Gotō

The Gotō were a widespread warrior lineage who claimed descent from Fujiwara no Toshihito of the Northern House of the Fujiwara. According to the Sonpi Bunmyaku, his fifth-generation descendant Norimura combined his offices with his Fujiwara surname to style himself Gotō no uchi; his descendants adopted Gotō as their name.

After Motokiyo of the Satō family was adopted into the Gotō house, its heads took Moto as their shared generational character. The Mimasaka Gotō were counted kin of the Harima Gotō, whose Gotō Mototsugu was killed at Dōmyōji in the Osaka Summer Campaign of 1615.

The Takeo Gotō of Hizen began when Gotō Akiaki was made jitō of Tsukasaki after the Earlier Nine Years' War. Its head Ujiaki fought the Mongol invaders in 1281; later the family served the Nabeshima, becoming chief retainers of Saga Domain and receiving the Nabeshima surname in 1699.