Mr. Yoshikawa

During the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, he was a land steward in Aki Province (Hiroshima Prefecture). Later, he became a branch of the Mori clan and the lord of Iwakuni Domain in Suo Province (Yamaguchi Prefecture). He is said to be a descendant of Takechimaro Tamenori of the Southern branch of the Fujiwara clan. At the end of the Heian period, he lived in Kikawa Village, Irie Manor, Suruga Province (Shizuoka Prefecture) and named his family name after him. At the beginning of the Kamakura period, Tomokane was awarded the position of land steward of Fukui-sho in Harima Province (Hyogo Prefecture) for his achievements, and his grandson Tsunemitsu was awarded the position of land steward of Oasano-sho in Yamagata County, Aki Province. His son Tsunetaka moved to Oasano-sho in 1313 (Showa 2) and distributed other territories to his children. From then on, they acted as kunishu (local lords) who were not subordinate to the shugo, but during the Sengoku period, they belonged to the Ouchi clan. Then, Mori Motonari adopted his second son, Motoharu, into Kikkawa Okitsune, and gave him control over Sanin, and from then on they became a branch family of the Mori clan for generations. After the Battle of Sekigahara, the Mori clan was reduced in fief and was awarded 30,000 koku of land in Iwakuni. In 1868 (Meiji 1), they became feudal lords for the first time and called themselves Iwakuni Domain.

[Takeichiro Fukuo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鎌倉・室町時代、安芸国(あきのくに)（広島県）の地頭(じとう)。のち毛利(もうり)氏末家、周防国(すおうのくに)（山口県）岩国(いわくに)藩主。藤原氏南家武智麻呂(むちまろ)流為憲(ためのり)の子孫と伝える。平安末期、駿河国(するがのくに)（静岡県）入江庄(いりえのしょう)吉河邑(きっかわむら)に住し氏とした。鎌倉時代の初め友兼(ともかね)は功により播磨国(はりまのくに)（兵庫県）福井庄の地頭職(じとうしき)を受け、その孫経光(つねみつ)は安芸国山県(やまがた)郡大朝庄(おおあさのしょう)の地頭職を得、その子経高に至って1313年（正和2）大朝庄に下向定住し、他の所領を子弟に分与した。それより守護に隷従しない国衆(くにしゅう)として活動したが、戦国時代には大内氏に属した。ついで毛利元就(もとなり)が二男元春を吉川興経(おきつね)の養子に入れて山陰に対する押さえとし、それより代々毛利氏の末家となる。関ヶ原の戦い後、毛利氏削封に伴い岩国3万石を領し、1868年（明治1）初めて大名に列し、岩国藩と称した。

［福尾猛市郎］

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