Imagawa

The Imagawa were a branch of the Ashikaga, of Seiwa Genji stock. In the thirteenth century Kuniuji, son of Kira Nagauji, received the Imagawa manor in Mikawa and took its name; a saying placed them after the Kira in succession to the shogunal line.

Norikuni fought for Ashikaga Takauji in the Nanboku-chō wars and became Constable of Suruga and Totomi; his descendants kept Suruga. His son Sadayo, known as Ryoshun, became Kyushu Deputy and a linked-verse poet, but lost office under Yoshimitsu.

Ujichika conquered Totomi and issued the Imagawa Kana Mokuroku, an early house law. His son Yoshimoto won the 1536 Hanakura feud and ruled Suruga, Totomi and Mikawa, until Oda Nobunaga defeated and killed him at Okehazama in 1560. Under Ujizane the domain was partitioned by the Takeda and Tokugawa; later Imagawa served the Tokugawa shoguns as ceremonial masters.