Takanashi clan

The Takanashi of Shinano province were descended from Minamoto Yorisue, a son of Minamoto Yorinobu (968-1048). One of Yorisue's grandsons, Morimitsu, adopted the name Takanashi. Morimitsu's own grandson, Tadanao, was a supporter of Minamoto (Kiso) Yoshinaka (1154-1184) in the Gempei War (1180-1185). The Takahashi enjoyed a period of expansion in the early Sengoku Period in northern Shinano but would find themselves hard-pressed by Takeda Shingen. When Shingen invaded the Takanashi domain in 1553, the Takanashi joined the Murakami, Ogasawara, and Suda in turning to Uesugi Kenshin of Echigo for assistance. The Takanashi domain was nonetheless lost, and they became an Uesugi retainer family.

References

• Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005