsushima was once a single island, but the island was divided into two in 1671 by the Ōfunakosiseto canal and into three in 1900 by the Manzekiseto canal...
from the 13th-century through the late 19th-century, from the Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
until the end of the 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....
and the Meiji restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
.
In 1587, 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...
confirmed the Sō clan possession of Tsushima. In the struggles which followed the Taiko
Taiko
means "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
's death, the clan sided with the Tokugawa; however, they did not participate in the decisive battles which preceded the establishment of 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...
. The descendants of 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:...
Sō Yoshitoshi
So Yoshitoshi
was a Sō clan daimyō of the island domain of Tsushima at the end of Japan's Sengoku period, and into the Edo period. His name is sometimes read as Yoshitomo. Under the influence of Konishi Yukinaga he was baptized and accepted the name "Dario"...
(1568-1615) remained at Tsushima-Fuchū Domain (100,000 koku) in Tsushima Province
Tsushima Province
was an old province of Japan on Tsushima Island which occupied the area corresponding to modern-day Tsushima, Nagasaki. It was sometimes called .-Political History:...
until the abolition of the han system . The head of this clan line was ennobled as a "Count" in 1884.
History
Historians consider the Sō clan to have been an offshoot of the Koremune clan (惟宗氏), who served as local officials of Dazaifu and Tsushima ProvinceTsushima Province
was an old province of Japan on Tsushima Island which occupied the area corresponding to modern-day Tsushima, Nagasaki. It was sometimes called .-Political History:...
. The earliest evidence of Sō clan cohesion arises in the 11th century. The Koremune had their start as governors of Tsushima following an incident in 1246, when the Abiru clan
Abiru clan
The was a Japanese clan which served the Kamakura shogunate as local officials on Tsushima. It is believed the clan may have been derived from the Taira clan, but the validity of this notion is not fully evident from primary sources....
, local district officials (zaichōkanjin) on Tsushima, rebelled against the Chinzei Bugyō
Chinzei Bugyo
', or Defense Commissioner of the West, was the name given to a post created in 1186 to oversee the defense of Kyūshū. At the time, the primary mission of the Bugyō was to seek out and eliminate anyone who had supported Minamoto no Yoshitsune over his brother Yoritomo to become Shogun...
and the Dazaifu government which governed all of Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
and the surrounding regions on behalf of the Kamakura shogunate
Kamakura shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate...
. Dazaifu ordered Koremune Shigehisa to stop the rebellion and to destroy the Abiru clan. He was rewarded for his victory with the post of Jito
Jito
were medieval land stewards in Japan, especially in the Kamakura and Muromachi Shogunates. Appointed by the shogun, jitō managed manors including national holdings governed by the provincial governor ....
(local land steward), by the Shōni clan
Shoni clan
was a family of Japanese nobles descended from the Fujiwara family, many of whom held high government offices in Kyūshū. Prior to the Kamakura period , "Shōni" was originally a title and post within the Kyūshū government, roughly translating to "Junior Counselor", and working under a Daini...
, 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...
(governors) of Tsushima.
The Koremune extended its influence on Tsushima over the course of the Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
, as the deputies of the Shōni. When the Mongols invaded Japan
Mongol invasions of Japan
The ' of 1274 and 1281 were major military efforts undertaken by Kublai Khan to conquer the Japanese islands after the submission of Goryeo to vassaldom. Despite their ultimate failure, the invasion attempts are of macrohistorical importance, because they set a limit on Mongol expansion, and rank...
in 1274, clan head Sō Sukekuni fought against the invaders and died on Tsushima. The Sō clan fought for the Shōni clan and for the Ashikaga
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...
Northern Court during the Nanboku-chō
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...
period (1336-1392), and seized a portion of Chikuzen Province
Chikuzen Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today part of Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū. It was sometimes called , with Chikugo Province. Chikuzen bordered Buzen, Bungo, Chikugo, and Hizen Provinces....
. Imagawa Ryōshun became Chinzei Tandai
Chinzei Bugyo
', or Defense Commissioner of the West, was the name given to a post created in 1186 to oversee the defense of Kyūshū. At the time, the primary mission of the Bugyō was to seek out and eliminate anyone who had supported Minamoto no Yoshitsune over his brother Yoritomo to become Shogun...
(head of the Dazaifu government) soon afterwards, and 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.-Origins:Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in the 13th century at Imagawa and took its name.Imagawa Norikuni received from his cousin the...
became shugo of Tsushima. When Imagawa Ryōshun was dismissed from his post in 1395, Sō Sumishige became shugo of Tsushima.
Though now holding the hereditary post of shugo of Tsushima, the clan remained vassals of the Shōni until the late 15th century. In the course of breaking away from the Shōni clan, the Sō clan started to claim that it originated with a grandson of Taira no Tomomori
Taira no Tomomori
' was the son of Taira no Kiyomori, and one of the Taira Clan's chief commanders in the Genpei War at the end of the Heian period of Japanese history....
