Hosokawa clan

In this Japanese name, the family name is Hosokawa.

The Hosokawa clan (細川氏, Hosokawa-shi^?) was a Japanese samurai kin group or clan^[1]

History[]

The was descended from the Seiwa Genji, a branch of the Minamoto clan, and ultimately from Emperor Seiwa himself, through the Ashikaga clan.^[2] It produced many prominent officials in the Ashikaga shogunate's administration. In the Edo period, the Hosokawa clan was one of the largest landholding daimyo families in Japan. In the present day, the current clan head Morihiro Hosokawa, has served as Prime Minister of Japan.

Muromachi and Sengoku eras[]

Ashikaga Yoshisue, son of Ashikaga Yoshizane, was the first to take the name of Hosokawa. Hosokawa Yoriharu, a Hosokawa of the late Kamakura period, fought for the Ashikaga clan against the Kamakura shogunate. Another, Hosokawa Akiuji, helped establish the Ashikaga shogunate.

The clan wielded significant power over the course of the Muromachi (1336–1467), Sengoku (1467–1600), and Edo periods, moving, however, from Shikoku, to Kinai, and then to Kyūshū over the centuries.

The clan was also one of three families to dominate the post of Kanrei (Shogun's deputy), under the Ashikaga shogunate. One such individual was Hosokawa Yoriyuki.^[3] At the beginning of the Ashikaga's rule, the Hosokawa were given control of the entirety of Shikoku. Over the course of this period, members of the Hosokawa clan were Constables (shugo) of Awa, Awaji, Bitchu, Izumi, Sanuki, Settsu, Tamba, Tosa, and Yamashiro Provinces.

A conflict between Hosokawa Katsumoto, the fifth Kanrei, and his father-in-law Yamana Sōzen, over the shogunate's succession, sparked the Ōnin War, which led to the fall of the shogunate and a period of 150 years of chaos and war, known as Sengoku. Following the fall of the Ashikaga shogunate, which was based in Kyoto, control of the city, and thus obstensibly the country, fell into the hands of the Hosokawa clan (who held the post of Kyoto Kanrei - Shogun's deputy in Kyoto) for a few generations. Katsumoto's son, Hosokawa Masamoto, held power in this way at the end of the 15th century, but was assassinated in 1507. After his death, the clan became divided and was weakened by internecine fighting. What power they still had, however, was centered in and around Kyoto. This gave them the leverage to consolidate their power to some extent, and came to be strong rivals with the Ōuchi family, both politically, and in terms of dominating trade with China.^[4] The Hosokawa remained in Kyoto for roughly one hundred years, fleeing the city when it was attacked by Oda Nobunaga.

Edo era[]

Hosokawa Gyōbu mansion

The Hosokawa of Kokura (later Kumamoto) became the "main" line of the Hosokawa clan during the Edo period. Hosokawa Gracia, the wife of Hosokawa Tadaoki, was one of the most famous samurai converts to Christianity; she was also the daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide.

The Hosokawa sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu against Ishida Mitsunari during the decisive Sekigahara Campaign, and thus were made fudai (inside) daimyo under the Tokugawa shogunate. They were given Higo province, with an income of 540,000 koku, as their han (fief).

Hosokawa Tadatoshi, the third lord of Kumamoto, was the patron of the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi.^[5]

Though the Hosokawa domain was far from the capital, on Kyūshū, they were among the wealthiest of the daimyo. By 1750, Higo was one of the top producers of rice, and was in fact counted as a standard by the Osaka rice brokers. The domain suffered from serious economic decline after that, as most domains did, but the sixth lord, Hosokawa Shigekata (1718–1785, r. 1747-1785) instituted a number of reforms which turned the situation around. He also founded a Han school, Jishuukan, in 1755.^[6] In later years, it produced many scholars such as Yokoi Shonan.

In 1787, the main family line descended from Tadatoshi became extinct with the death of the 7th lord, Shigekata's son Harutoshi (1758–1787; r. 1785-1787). He was succeeded by his distant cousin Narishige, the sixth Lord of Udo (1755-c1835, r. 1787-1810) a direct descendant of Tadatoshi's younger brother Yukitaka (1615–1645). In 1810, Narishige abdicated his title in favor of his elder son Naritatsu (1788–1826, r. 1810-1826), who succeeded as the ninth lord of Kumamoto. Naritatsu died without an heir in 1826, and was succeeded by his nephew Narimori (1804–1860, r. 1826-1860), the son of Naritatsu's younger brother Tatsuyuki (1784–1818), who was the seventh lord of Udo.^[7]

Following the death of Narimori in 1860, his elder son Yoshikuni (1835–1876, r. 1860-1871) succeeded him as the eleventh and final ruling lord of Kumamoto.

