Asano clan


The Asano clan was a Japanese samurai clan that descended from the Minamoto clan, and the Emperor Seiwa, the 56th Emperor of Japan. The Main Lineage were Lords of the Hiroshima Domain in Aki Province and another famous branch family were Lords of the Akō Domain in Harima Province associated with the story of the Forty-seven rōnin. Their inherited character is "長". The family came to prominence when the sister of Asano Nagamasa married Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
After the Meiji Restoration and the abolition of the han system, the Asano clan became part of the new nobility.

Origins

The Asano clan are a branch the Toki clan who descend from Minamoto no Yorimitsu of the Seiwa Genji. The Toki clan's main residence was in the Toki District of Mino Province from which they took their name.
Minamoto no Mitsuhira was the third son of Minamoto no Mitsunaga who was killed in battle during the Genpei War. His uncle Minamoto no Mitsumoto adopted him and he founded the Toki clan becoming Toki Mitsuhira. His first son Toki Mitsuyuki continued the clan but his second son Toki Mitsutoki took the name Asano and became founder of the Asano clan. He resided at Asano, Toki district and took the name of the place.
Seiwa-tennō
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Sadazumi-shinnō
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Minamoto no Tsunemoto
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Minamoto no Mitsunaka
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Minamoto no Yorimitsu
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Minamoto no Yorikuni
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Minamoto no Kunifusa
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Minamoto no Mitsukuni
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Minamoto no Mitsunobu
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Minamoto no Mitsunaga
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Toki Mitsuhira
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'''Asano Mitsutoki'''

Asano Nagamasa (1546-1611)

He was the son of Yasui Shigetsugu, Lord of Miyago castle, a descendant of Hatakeyama Iekuni, Shugo of Kawachi province, descending from Ashikaga Yoshikane of the Seiwa-Genji. Yoshikane was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshiyasu, also called Ashikaga Yoshiyasu, founder of the Ashikaga clan, grandson of the Chinjufu-shōgun Minamoto no Yoshiie, and a descendant of the Emperor Seiwa, the 56th Emperor of Japan.
Nagamasa was adopted by his maternal uncle, Asano Nagakatsu, Lord of Asano castle, younger brother of his mother, and succeeded him as the fourteenth head of the Asano clan.
Until Nagakatsu, the Asano descended directly from Minamoto no Yorimitsu and the Toki clan, and after Nagamasa, the Asano are direct descendants of the Hatakeyama clan and the Ashikaga clan.

Branches

Makabe Domain (真壁藩), Hitachi">Hitachi Province">Hitachi (50,000 koku)

  • Asano Nagamasa - brother-in-law of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
  • Asano Nagashige - 3rd son of Asano Nagamasa.

    [Kishū Domain] (紀州藩), Kii">Kii Province">Kii (376,000 koku)

  • Asano Yoshinaga - 1st son of Asano Nagamasa.
  • Asano Nagaakira - 2nd son of Asano Nagamasa, transferred to Hiroshima Domain.

    Mooka Domain (真岡藩), Shimotsuke">Shimotsuke Province">Shimotsuke (20,000 koku)

  • Asano Nagashige - 3rd son of Asano Nagamasa.

    [Kasama Domain] (笠間藩), Hitachi">Hitachi Province">Hitachi (53,500 koku)

  • Asano Nagashige - 3rd son of Asano Nagamasa.
  • Asano Naganao - eldest son of Nagashige, transferred to Akō Domain in 1645.

    [Hiroshima Domain] (広島藩), Aki">Aki Province">Aki (426,500 koku)

  • Asano Nagaakira - 2nd son of Asano Nagamasa.
  • Asano Mitsuakira
  • Asano Tsunaakira
  • Asano Tsunanaga
  • Asano Yoshinaga
  • Asano Munetsune
  • Asano Shigeakira
  • Asano Narikata
  • Asano Naritaka
  • Asano Yoshiteru
  • Asano Nagamichi
  • Asano Nagakoto

    Hiroshima-Shinden Domain, Aki">Aki Province">Aki (30,000 koku)

  • Asano Nagakata - 3rd son of Asano Tsunanaga of the Hiroshima Domain.
  • Asano Nagataka
  • Asano Nagakazu
  • Asano Nagakane
  • Asano Nagamichi - later Lord of the Hiroshima Domain.
  • Asano Nagaoki - later Lord of the Hiroshima Domain as Asano Nagakoto.
  • Asano Nagaatsu

    [Mihara Domain] (三原藩), Bingo">Bingo Province">Bingo (30,000 koku)

  • Asano Tadayoshi - son of Asano Nagatada, making him 1st cousin of Asano Nagamasa.
  • Asano Tadanaga
  • Asano Tadazane
  • Asano Tadayoshi
  • Asano Tadamasa
  • Asano Tadachika
  • Asano Tadamasa
  • Asano Tadayoshi
  • Asano Tadasuke
  • Asano Tadahide
  • Asano Tetsu

    [Akō Domain] (赤穂藩), Harima">Harima Province">Harima (53,000 koku)

  • Asano Naganao
  • Asano Nagatomo
  • Asano Naganori - famous for being the lord of the Forty-seven rōnin.

    Miyoshi Domain (三次藩), Bingo">Bingo Province">Bingo (50,000 koku)

  • Asano Nagaharu
  • Asano Nagateru
  • Asano Nagazumi
  • Asano Nagatsune
  • Asano Nagazane

    Tōjō Domain (東城藩), Bingo">Bingo Province">Bingo (10,000 koku)

  • Asano Takakatsu - adopted by Asano clan, formerly Horita Takakatsu
  • Asano Takakana
  • Asano Takatsugu
  • Asano Takanao
  • Asano Takakata
  • Asano Shunso
  • Asano Takaaki
  • Asano Michiyasu
  • Asano Takakage
  • Asano Takamichi
  • Asano Takahira
  • Asano Michihiro
  • Asano Michioki
  • Asano Michitoshi
  • Asano Morio - 6th son of Asano Nagaatsu of the Hiroshima-Shoden Domain.

    Significant Members

  • Asano Nagamasa, brother-in-law of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, fought for him in Japan and Korea
  • Asano Yoshinaga, 1st son of Nagamasa. Also served under Hideyoshi, in both Japanese campaigns, and the Korean invasions
  • Asano Nagaakira, brother of Yukinaga, first Asano lord of the Hiroshima Domain.
  • Asano Naganori, lord of the Forty-seven ''rōnin''

    In popular culture

The Asano clan of the Sengoku period led by Sōju Asano, and his daughter Sara from the anime of Inuyasha.