Rokkaku

The Rokkaku were a branch of the Sasaki family who held the governorship of Ōmi and built a power base in the south of the province.

Rokkaku Yoshikata inherited the family leadership in 1552 and mediated peace between Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru and Miyoshi Nagayoshi, allowing the shogun to return to Kyoto in 1558. Defeated by Azai Nagamasa in 1560, the family suffered internal strife in 1563. In 1568 Oda Nobunaga drove Yoshikata and his son Yoshiharu from Kannonji Castle; they continued to resist from Ishibe Castle.