Mr. Kozai

Japanese: 香西氏 - こうざいうじ

A local feudal lord and samurai of medieval Sanuki. Their original surname is said to be either Aya or Fujiwara. As the district name is Kosai (west district of Kagawa district), it is thought that they descended from the provincial government office, and in the Kamakura period they became vassals of the shogunate. From the Northern and Southern Courts to the Muromachi period, they played an active role as vassals (uchishu) of the Hosokawa shogunate along with the Kagawa, Yasutomi, Nara, and Yakushiji clans. During the time of Hosokawa Masamoto, they split into two branches: Kami-Kosai, who lived in the capital and operated in the capital, and Shimo-Kosai, who were based in Sanuki. Kami-Kosai included Kosai Motonaga, who once boasted great power, but shared the same fate as the Hosokawa clan's decline.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

中世讃岐の土豪，武士。本姓は綾氏とも藤原氏ともいう。郡名香西(香川郡のうち西郡)を称していることから，国衙在庁に系譜をひくと思われ，鎌倉時代には幕府御家人となった。南北朝から室町時代には，香川，安富，奈良，薬師寺氏などとともに管領細川氏の被官(内衆（うちしゆう）)として活躍した。細川政元の時代，洛中に常住し京畿に活動する〈上香西〉と，讃岐在地に蟠踞した〈下香西〉の2流に分かれた。〈上香西〉には一時強盛を誇った香西元長などがあるが，細川氏の衰亡とほぼ命運をともにした。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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