Kikuchi clan

A powerful clan and samurai group in medieval Higo (Kumamoto Prefecture). Since 1383 (Kōwa 3/Eitoku 3), when Kikuchi Taketomo defended his position on the side of the Southern Court in Higo and submitted the so-called Mōshijō to the Yoshino Imperial Court, a genealogy was created that began with Nakanokanpaku Michitaka. However, recent research has revealed that Masanori, the father of the first Kikuchi Noritaka, was the same person as Masanori, a retainer of Dazai Gonsochi Takaie, who was distinguished during the Toi invasion and rose to Dazai Shōni and Tsushima no Kami, and that Noritaka and his son Masataka were said to be residents of Higo Province in the central government. The clan grew as local feudal lords from the late 11th century, with its base in Kikuchi, Higo (Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture). During the Genpei Civil War, Takanao briefly rebelled against the Taira clan, but later played an active role on their side, becoming a figure of the nation's leader and earning the title of Kikuchi Gonnokami. After that, they became retainers of the Kamakura Shogunate, and Takefusa played an active role in the Mongol War. In 1333 (Genko 3/Shokei 2), Taketoki was killed in battle during a raid on the Chinzei Tandai residence, and his son Takeshige was appointed Higo no Kami by the Kenmu government. Since then, Takeshige, Taketoshi, Takemitsu and others played an active role as central figures on the side of the Southern Court in Kyushu. After the two courts were united, Taketomo became the guardian of Higo, a position he held until Yoshiyuki. Later, Aso Korenaga and Otomo Shigeharu were welcomed and inherited the family name, but they were destroyed by Otomo Yoshishige. Yoshiyuki's descendants fled to Hyuga Mera (Nishimera Village, Koyu County, Miyazaki Prefecture) and are said to have taken the name Mera thereafter.

[Keiichi Kudo]

"Three Generations of the Kikuchi Family" by Naoo Sugimoto (1966, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中世肥後（熊本県）の豪族、武士団。1383年（弘和3・永徳3）菊池武朝(たけとも)が肥後南朝方における自己の立場を弁明し、吉野朝廷に提出したいわゆる武朝申状(もうしじょう)以来、中関白道隆(なかのかんぱくみちたか)に始まる系譜がつくられてきた。しかし近年の研究で、菊池氏初代則隆(のりたか)の父政則(まさのり)は、大宰権帥(だざいごんのそち)隆家(たかいえ)の郎等で刀伊(とい)の入寇(にゅうこう)に際し功あり、大宰少弐(しょうに)、対馬守(つしまのかみ)に進んだ蔵規(まさのり)と同一人物であり、則隆やその子政隆(まさたか)は、中央で肥後国住人といわれていることが明らかにされた。一族は11世紀後半から肥後の菊池（熊本県菊池市）を本拠に在地領主として成長、源平内乱期の隆直(たかなお)は、一時平家に背いたのち、平氏方で活躍、一国棟梁(とうりょう)的存在となり菊池権守(ごんのかみ)とよばれた。以後鎌倉幕府の御家人(ごけにん)となり、武房(たけふさ)は蒙古(もうこ)合戦で活躍した。1333年（元弘3・正慶2）武時(たけとき)は鎮西探題(ちんぜいたんだい)館に討ち入り戦死、その子武重(たけしげ)は建武(けんむ)政権により肥後守に叙せられ、以来武重、武敏(たけとし)、武光(たけみつ)らは九州南朝方の中心として活躍した。両朝合一後、武朝は肥後の守護となり、能運(よしゆき)に至るまでこれを保持した。その後阿蘇惟長(あそこれなが)、大友重治(しげはる)が迎えられ名跡を継いだが、大友義鎮(よししげ)に滅ぼされた。なお能運の子孫は日向(ひゅうが)米良(めら)（宮崎県児湯郡(こゆぐん)西米良村）に逃れ、以後米良氏を名のったと伝える。

［工藤敬一］

『杉本尚雄著『菊池氏三代』（1966・吉川弘文館）』

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