Moji clan

The Môji of Dewa province were descended from Nakahara Chikayoshi, a bureaucratic official for Minamoto Yoritomo, and founded by his grandson Chikafusa. They first resided in Shimôsa province, but moved to the Moji Peninsula of Buzen province by Chikafusa after the mid-13th Century. They shared a common ancestor with the Ôtomo of Bungo province and assisted the latter in their expansion into Chikuzen in the mid-13th century and supported the Southern Court during the Nambokucho Period. The Môji eventually came to serve the Ôuchi, and were loyal followers of that house during the Ônin War (1467-1477). The Môji became involved in a considerable amount of fighting in the early stages of the Sengoku Period due to their strategic location. One branch went on to serve the Sô family while the clan as a whole dispersed. The Môji were noted for their cultural accomplishments, especially in the field of tanka poetry.

References

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