- Japanese: 禰寝家 (Nejime ke)
The Nejime clan were descended from Taira no Koremori, whose grandson Kiyoshige took the name Nejime; members of the clan served as officials in Ôsumi province going back to ancient times. In the 14th century, they played a prominent role in fighting alongside the Shimazu clan in supporting Ashikaga Takauji and the Northern Court in the wars of the Nanboku-chô period.
From the Muromachi period onward, the Nejime focused on controlling trade from bases such as Nejime castle in Ôsumi.
In the 16th century, members of the Itô, Kimotsuki, and Tanegashima clans became embroiled in succession disputes over the headship of the Shimazu clan. After this, the Nejime and Kimotsuki rose up against the Shimazu. They attempted an amphibious attack on Kagoshima in 1571 but were rebuffed; the Shimazu defeated the Itô in the battle of Kizakihara the following year. Realizing their situation was dire, the Nejime capitulated to the Shimazu the next year, in 1573, becoming Shimazu retainers.
By around 1575, the Nejime had been granted formal rights to trade with the Ryukyu Kingdom on behalf of the Shimazu.[1] Nejime Shigehira (1566-1629) in particular is known for his involvement in trade with Ryukyu and China. The clan's trading activities were curtailed, however, by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who as part of a 1588 anti-piracy edict, relocated branches of the Nejime clan to a landlocked territory in the Japanese interior. Some of the Nejime retained their territory in Ôsumi province, however, and the associated access to maritime trade.[1]
The Nejime participated in the battle of Sekigahara in 1600.[1]
In the early modern period, one branch of the Nejime clan changed its name to Komatsu.
References
- "Nejime-shi," Satsuma Shimazu-ke no rekishi, Shôkoshûseikan official website.
- Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005