Hosokawa clan

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The spacious Japanese garden of Hosokawa Gyōbutei, near Kumamoto Castle
The spacious Japanese garden of Hosokawa Gyōbutei, near Kumamoto Castle

The Hosokawa clan (細川氏, -shi) was a Japanese samurai clan, which claimed descendance from the Seiwa Genji and ironically played key roles in both the establishment of the Ashikaga shogunate and its destruction. They wielded significant power over the course of the Muromachi (1336-1467), Sengoku (1467-1600), and Edo periods, moving, however, from Shikoku, to Kinai, and then to Kyūshū over the centuries.

The clan was also one of three families to dominate the post of Kanrei (Shogun's deputy), under the Ashikaga shogunate. At the beginning of the Ashikaga's rule, the Hosokawa were given control of the entirety of Shikoku. Over the course of this period, members of the Hosokawa clan were Constables (shugo) of Awa, Awaji, Bitchu, Izumi, Sanuki, Settsu, Tamba, Tosa, and Yamashiro Provinces.

A conflict between Hosokawa Katsumoto, the fifth Kanrei, and his father-in-law Yamana Sōzen, over the shogunate's succession, sparked the Ōnin War, which led to the fall of the shogunate and a period of 150 years of chaos and war, known as Sengoku. Following the fall of the Ashikaga shogunate, which was based in Kyoto, control of the city, and thus obstensibly the country, fell into the hands of the Hosokawa clan (who held the post of Kyoto Kanrei - Shogun's deputy in Kyoto) for a few generations. Katsumoto's son, Hosokawa Masamoto, held power in this way at the end of the 15th century, but was assassinated in 1507. After his death, the clan became divided and was weakened by internecine fighting. What power they still had, however, was centered in and around Kyoto. This gave them the leverage to consolidate their power to some extent, and came to be strong rivals with the Ōuchi family, both politically, and in terms of dominating trade with China. The Hosokawa remained in Kyoto for roughly one hundred years, fleeing the city when it was attacked by Oda Nobunaga.

The Hosokawa sided with Ishida Mitsunari during the decisive Sekigahara Campaign, and thus were made tozama (outsider) daimyo under the Tokugawa shogunate. They were given Higo province, with an income of 540,000 koku, as their han (fief). Though their domain was far from the capital, on Kyūshū, they were among the wealthiest of the daimyo. By 1750, Higo was one of the top producers of rice, and was in fact counted as a standard by the Osaka rice brokers. The domain suffered from serious economic decline after that, as most domains did, but Hosokawa Shigekata instituted a number of reforms which turned the situation around.

The clan home was the Hosokawa Gyōbutei, a mansion in Kumamoto which was constructed in 1646. It is located near Kumamoto Castle. Both the castle and the mansion are now tourist attractions, and the mansion has guided tours of the mansion grounds and relics. Among the relics is a tea cup used by the protagonist of the story of the Forty-seven Ronin.

[edit] Notable members of the Hosokawa clan

[edit] References

  • Frederic, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia." Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
  • Sansom, George (1961). "A History of Japan: 1334-1615." Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
  • Sansom, George (1963). "A History of Japan: 1615-1867." Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
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