The Imai entered the Sengoku Period as fudai to the Kyôgoku family and held Minouchi castle in Ômi. When the Kyôgoku were defeated by the Asai clan, the Imai eventually allied themselves with the latter. Their independence was diminished by Asai Nagamasa and all but lost with the death of their lord, Imai Sadakiyo, in 1561.
References
- Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005