Mitoya

The Mitoya were an Izumo kokujin house who claimed Seiwa Genji blood through the Shinano line. After Suwabe Sukenaga fought for the shogunate in 1221 he was made steward of Mitoya, and his descendants took its name.

Around 1332 the head Sukeshige built Tamatsukuri Castle, and in 1337 he served Ashikaga Takauji at the siege of Kanegasaki. The house later served the Yamana, Kyōgoku and came under the influence of the Amago. The Mitoya eventually surrendered to Mōri Motonari; their castle became a Mōri supply base that beat off Amago assaults in 1562 and 1563.

In 1586 Mōri Terumoto exiled the Mitoya head Hisasuke to seize the fief; Hisasuke retired in Kyoto and refused Tokugawa Ieyasu's offer of a post. His son Takasuke served the Mōri and Hosokawa, and Takasuke's son Sukeaki reverted to the Suwabe surname, ending the Mitoya name.