Kutsuna-shi

They were a powerful clan on Kutsuna Island in Iyo (Ehime Prefecture) and were famous as pirates. Chikakata, a descendant of Fujiwara no Michinaga, called himself the Kutsuna clan, and in the Kamakura period, they were the lords of Kutsuna Island for generations. The ninth generation, Shigeyoshi, sometimes called himself the Tokuno clan, a branch of the Kono clan. During the Nanboku-cho period, Shigeyoshi's eldest son, Shigekiyo, belonged to the Northern Court, but his younger brother, Yoshinori, followed his father and protected Prince Kaneyoshi, the son of Emperor Godaigo, and the clan was active on the Southern Court side thereafter. The clan split off, and some members settled in the Kutsuna Seven Islands, such as the Futagami clan of Futagamijima. During the Muromachi period, the family maintained its fortunes as a branch of the Kono clan under the control of the Ashikaga Shogunate. However, as the Kono clan declined, it became difficult to maintain its power, and in 1587 (Tensho 15), the family was destroyed by the Kobayakawa clan.

[Yamamoto Dai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

伊予(いよ)（愛媛県）忽那島の豪族で海賊として著名。藤原道長(ふじわらのみちなが)の子孫の近賢(ちかかた)が忽那氏を称し、鎌倉時代には代々忽那島の地頭であった。9代重義(しげよし)は河野(こうの)氏支族の得能(とくのう)氏を称したこともあった。南北朝時代には、重義の嫡子重清(しげきよ)は北朝方に属したが、弟義範(よしのり)は父に従い後醍醐(ごだいご)天皇の皇子懐良(かねよし)親王を守護し、以後一族は南朝方として活躍した。一族は分かれて、二神島(ふたがみじま)の二神氏のように忽那七島に土着する者もあった。室町時代には、河野氏の一門として足利(あしかが)将軍家の支配下にあって家運を保った。しかし河野氏の衰退により勢力の維持が困難となり、1587年（天正15）小早川(こばやかわ)氏に滅ぼされた。

［山本　大］

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