Imagawa

The Imagawa clan (今川氏) were descendants of the Seiwa Genji, the most successful branch of warriors from the Minamoto clan.

Their roots are said to have began when the Ashikaga shogunate desired to separate itself from the Kira family sometime in the mid 12th century. The reasons for the split are highly debated and generally unclear. The popular account writes that the Ashikaga desired to have its own separate family apart from various official positions and so created the Imagawa. Yoshimoto claimed that they were direct descendants of a distinguished Minamoto general and their rule naturally gained power over time. Kuniuji is generally seen as the clan's founder, even though other warriors with the same family name also obtained high regard. Norinobu was the last leader and, since his heir died young, the clan ended with his death in 1887.

The hikiryou (also called hiryou, hiryu or hitamashii) has no definite meaning or translation. According to legend, the horizontal line has various meanings to the people who used it. One states that it shows the splitting of a human soul, others reason that it could be a dragon and its tail, and the third common interpretation is that it divides the sun and moon apart. The akaitori (赤鳥, lit: red chicken) is said to have been fashioned after a woman's comb. There is also another story stating that a woman once rode a horse and her long robes fluttered in the wind, thus creating the comb-like shape. Miraculously, the steed ran so fast that the woman's clothes were not filthy from the ride.

Clan Heads
Due to the wide split in the family's genealogy, this list does not include their ancestral leaders from the Ashikaga clan.


 * 1) Kuniuji
 * 2) Motouji
 * 3) Norikuni
 * 4) Noriuji
 * 5) Yasunori
 * 6) Norimasa
 * 7) Noritada
 * 8) Yoshitada
 * 9) Ujichika
 * 10) Ujiteru
 * 11) Yoshimoto
 * 12) Ujizane
 * 13) Naofusa
 * 14) Ujinari
 * 15) Ujimichi
 * 16) Noritaka
 * 17) Norinushi
 * 18) Norihiko
 * 19) Yoshiyasu
 * 20) Yoshiaki
 * 21) Yoshimichi
 * 22) Yoshiyori
 * 23) Norinobu

Major Vassals
The following sections present information present during Yoshimoto and Ujizane's time of power in the Warring States period.


 * Sessai Choro
 * Kuno Motomune
 * Azai Masatoshi
 * Asahina Yasuyoshi
 * Asahina Yasutomo
 * Asahina Nobuoki
 * Okabei Chikatsuna
 * Okabei Masatsune
 * Okabe Motonobu
 * Miura Masatoshi
 * Miura Yoshinari
 * Katsurayama Ujimoto
 * Sena Nobuteru
 * Sena Ujitoshi
 * Sekiguchi Chikanaga
 * Ihachi Tadatane
 * Ihachi Shigezane
 * Kondo Kageharu
 * Udono Nagamochi
 * Udono Nagateru
 * Yui Masanobu
 * Ii Naomori
 * Ii Naochika
 * Matsui Munenobu
 * Amano Kagetsura
 * Abe Motozane
 * Itami Yasunao
 * Fuji Nobutada
 * Iio Noritsura
 * Iio Tsuratatsu
 * Yamaguchi Noritsugu
 * Matsudaira Hirotada
 * Matsudaira Kurandonosuke Motoyasu

Clan Castles
Separated by province name.


 * Suruga
 * Imagawa Kan (later known as Sunpu Castle), Shizuhatayama Castle, Mochifune Castle, Tanaka Castle


 * Tōtōmi
 * Kakegawa Castle, Takatenjin Castle, Futamada Castle, Inui Castle, Hamamatsu Castle, Utsuyama Castle


 * Mikawa
 * Yoshida Castle, Tahara Castle, Okazaki Castle, Anshō Castle


 * Owari
 * Katsukake Castle, Ōtaka Castle, Narumi Castle