The Jô of Higo province were descended from the Kikuchi family. They fought with Imagawa Sadayo during the Nanbukucho Period in support of the Kikuchi and one of their lords, Takeaki (a trusted retainer of Kikuchi Takemitsu), was killed in battle in 1372. After Toyotomi Hideyoshi's conquest of Kyushu in 1587, the Jô were made to surrender their lands in Higo and at length became retainers of the Shimazu.
References
- Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005