, Taira no Tomomune. The Sō clan moved its base from northern Kyūshū to Tsushima around 1408. Although it struggled to keep its territory in Chikuzen on Kyūshū, the clan was finally purged from that region by the Ōuchi clan in the mid-15th century.
From roughly the 1430s to the 1550s, the clan worked towards independence, its sights set on gaining true control of Tsushima, and on establishing friendly relations with Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. The first of these goals was attained through a reversal of fate in which the Shōni came to rely upon the Sō for military aid against the Ōuchi. Sō Sadamori and his younger brother Sō Morikuni helped to defeat the Ōuchi over ten times, and in doing so deepened their clan's relationship with the traders and merchants of Hakata
Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
is one of the seven wards of Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is best known as the location of Fukuoka's main train station, Hakata Station.-Geography:...
, one of Kyūshū's major ports.
Being based on the mountainous island, the Sō clan heavily relied on trade with Korea. Fortunately, the Sō clan shared mutual interests with the Joseon Dynasty. In 1443, the clan signed the Kakitsu Treaty with Korea, submitting to Korean suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
in exchange for various privileges and benefits. The Sō were required to greatly reduce the number of pirate attacks on Korea, and in return would be granted a virtual monopoly on Japanese trade with their neighbors on the peninsula. This would later lead to the emergence of the Sō as one of the major clans in Japan, their wealth and power from trade more than making up for their small territory and submissive position vis-a-vis Korea.
Alongside the Shōni clan, whose hereditary clan heads now regularly operated under Sō clan guidance, the Sō fought the Ōuchi numerous times across the Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
(1467-1600), and later the Mōri
Mori clan
The Mōri clan was a family of daimyō, descended from Ōe no Hiromoto and established themselves in Aki Province. Their name was derived from a shōen in Mōri, Aikō District, Sagami Province. The generation of Hiromoto began to name themselves Mōri.After the Jōkyū War, Mōri was appointed to the jitō...
and Ōtomo clan
Otomo clan
The Ōtomo clan was a Japanese clan whose power stretched from the Kamakura period through the Sengoku period, spanning over 400 years. The clan's hereditary lands lay in Kyūshū....
s as well; the clan lost and regained their territory in Chikuzen province on Kyūshū many times over the course of the period. In the end, the downfall of the Shōni, marked by Shōni Fuyuhisa's 1559 defeat at the hands of Ryūzōji Takanobu
Ryuzoji Takanobu
was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period, who ruled a region in northern Kyūshū. He was the eldest son of Ryūzōji Chikaie, and upon headship, became the 19th head of the Ryūzōji clan. Takanobu's son, Masaie, would become the last head of the Ryūzōji....
, brought an end to the Sō clan's territorial aspirations on Kyūshū.
Following a period of increased wakō
Wokou
Wokou , which literally translates as "Japanese pirates" in English, were pirates of varying origins who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century onwards...
predation, the Joseon-Japanese "Treaty of Tenbun" in 1547 (Tenbun
Tenbun
, also known as Tembun or Temmon, was a after Kyōroku and before Kōji. This period spanned the years from July 1532 through October 1555. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
11)limited trading to the Joseon port of Pusan and also limited Sō clan commerce to 20 ships annually.
The Sō clan submitted itself to 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...
in 1587 and supplied troops for the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598). Soon afterwards, however, the clan took it upon themselves to repair relations with Korea, sending a number of envoys under the guise of being official shogunal envoys. In doing this, the clan sought to improve their position with both the shogunate and Korea. There is evidence that they altered official documents from both to make themselves look better to the other
The Sō did not participate in the Battle of Sekigahara
Battle of Sekigahara
The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...
in 1600.
The tozama Sō clan were allowed to continue to rule Tsushima. Tsushima and the area around Tashiro
Tashiro, Kagoshima
was a town located in Kimotsuki District, Kagoshima, Japan.On March 22, 2005 Tashiro was merged with the town of Ōnejime, also from Kimotsuki District, to form the new town of Kinkō....
in Hizen Province
Hizen Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Saga and Nagasaki prefectures. It was sometimes called , with Higo Province. Hizen bordered on the provinces of Chikuzen and Chikugo. The province was included in Saikaidō...
were included in the clan's fief
Tsushima Fuchu domain
The Tsushima Fuchū domain , also called the Tsushima domain, was a domain of Japan during the Edo period that controlled Tsushima Province and a small portion of Hizen Province. It was ruled by the Sō clan...
(han), rated as worth 100,000 koku
Koku
The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...
for its diplomatic and economic importance, though its agricultural production was actually under 30,000 koku per year. After the clan managed to resume diplomatic relations with Korea, 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...
entrusted it with diplomatic negotiations and trade with Joseon.
