ODA CLAN

''See also: Iwakura Oda - alternate Oda clan''

The was a family of Japanese daimyo who were to become an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they had the climax of their fame under Oda Nobunaga and fell from the spotlight soon after, several branches of the family would continue on as daimyo houses until the Meiji Restoration.

Contents

Origins

The Oda in the Edo Era

Notable Figures in the Oda Clan

Senior Retainer Families

Notable Retainers During Nobunaga's Lifetime

Clan Castles

References

Origins

The Oda family in the time of Nobunaga claimed descent from the Taira clan, by Taira no Chikazane, a grandson of Taira no Shigemori (1138-1179).
Taira no Chikazane established himself at Oda (province of Echizen) and took its name. His descendants, great vassals of the (Seiwa Genji) Shiba clan, Shugo (Governors) of Echizen, Owari and other provinces, followed the latter to Owari province and received the Inuyama castle in 1435. This castle was built towards 1435 by Shiba Yoshitake who intrusted its safety to the Oda family. The Oda had been Shugo-dai (Vice-Governor) for several generations.
In 1452, after the death of Shiba Yoshitake the vassals of the Shiba like the Oda in Owari province, or the Asakura clan in Echizen province, refused the succession of Shiba Yoshitoshi (1430-1490) and supported Shiba Yoshikado (+ 1480), and began to divide the large domains of their suzerains among themselves, and had become gradually independent in the domains which had been confided to them.
In 1475 the Oda had occupied the greater portion of Owari province, but the Shiba will continue to try to regain authority until Shiba Yoshikane (+ 1572) who had to leave Owari.
The other famous castle of the Oda is Kiyosu castle, built between 1394 and 1427 by Shiba Yoshishige who entrusted the castle to the Oda family, and named Oda Toshisada Vice-Governor of the province.
Toshisada had four sons. The fourth son Oda Nobusada who lived in Katsubata castle, was the father of Oda Nobuhide and the grandfather of Oda Nobunaga.
Nobuhide took Nagoya castle in 1525 (it was given to Nobunaga in 1542), and built Furuwatari castle.
Oda Nobutomo held Kiyosu castle but he was besieged and killed in 1555 by his relative Oda Nobunaga who operated from Nagoya castle.
The family was divided into several branches, until one by one the branch led by Oda Nobunaga eclipsed the others and unified its control over Owari.
Then turning to neighboring rivals, it one by one achieved dominance over the Imagawa, Takeda, Asai, Asakura, and other clans, until Nobunaga held control over central Japan. However, Nobunaga's plans for national domination were thwarted when his vassal Akechi Mitsuhide killed him at Honnoji Temple in the summer of 1582. The Oda remained titular overlords of central Japan for a short time, before being eclipsed by the family of one of Nobunaga's chief generals, Hashiba Hideyoshi.

The Oda in the Edo Era

Though the Oda were effectively eclipsed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi following Nobunaga's death, it is not often known that the Oda continued to be a presence in Japanese politics. One branch of the family became ''hatamoto'' retainers to the Tokugawa shōgun, while other branches became minor daimyō lords. As of the end of the Edo era, these included Tendo han (also known as Takabatake han; Mutsu Province, 20,000 ''koku''), Yanagimoto han (Yamato Province, 10,000 ''koku''), Kaiju han (also known as Shibamura han; Yamato Province, 10,000 ''koku''), and Kaibara han (Tanba Province, 20,000 ''koku'').
The Oda of Tendō han (天童藩), during the reign of the daimyō Nobutoshi, were signatories to the pact that created the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei.

Notable Figures in the Oda Clan

★ Oda Chikazane

★ Oda Hidekatsu (1567 - 93)

★ Oda Hidenobu (1581 - 1602)

★ Oda Nobuo or Oda Nobukatsu (1573 - 1610)

★ Oda Katsunaga (1568 - 82)

★ Oda Nagamasu (1548 - 1622)

★ Oda Nobuharu (1549 - 70)

★ Oda Nobuhide (d.1549)

★ Oda Nobuhiro (d.1574)

★ Oda Nobukane (1548 - 1614)

★ Oda Nobunaga (1534 - 82)

★ Oda Nobukatsu (1558 - 1630)

★ Oda Nobutada (1557 - 82)

★ Oda Nobutaka (1558 - 83)

★ Oda Nobuyuki (d.1557)

★ Oda Nobutsumi (1555 - 83)

Senior Retainer Families

★ Shibata clan

★ Niwa clan

★ Hashiba clan

★ Akechi clan

★ Sakuma clan

★ Hayashi clan

Notable Retainers During Nobunaga's Lifetime

★ Hirate Masahide

★ Hayashi Hidesada

★ Sakuma Nobumori

★ Sassa Narimasa

★ Maeda Toshiie

★ Niwa Nagahide

★ Shibata Katsuie

★ Sakuma Morimasa

★ Hashiba Hideyoshi

★ Hachisuka Masakatsu

★ Takenaka Hanbei

★ Kuroda Yoshitaka

★ Akechi Mitsuhide

★ Ujiie Bokuzen

★ Inaba Ittetsu

★ Ando Morinari

★ Inaba Yoshimichi

★ Matsunaga Hisahide

★ Kuki Yoshitaka

★ Kani Saizo

★ Ikeda Tsuneoki

★ Sakuma Nobumori

★ Kanamori Nagachika

★ Gamo Katahide

★ Gamo Ujisato

★ Mori Ranmaru

★ Asakura Kageakira

★ Fuwa Mitsuhara

★ Araki Murashige

★ Harada Naomasa

★ Hirate Kiyohide

★ Hori Hidemasa

★ Hosokawa Fujitaka

★ Ikeda Nobuteru

★ Ikoma Ienaga

★ Maeda Gen-i

★ Murai Sadakatsu

★ Nakagawa Kiyohide

★ Sakai Masahisa

★ Takayama Ukon

★ Tsutsui Junkei

★ Wada Koremasa

★ Yamouchi Kazutoyo

★ Asano Nagamasa

★ Hachisuka Hikoemon

★ Ishida Mitsunari

★ Murai Nagato

★ Tsutsui Junkei

★ Kuroda Kanbei

★ Yamanuchi Katsutoyo

★ Horio Mosuke

★ Kitabatake Toshikatsu

★ Maeno Suemon

★ Todo Takatora

★ Akada Shigeyoshi

★ Akada Shigetaka

★ Aochi Shigetsuna

★ Atagi Nobuyasu

★ Cho Tsuratatsu

★ Endo Taneshige

★ Fukutomi Hidekatsu

★ Goto Takaharu

★ Hachiya Yoritaka

★ Hatakeyama Sadamasa

★ Hayashi Shinjiro

★ Hirate Norihide

★ Horiuchi Ujiyoshi

★ Ikai Nobusada

★ Inaba Masashige

★ Kaganoi Shigemochi

★ Kanemitsu Masayoshi

★ Katō Yoshiaki

★ Kawajiri Hidetaka

★ Kotsokuri Tomomasa

★ Kyogoku Takatsugu

★ Maeba Yoshitsugu

★ Maeda Toshiharu

★ Maeno Nagayasu

★ Mikumo Shigemochi

Clan Castles

'Kyojō' 居城
(Castles of Residence)
# Nagoya Castle
# Kiyosu Castle
# Komakiyama Castle
# Gifu Castle
# Azuchi Castle
'Minor Castles'

★ Narumi Castle

★ Tsu Castle

★ Iwamura Castle

★ Nagahama Castle

References

★ Information on the Oda clan's background