Ōba

The Oba were a Sagami warrior house of the Kanmu Heishi Kamakura line, kin of Kamakura Kagemasa. Kagemasa opened the Oba mikuriya, an Ise Shrine manor, formally established in 1116; his kin inherited its stewardship and took the name Oba.

The family served Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and Yoshiie, then followed Minamoto no Yoshitomo, fighting under him in 1156. In 1180 the brothers Oba Kagechika and Kageyoshi split: Kagechika pursued Minamoto no Yoritomo for the Taira and was executed, while Kageyoshi joined Yoritomo and his line survived as Kamakura gokenin.

The clan was weakened in the Wada conflict of 1213 and the Hoji conflict of 1247, and Oba power largely disappeared from the Kanto. A branch led by Oba Kagetsura was posted to Bingo in 1213 and survived until Sengoku times; other Oba served the Ouchi and Mori and continued as Choshu retainers.