Imagawa clan (Japanese: 今川氏, Hepburn: Imagawa-uji) was a Japanese samurai clan that claimed descent from the Seiwa Genji by way of the Kawachi Genji. It was a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Ashikaga clan.

Imagawa
今川
The emblem (mon) of the Imagawa clan
Home provinceSuruga
Tōtōmi
Mikawa
Parent house Ashikaga clan
TitlesVarious
FounderImagawa Kuniuji (Ashikaga Kuniuji)
Founding year13th century
Cadet branchesHorikoshi clan
Sena clan

Origins

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Monument of the birthplace of Imagawa clan(Nishio, Aichi Prefecture

Ashikaga Kuniuji, grandson of Ashikaga Yoshiuji, established himself in the 13th century at Imagawa (Mikawa Province) and took its name.

Imagawa Norikuni (1295–1384) received the provinces of Tōtōmi, and later Suruga, from his cousin Shōgun Ashikaga Takauji

Located at

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

Crests

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

Major figures

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Muromachi era

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Sengoku era

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During the Sengoku period in the 1540s and 1550s, Yoshimoto Imagawa attempted to establish his clan as the strongest in eastern Japan. However, after the death of Yoshimoto at the Battle of Okehazama in 1560, many Imagawa officers defected to other clans. Once a powerful clan. Within a decade, the clan had lost its entire land holdings to the Tokugawa and Takeda clans. The Imagawa subsequently became masters of ceremonies in the service of the Tokugawa clan.[1]

Clan castles

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Separated by province name.

Edo period

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Key genealogies

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Emperor Seiwa
Minamoto no Yoriyoshi
"Hachimantaro" Yoshiie"Shinra Saburō" Yoshimitsu
Takeda clan
Minamoto no YoshichikaMinamoto no YoshikuniMinamoto no YoshinariTakeda Yoshikiyo
Ashikaga clanNitta clanSatake clan
Minamoto no TameyoshiAshikaga YoshiyasuNitta YoshishigeSatake Masayoshi
Minamoto no YoshitomoAshikaga Yoshikane
Kamakura Shogun
Minamoto no Yoritomo
Ashikaga Yoshiuji
Kira clan
Ashikaga YasuujiKira Osauji
Imagawa clan
Ashikaga YoriujiKira MitsujiImagawa Kuniuji
Ashikaga Ietoki
Ashikaga Sadauji
Muromachi Shogun
Ashikaga Takauji
Nitta Yoshisada

Suruga

Tōtōmi

Tōtōmi (Horikoshi branch)

Tōtōmi (Sena branch)

Notable members

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Notable retainers

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Imagawa is a playable nation in Europa Universalis IV.

Notes

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  1. ^ (in Japanese) "Suruga Imagawa-shi" on Harimaya.com (12 July 2008)

References

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