There were four major branches of the Hosokawa clan in the Edo period, each of which held the title of daimyo. Another two branches of the family, under the Nagaoka surname, served the Hosokawa of Kumamoto as karō. The residence of one of those families, Hosokawa Gyōbu　mansion (細川刑部邸, Hosokawa Gyōbu-tei^?), is still extant, and is a Tangible Cultural Property of Kumamoto Prefecture.

Boshin war[]

During the Boshin War of 1868-69, the Hosokawa of Kumamoto, Kumamoto-Shinden, and Udo sided with the imperial government. Its forces took part in the Battle of Aizu and the Battle of Hakodate, among others.

Meiji and beyond[]

Following the abolition of the feudal class in 1871, the Hosokawa clan and its branches were made part of the new nobility in the Meiji era. The head of the main family line (Kumamoto) was given the hereditary title of marquis (kōshaku), while the heads of the secondary branches became viscounts (shishaku); the titles became obsolete in 1947. The present head of the main family line, Morihiro Hosokawa, former Prime Minister of Japan, is a descendant of the Hosokawa of Kumamoto.

Key Genealogies[]

Kumamoto^[8]

Hosokawa Fujitaka (1534–1610)
Hosokawa Tadaoki (1563–1645)
Hosokawa Tadatoshi (1586–1641)
Hosokawa Mitsunao (1619–1650)
Hosokawa Tsunatoshi (1643–1714)

Hosokawa Nobunori (1676–1732)
Hosokawa Munetaka (1716–1747)
Hosokawa Shigekata (1718–1785)
Hosokawa Harutoshi (1758–1787)
Hosokawa Narishige (1755–1835)

Hosokawa Naritatsu (1797–1826)
Hosokawa Narimori (1804–1860)
Hosokawa Yoshikuni (1835–1876)-Last ruling Lord of Kumamoto

Hosokawa Morihisa, 1st Marquis (1839–1893) (created 1884)
Hosokawa Morishige, 2nd Marquis (1868–1914)
Hosokawa Moritatsu, 3rd Marquis (title made obsolete in 1947) (1883–1970)

Hosokawa Morisada, titular 5th Marquis (1912–2005)
Morihiro Hosokawa, titular 6th Marquis (1938-)

Kumamoto-Shinden (Takase)^[9]

Hosokawa Toshishige (1647–1687)
Hosokawa Toshimasa (1672–1715)
Hosokawa Toshiyasu (1701–1749)
Hosokawa Toshihiro (1716–1767)
Hosokawa Toshiyuki (1750–1781)

Hosokawa Toshitsune (1754–1805)
Hosokawa Toshikuni (1784–1810)
Hosokawa Toshichika (1788–1844)
Hosokawa Toshimochi (1808–1864)
Hosokawa Toshinaga (1829–1901)

Hosokawa Toshisuke
Hosokawa Teruko (1937-)
Hosokawa Kendi (1960-)
Hosokawa Satiko (1990-)

Udo^[10]

Hosokawa Yukitaka (1637-1690)^[11]
Hosokawa Aritaka (1676–1733)
Hosokawa Okinari (1699–1737)
Hosokawa Okisato (1722–1745)
Hosokawa Okinori (1723–1785)

Hosokawa Tatsuhiro (1755–1835)^[12]
Hosokawa Tatsuyuki (1784–1818)
Hosokawa Tatsumasa (1804–1860)
Hosokawa Yukika (1811–1876)
Hosokawa Tatsunori (1832–1888)

Hosokawa Yukizane (1842–1902)

Hitachi-Yatabe^[13]

Hosokawa Okimoto (1564–1619)
Hosokawa Okimasa (1604–1643)
Hosokawa Okitaka (1632–1690)
Hosokawa Okinaga (1658–1737)
Hosokawa Okizane (1687–1728)

Hosokawa Okitora (1710–1737)
Hosokawa Okiharu (1737–1794)
Hosokawa Okinori (1759–1837)
Hosokawa Okitatsu (1798–1855)
Hosokawa Okitsura (1832–1907)

