Kawachi Province - Kawachi Figures

Kawachi Figures

Though Kawachi was a very small province, many important people in ancient and medieval Japan had to do with the area and the decisive moments in Japanese history that took place there or around it.

Mononobe no Moriya – From the Mononobe clan powerful in ancient times, he was part of the anti-Buddhist faction, and defeated by the allied forces of Soga no Umako and Prince Shōtoku.
Kudara no Konikishi clan – Descendants of the royal house of Baekje, and a noble family of ancient times based in Kawachi.
Fujii clan – An ancient family originally from China based in Kawachi. Likely progenitors of Jing Zhencheng.

Jing Zhencheng – A student who studied abroad in Tang. His grave marker was discovered in the suburbs of Chang'an (modern Xian).

Takamuko clan – An ancient noble family of Kawachi that produced many diplomats and statesmen such as Takamuko no Kuromaro.
Kawachi Imoji – A group of medieval metal-working experts based in Tannan District.
Mizuhai clan – Bushi of Kawachi descended from a priest of Hiraoka Shrine (Kawachi's ichinomiya), and descendants of the Hiraoka Muraji.
Kawachi Genji – A branch of the warrior clan Minamoto. They were based in Kawachi, and at their peak controlled the eastern samurai.

Minamoto no Yorinobu – The commander who put down Taira no Tadatsune's Rebellion. Founder and leader of the Kawachi Genji.
Minamoto no Yoriyoshi – The commander who overcame the Abe clan in the Zenkunen War. Second-generation leader of the Kawachi Genji.
Minamoto no Yoshiie – A commander in the Zenkunen and Gosannen wars. Third-generation leader of the Kawachi Genji.
Minamoto no Yoshitada – Fourth son of Yoshiie, kami of Kawachi, fourth-generation leader of the Kawachi Genji. Assassinated by his uncle Minamoto no Yoshimitsu.
Minamoto no Yoshitoki – Sixth son of Yoshiie, defended the inherited land of the Minamoto clan. Progenitor of the Ishikawa clan, among others.

Ishikawa clan – A line derived from Yoshitoki's third son Minamoto no Yoshimoto, taking its name from Ishikawa in Kawachi.
Kawachi clan – Family name taken by Kawachi kami and such.
Kusunoki clan – A local family of Kawachi, offshoot of the Tachibana clan through being anti-Shogunist.

Kusunoki Masashige – General who fought against the Kamakura shogunate. For his loyalty towards the emperor, he earned the name "Dainankō".
Kusunoki Masatsura – Son of Masashige. For succeeding his father in his efforts, he received the name "Shōnankō".
Kusunoki Masanori – Successor of Masatsura.
Kusunoki Masasue – Masashige's younger brother. Committed suicide with his brother at the battle of Minatogawa.

Kainoshō clan – Offspring of Kusunoki Masasue; served the Hatakeyama and Tokugawa clans.
Hatakeyama clan – Offshoot of the Ashikaga clan, and one of the three Kanrei; a notable family that produced many Kawachi Province shugo.

Hatakeyama Mitsuie – Kawachi shugo and Muromachi shogunate kanrei.
Hatakeyama Mochikuni – Son of Mitsuie; Kawachi shugo and Muromachi shogunate kanrei.
Hatakeyama Masanaga – Nephew and adopted son of Mochikuni; Kawachi shugo and Muromachi shogunate kanrei. Died in dispute with the shogunate.
Hatakeyama Hisayoshi – Son of Masanaga; Kawachi shugo.
Hatakeyama Tanenaga – Son of Hisayoshi; Kawachi shugo but puppet of shugodai Yusa Naganori.
Hatakeyama Takamasa – Younger brother of Tanenaga; Kawachi shugo and anti-Miyoshi vanguard.
Hatakeyama Akitaka – Younger brother of Tanenaga; followed in Takamasa's footsteps but was defeated by the Yusa.
Hatakeyama Yoshinari – True son of Mochikuni; Kawachi shugo and regarded as a great commander.
Hatakeyama Yoshitoyo – Son of Yoshinari; though he defeated Masanaga in the Meiō Coup, he was defeated by Hisayoshi in a comeback.
Hatakeyama Yoshihide – Son of Yoshitoyo.

Hosokawa Katsumoto – Shugo of Settsu, Tanba, and Yamashiro among others. Also a kanrei.
Hosokawa Masamoto – Son of Katsumoto and a kanrei.

Hosokawa Sumimoto – Adopted son of Masamoto.
Hosokawa Takakuni – Adopted son of Masamoto.
Hosokawa Sumiyuki – Adopted son of Masamoto.

Hosokawa Harumoto – Son of Sumimoto; kanrei. Political power collapsed when defeated by Miyoshi Nagayoshi.
Hosokawa Ujitsuna – Takakuni's orphan. Shouldered the anti-Harumoto faction.
Yusa Naganori – Shugodai of Kawachi. Seized the real power of the Hatakeyama and reduced them to a Sengoku daimyō.
Miyoshi clan – Sengoku daimyō. Originally the shugo of Awa Province; became the lords of Iimori Mountain Castle in Kawachi.

Miyoshi Nagayoshi – Hegemon; a commander that expanded power to Awa, Tosa, Iyo, Sanuki, Awaji, Harima, Settsu, Tanba, Yamashiro, Kawachi, and Yamato.
Miyoshi Yoshitsugu – After the death of Nagayoshi, he inherited the family hardship, but the house of Miyoshi fell apart.
Miyoshi Yasunaga – Nagayoshi's uncle. Lord of Takaya Castle.
Miyoshi Masanaga – Grand-uncle of Nagayoshi.
Miyoshi triumvirate – A triple alliance in the house of Miyoshi between Iwanari Tomomichi, Miyoshi Masayasu, and Miyoshi Nagayasu.

Kizawa Nagamasa – A Sengoku daimyō who temporarily held Yamato and Kawachi.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi – Shogun and ruler of all Japan who succeeded Oda Nobunaga.
Toyotomi Hideyori – Son of Hideyoshi; supreme commander of the western army in the Siege of Osaka.
Sanada Yukimura – Second son of Sanada Masayuki of the Shinshū Sanada. Took the Osaka side in the siege of Osaka and banished to Kudoyama.
Gotō Mototsugu – Commander with long service; was a chief vassal of the Kuroda clan, but opposed Kuroda Nagamasa. On the Osaka side in the Siege of Osaka.
Chōsokabe Morichika – Fourth son of Chōsokabe Motochika; after his father's death, he inherited the family responsibility and fought for the Toyotomi side at the Battle of Sekigahara and Siege of Osaka.
Kimura Shigenari – A young talent of the Toyotomi side in opposition to the bakufu.
Iijima Saburōemon – A peasant of Takaida in Kawachi Province who served Shigenari, he died in action at the Battle of Wakae.
Yamaguchi Hirosada – Son of Yamaguchi Munenaga; a subordinate commander for Shigenari, and husband of Shigenari's younger sister; the vanguard at the Battle of Wakae, where he died in the intense fighting.
Yasui Dōton – The man who dug (and whose name graces) Dōtonbori; may have also been born in Kawachi.
Shuntokumaru – A man said to be from Takayasu District. The subject of various theatre productions.
Naka Jinbee – The village headman who re-routed the Yamato River.