Otomo clan

The clan was founded in Otomo-go, Sagami Province (Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture) in the early Kamakura period. There are various theories about the origins of the first head of the clan, Yoshinao, and it is said that he was an illegitimate son of Minamoto no Yoritomo, but this is doubtful. During Yoshinao's time, he was given the position of land steward of Ono-no-sho in Bungo Province (Oita Prefecture) and was also appointed as the guardian of Bungo, forming the foundation of the Otomo clan in the province. These positions were passed down for generations thereafter. At first, they were in Sagami as powerful vassals of the Kamakura Shogunate, but in 1274 (Bun'ei 11) during the Bun'ei War, the head family also moved to Bungo, and expanded their influence together with branch families (such as the Shiga clan) who had moved there earlier. After the upheaval of the Northern and Southern Courts period, in the Muromachi period, they became powerful shugo daimyo covering Bungo, Buzen, and Chikugo. Furthermore, under the 19th lord Yoshinaga and his son Yoshiaki, they became Sengoku daimyo, and under the 21st lord Yoshishige (Sourin), they extended their influence to Hizen, Higo, and Chikuzen, reaching their peak. In 1578 (Tensho 6), they were defeated by the Shimazu clan of Satsuma at Mimikawa in Hyuga, and after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's subjugation of Kyushu in 1587, their territory became the entire province of Bungo. His son, Yoshimune (Yoshimune), incurred Hideyoshi's wrath by failing in the Bunroku Invasion and had his Bungo Province confiscated in 1593 (Bunroku 2), and was entrusted first to Mori Terumoto and later to Satake Yoshinobu. During the Edo period, Yoshimune's second son, Masateru, changed his surname to Matsuno, became a retainer of the Higo Hosokawa clan and was given a stipend of 3,000 koku, and Masateru's second son, Yoshitaka, became a takaie (high-ranking official) in 1688 (Genroku 1) and inherited the Otomo surname.

[Tatsuo Akutagawa]

"Akutagawa Tatsuo, "Sengoku History Series: Bungo Otomo Clan" (1972, Shinjinbutsu Oraisha)" ▽ "Watanabe Sumio, "Oita History 3 & 4" (1977, Oita Godo Newspaper)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鎌倉初期、相模国(さがみのくに)大友郷（神奈川県小田原市）より興る。初代能直(よしなお)の出自については諸説あり、源頼朝(みなもとのよりとも)の庶子といわれているが疑わしい。能直のとき豊後国(ぶんごのくに)（大分県）大野荘(おおののしょう)の地頭職(じとうしき)を与えられ、豊後守護にも補任(ぶにん)されて同国における大友一族の基盤を形成した。以後、代々これらの職を受け継ぐ。初めは鎌倉幕府の有力御家人(ごけにん)として相模にいたが、1274年（文永11）の文永の役のとき惣家(そうけ)も豊後に移り、先に移住していた庶家（志賀氏など）とともに勢力を拡大した。南北朝時代の動乱を経て室町時代には、豊後、豊前(ぶぜん)、筑後(ちくご)に及ぶ有力な守護大名、さらに19代義長(よしなが)、その子義鑑(よしあき)のときには戦国大名化して、21代義鎮(よししげ)（宗麟(そうりん)）のとき、肥前(ひぜん)、肥後(ひご)、筑前(ちくぜん)に勢力を伸ばし最盛期を迎えた。1578年（天正6）日向(ひゅうが)耳川(みみかわ)で薩摩(さつま)の島津氏に敗れ、1587年豊臣秀吉(とよとみひでよし)の九州平定後、所領は豊後一国となる。その子義統(よしむね)（吉統）は文禄(ぶんろく)の役で失敗して秀吉の怒りに触れ、1593年（文禄2）豊後国を没収されて、初めは毛利輝元(もうりてるもと)、のちに佐竹義宣(さたけよしのぶ)に預けられた。江戸時代には義統の次子正照が松野と改姓し、肥後細川氏家臣となり3000石を得、正照の次子義孝は1688年（元禄1）高家(こうけ)となり、大友姓を継承した。

［芥川龍男］

『芥川龍男著『戦国史叢書　豊後大友氏』（1972・新人物往来社）』▽『渡辺澄夫著『大分の歴史3・4』（1977・大分合同新聞社）』

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