After 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 . This process marked the culmination of the Meiji Restoration in that all daimyo were required to return their authority...
in 1871, the last known head of the clan,[some say the family has gone secret] Sō Shigemasa (Yoshiaki), was made Governor of Izuhara Prefecture (Tsushima, renamed).
Clan lords of Sō family
- Sō Shigehisa (重尚)(1245-1262) - fought against the Abiru/Ahiru clan (阿比留在庁) and became GovernorShugowas 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 Tsushima - Sō Sukekuni (助國) (1262-1274) - fought Mongolian invasion force and died in 1274
- Sō Moriakira (盛明) (1274-1302)
- Sō Morikuni (盛國) (1302-1349)
- Sō Tsuneshige(經茂) (1349-1366)
- Sō Sumishige (澄茂) (1366-1370)
- Sō Yorishige (頼茂) (1370-1402)
- Sō Sadashige (貞茂) (1402-1419)
- Sō Sadamori (貞盛) (1419-1452) - fought the Korean army led by Yi Jong MuYi Jong MuYi Jong Mu was a Korean general who led the Oei Invasion to conquer Tsushima Island in 1419.He was noted for leading a fleet of 227 ships and 17,285 soldiers which landed at the Tsushima Island in Aso Bay on June 19, 1419, after initial successes, reaches the village of Funakoshi...
during the Oei InvasionOei InvasionThe , known as the Gihae Eastern Expedition in Korea, was the 1419 military expedition from Joseon against pirate bases on Tsushima Island, which is located in the middle of the Korea Strait between the Korean Peninsula and Kyushu....
and entered into relations with the Joseon DynastyJoseon DynastyJoseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul... - Sō Shigemoto (成職) (1452-1468) - granted "Governor of Tsushima" title by the Joseon Court in 1461.
- Sō Sadakuni (貞國) (1468-1492)
- Sō Kimori (材盛) (1492-1505)
- Sō Yoshimori (義盛) (1505-1520) - The Sō Clan supported a Japanese traders' uprising, against Joseon's policies, known as "Three-Ports incident" (三浦の乱).
- Sō Morinaga (盛長) (1520-1526)
- Sō Masamori (将盛) (1526-1539)
- Sō Haruyasu (晴康) (1539-1553)
- Sō Yoshishige (義調) (1553-1566)
- Sō Shigehisa (茂尚) (1566-1569)
- Sō Yoshizumi (義純) (1569-1579)
- So Terukage (昭景)(1579-1589) - he submitted himself to Toyotomi HideyoshiToyotomi Hideyoshiwas 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...
in 1587. - So Yoshishige (義調) (1589-1592)
- Sō YoshitoshiSo Yoshitoshiwas a Sō clan daimyō of the island domain of Tsushima at the end of Japan's Sengoku period, and into the Edo period. His name is sometimes read as Yoshitomo. Under the influence of Konishi Yukinaga he was baptized and accepted the name "Dario"...
(義智) (1592-1615) - he was a daimyo under the commander of Konishi YukinagaKonishi YukinagaKonishi Yukinaga was a Kirishitan daimyō under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was the son of a wealthy Sakai merchant, Konishi Ryūsa...
during the Imjin War (1592-1598). - Sō Yoshinari (義成) (1615-1657)
- Sō Yoshizane (義真) (1657-1692)
- Sō Yoshitsugu (義倫) (1692-1694)
- Sō Yoshimichi (義方) (1694-1718)
- Sō Yoshinobu (義誠) (1718-1730)
- Sō Michihiro (方熙) (1730-1732)
- Sō Yoshiyuki (義如) (1732-1752)
- Sō Yoshishige (義蕃) (1752-1762)
- Sō Yoshinaga (義暢) (1762-1778)
- Sō Yoshikatsu (義功) (1778-1785)
- Sō Yoshikatsu (義功) (1785-1812)
- Sō Yoshitada (義質) (1812-1838)
- Sō Yoshiaya (義章) (1838-1842)
- Sō YoshinoriSō Yoshinoriwas a Sō clan daimyō of the island domain of Tsushima at the end of Japan's Edo period.Yoshinori was the head of the Sō clan from 1842 through 1862.-Black ships:...
(義和) (1842-1862) - Sō Yoshiaki (義達) (1862-1872)
- Sō Shigemochi (重望) (1872-1923)
- Sō Takeyuki (武志) (1923-1985) - he was married to Deokhye, Princess of KoreaDeokhye, Princess of KoreaPrincess Deokhye of Korea was the last Princess of Korea.She was born on 25 May 1912 at Changdeok Palace in Seoul. She was the youngest daughter of Emperor Gwangmu and his concubine, Lady Bongnyeong. In 1917, her name was formally entered into the Imperial Family's registry...
, from 1931 to 1953