Hosokawa Okitsugu
Hosokawa Okiharu

Genealogy of the main Kumamoto family line[]

Hosokawa Fujitaka (1534-1610), had a son:
- Tadaoki (1563-1645), who had among other issue, two sons:
  - I. Tadatoshi, 1st Lord of Kumamoto (cr. 1632) (1586-1641; r. 1632-1641), who had a son:
    - II. Mitsunao, 2nd Lord of Kumamoto (1619-1650; r. 1641-1650), who had two sons:
      - III. Tsunatoshi, 3rd Lord of Kumamoto (1641-1712; r. 1650-1712)
      - Toshishige (1646-1687), who had a son:
        IV. Nobunori, 4th Lord of Kumamoto (1676-1732; r. 1712-1732), who had two sons:
        V. Munetaka, 5th Lord of Kumamoto (1716-1747; r. 1732-1747)
        
        VI. Shigekata, 6th Lord of Kumamoto (1721-1785; r. 1747-1785), who had a son:
        VII. Harutoshi, 7th Lord of Kumamoto (1758-1787; r. 1785-1787)
  - Tatsutaka (1615-1645), who had a son:
    - Yukitaka, 1st Lord of Udo (1637-1690), who had a son:
      - Aritaka, 2nd Lord of Udo (1676-1733), who had a son:
        Okinari, 3rd Lord of Udo (1699-1737), who had two sons, including:
        Okinori, 5th Lord of Udo (1723-1785), who had a son:
        VIII. Narishige, Lord of Udo, 8th Lord of Kumamoto (1755-1835; after a time as Lord of Udo, adopted by his distant cousin Harutoshi and succeeded as Lord of Kumamoto in 1787. Ruled 1787-1810). He had among other issue, two sons:
        Tatsuyuki, Lord of Udo (1784-1818), who had issue, a son:
        X. Narimori, Lord of Udo, 10th Lord of Kumamoto (1804-1860; r. 1826-1860), who had issue, two sons:
        XI.Yoshikuni, 11th Lord of Kumamoto (1835-1876; r. 1860-1869. Governor of Kumamoto 1869-1871).
        
        12. Morihisa, 12th Hosokawa family head, 1st Marquess (1839-1893; family head 1876-1893). Created 1st Marquess Hosokawa in 1884. He had three sons:
        13. Morishige, 13th Hosokawa family head, 2nd Marquess (1868-1914; family head and 2nd Marquess 1893-1914)
        
        Morikei, Baron Hosokawa (cr. 1896) (1882-1898)
        
        14. Moritatsu, 14th Hosokawa family head, 3rd Marquess, 2nd Baron (1883-1970; 2nd Baron Hosokawa 1898, 14th Hosokawa family head 1914-1970 and as the 3rd Marquess 1914-1947, titles abolished in 1947). He had a son:
        15. Morisada, 15th Hosokawa family head (1912-2005; family head 1970-2005). He had a son:
        16. Morihiro, 16th Hosokawa family head (1938- ; family head 2005-). Prime Minister of Japan 1993-1994. He has one son.
        
        IX. Naritatsu, 9th Lord of Kumamoto (1788-1826; r. 1810-1826)

^[14]

Notes[]

↑ 細川氏 at Nihon jinmei daijiten; retrieved 2013-5-29.
↑ Berry, M.E. (1997). The Culture of Civil War in Kyoto, p.45. University of California Press.
↑ Bodiford, Sōtō Zen in Medieval Japan, p. 129.
↑ Bingham, A History of Asia, p. 544.
↑ Wilson, The Lone Samurai, pp. 104-105.
↑ Motoyama, Proliferating Talent, pp. 288-289.
↑ [1]
↑ "Hosokawa-shi (Higo Kumamoto hanshu-ke)" (ret. 27 Sept. 2008)
↑ "Hosokawa-shi (Higo Kumamoto-shinden hanshu-ke)" (ret. 27 Sept. 2008)
↑ "Hosokawa-shi (Higo Udo hanshu-ke)" (ret. 27 Sept. 2008)
↑ 細川行孝 at Nihon jinmei daijiten; 細川行孝 at Reichsarchiv.jp; retrieved 2013-5-30.
↑ 細川立禮 at Nihon jinmei daijiten; retrieved 2013-5-30.
↑ "Hosokawa-shi (Yatabe hanshu-ke)" (ret. 27 Sept. 2008)
↑ Genealogy

Hosokawa clan

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