Mogami clan

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The Mogami clan (最上氏, Mogami clan^?) were Japanese daimyo, and it was a branch of the Ashikaga family. In the Sengoku period, it was Sengoku Daimyo which ruled Dewa Province which is Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture now.

The Mogami clan is derived from the Shiba clan that was a branch of the Ashikaga clan. In 1354, Shiba Iekane (斯波家兼) got orders from Ashikaga Takauji, and fought against the Northern Court (北朝) army in Ōu (奥羽) region, Tohoku region now.

In 1356, Iekane sent his son Shiba Kaneyori (斯波兼頼) in Yamagata basin as a measure to cope with Northern Court army. Kaneyori built Yamagata Castle in about 1360, and won against the Northern Court army in 1367. After then, he settled there and took the name “Mogami”, from the town in Dewa Province. This is the origin of the Mogami clan.

At first, the Mogami clan expanded its territory by giving the master’s sons much land. The offspring of the sons became important retainers of the Mogami clan. The Mogami clan dominated their territory by using the connections by such a blood relationship.

In the age of Mogami Mitsuie (満家) , however, such domination collapsed because the connections by the blood relationship weakened, and their power declined. In the end, Mogami Yoshisada (義定) lost to Date Tanemune in 1514; as a result, The Mogami clan became dominated by Date clan. After Yoshisada died, Mogami Yoshimori, 2 years old then, became the master in 1522.

In 1542, a war broke out between Date Tanemune and his son Date Harumune. Date clan’s power declined a little by this war called the Tenbun war (天文の乱) , and Yoshimori seized this chance to succeed in getting independence of Date.

In the age of Mogami Yoshiaki, he expanded its territory enormously. He was one of excellent Sengoku generals. He won against neighboring enemy one after another. As a result, he was given about 200,000 koku by Toyotomi Hideyoshi after the Siege of Odawara.

Yoshiaki supported Tokugawa Ieyasu when the Battle of Sekigahara broke out in 1600, and defended his territory against the attack of Uesugi clan’s large army, and robbed the Uesugi clan of Shonai area.

As a result, he was given 570,000 koku by Ieyasu after the Battle of Sekigahara ended, and became one of large Daimyos. Afterwards, he promoted flood control works in his territory, and this was great success. He also reconstructed Yamagata Castle.

In 1614, he died at Yamagata Castle. In 1622, its territory was confiscated from The Mogami clan by the Tokugawa Shogunate because of the struggle for the status of the master. Afterwards, it became koke (高家) and was allowed to continue until now.