Nasu clan

Japanese: 那須氏 - なすうじ

A medieval samurai family based in Nasu County, Shimotsuke Province. They are said to be descendants of the Nasu kuni no miyatsuko or descendants of the Fujiwara clan, but the details are unclear. They sided with the Minamoto clan during the Jisho-Juei civil war. Nasu no Yoichi is famous for joining the forces of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and fighting in the Battle of Yashima. From the Kamakura period onwards, the Nasu clan of Karasuyama became the head family, and branched out into the Ashino clan, Fukuhara clan, and Senbon clans, acting as party groups. In the Muromachi period, they served the Ashikaga clan, but during the Sengoku period of civil war, they controlled the northeastern part of Shimotsuke, including Nasu County and Shioya County, from Karasuyama Castle, and cooperated with a branch of the Fukuhara clan to prevent invasions by neighboring samurai.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

下野国那須郡を本拠とした中世武家。那須国造の子孫とも，藤原氏の系譜を引くものともいわれているが，詳細は不明である。治承･寿永の内乱においては源氏に味方をした。源義経軍に加わり，屋島の戦で活躍した那須与一は著名である。鎌倉時代以降，烏山の那須氏を宗家として，芦野氏，福原氏，千本氏などを分出し，党的結合をもって活動した。室町時代には足利氏に仕えたが，戦国争乱期には烏山城に拠って，那須郡，塩谷郡など下野東北部を支配下におさめ，支族福原氏と協力して近隣諸士の侵攻を防いだ。

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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