Akechi clan

Akechi
明智
Akechi; 明智
	The Akechi clan crest (mon)
Home province	Mino
Parent house	Toki clan
Titles	Various
Final ruler	Akechi Mitsuhide
Ruled until	1582, Battle of Yamazaki

The Akechi clan (明智氏, Akechi-shi) is a branch of the Toki clan, which is descended from the Seiwa Genji. The Akechi clan thrived around the later part of the Sengoku period of the 16th century. The Akechi became the head (soryo) of the Toki clan after the Toki fell to the Saitō clan in 1540. The Akechi refused to bend to the rule of Saitō Yoshitatsu who retaliated by attacking Nagayama castle. Akechi Mitsuhide then served the shoguns Ashikaga Yoshiteru and Ashikaga Yoshiaki. After introducing Ashikaga Yoshiaki to Oda Nobunaga, Mitsuhide became a powerful general under Nobunaga. However, in 1582, Mitsuhide betrayed Nobunaga at the temple of Honnō-ji and forced him to commit seppuku. The Akechi clan gained more power thanks to the collapse of the Oda clan. Later that same year, Akechi Mitsuhide was slain at the Battle of Yamazaki by the forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi while his oldest son took his own life, a mere twelve days after the incident at Honnō-ji. The Akechi clan quickly fell from prominence after that.

Genealogy

In the Akechi Family Tree recorded in "Zoku Gunsho Ruiju" and the "Mino no Kuni Shokki", it is said that the Akechi clan descended as branch of Toki clan of the Seiwa Genji clan, where the Toki clan served as shugo in Mino Province for over 200 years from the Kenmu Restoration, and has produced several dozen branches from then on.^[3] .

Important figures

Akechi Mitsutsugu, grandfather of Akechi Mitsuhide. Mitsutsugu was father of Omi-no-kata, wife of Saito Dosan.
Akechi Mitsutsuna (died 1538), senior retainer under the Toki clan throughout the later Sengoku period of feudal Japan.
Akechi Mitsuhide (c. 1520–1582), samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan. Renowned for his betrayal of Oda Nobunaga.
Akechi Hidemitsu (died 1582), retainer of the Akechi clan during the Azuchi-Momoyama period of feudal Japan.
Akechi Mitsutada (died 1582), Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period who served the Akechi clan.
Akechi Mitsuyoshi (died 1582), Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period, son of Akechi Mitsuhide, committed seppuku at the age of 12 or 13.
Hosokawa Gracia (1563–1600), daughter of Akechi Mitsuhide and a famous Christian convert. Hosokawa Tadaoki's wife.

Family tree

Minamoto no Yorimitsu

Eight generation

Fifth generation

Mitsuhide

Hidemitsu's wife

Mitsutada's wife

Hosokawa Gracia

For details, see Akechi Mitsuhide#Family

Appendix

References

^ 大野, 信長 (2016), 【新装版】戦国武将100 家紋・旗・馬印FILE, 学研plus, p. 16.
^ Usually the colors of Japanese crests were not determined. However, this crest 水色桔梗 a.k.a. "Light blue bellflower" was an exception derived from the tradition of the Toki clan.
^ Taniguchi 2014, pp. 15, 30–33, 82–83.

Bibliography

Taniguchi, Kengo (2014). 明智光秀. 歴史新書y. 洋泉社. ISBN 978-4800304216.