Mr. Ota

(1) A local lord of Musashi Province. A member of the Seiwa Genji clan. The descendants of Minamoto no Yorimasa lived in Ota, Kuwata County, Tanba Province (Kameoka City, Kyoto Prefecture), and called themselves the Ota clan during the reign of Sukekuni. In 1252 (4th year of Kencho), they followed Prince Munetaka and moved to Kamakura with Uesugi Shigefusa. Later, they held territories in Sagami and Musashi, and served the Uesugi clan of Ogigayatsu. During the middle and late Muromachi period, the father and son Sukekiyo and Sukenaga (Dokan) were at their most powerful, building castles in Edo (Tokyo), Iwatsuki (Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture), and Kawagoe (Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture) and working to expand the power of the Ogigayatsu Uesugi clan. Later, the clan split into two, Edo and Iwatsuki, but both were driven out of their castles by the Odawara Hojo clan. During the Edo period, the Edo Ota clan became the lord of Kakegawa Domain in Totomi (Shizuoka Prefecture), and continued to rule until the Meiji period.

(2) A family of stewards of the Monchujo (Institute of Imperial Rule) in the Kamakura and Muromachi Shogunates. The first steward of the Monchujo, Miyoshi Yasunobu, was given the position of land steward of Ota no Sho, Sera County, Bingo Province (Hiroshima Prefecture), and his son Yasutsura took the name Ota. Yasutsura became a member of the Hyojoshu (Councillor's Council) when it was established in 1225 (Karoku 1). He later also served as steward of the Monchujo, and his descendants also held this important position. After the fall of the Kamakura Shogunate, he served Ashikaga Takauji and became steward of the Monchujo (Institute of Imperial Rule) in the Muromachi Shogunate, and his descendants served as Hyojoshu (Councillor's Council), Hikitsukeshu (Councillor's Council), etc.

[Yuko Ikegami]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

(1)武蔵国(むさしのくに)の国人(こくじん)。清和源氏(せいわげんじ)。源頼政(みなもとのよりまさ)の子孫が丹波国(たんばのくに)桑田(くわた)郡太田（京都府亀岡市）に住し、資国(すけくに)のときに太田氏を称した。1252年（建長4）宗尊(むねたか)親王に従って上杉重房(しげふさ)とともに鎌倉に移る。のち相模(さがみ)、武蔵に所領を有し、扇谷(おうぎがやつ)上杉氏に仕える。室町時代中・後期の資清(すけきよ)・資長(すけなが)（道灌(どうかん)）父子のころがもっとも優勢で、江戸（東京都）、岩槻(いわつき)（埼玉県さいたま市）、河越(かわごえ)（同県川越市）の城を築き、扇谷上杉氏の勢力伸長に努めた。その後、江戸と岩槻の2家に分かれたが、ともに小田原北条氏のために城を追われた。江戸時代には、江戸太田氏系が遠江(とおとうみ)（静岡県）掛川(かけがわ)藩主となり、明治に至る。

(2)鎌倉幕府、室町幕府の問注所(もんちゅうじょ)執事家。初代問注所執事の三善康信(みよしやすのぶ)が、備後国(びんごのくに)（広島県）世羅(せら)郡大田荘(おおたのしょう)の地頭職(じとうしき)を与えられ、その子康連(やすつら)のときに太田氏を称す。康連は1225年（嘉禄1）の評定衆(ひょうじょうしゅう)設置とともにその一員となる。のち問注所執事も兼ね、子孫もこの要職にあった。鎌倉幕府滅亡後は足利尊氏(あしかがたかうじ)に仕え、室町幕府の問注所執事となり、子孫は評定衆、引付衆(ひきつけしゅう)などを勤めた。

［池上裕子］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例