Shibuya clan

• Japanese: 渋谷家 (Shibuya ke)

The Shibuya clan were a samurai clan originally from Sagami province, branches of which became the Kyushu clans of Irikiin, Ketôin, Tôgô, Tsuruta, and Takajô. The main lineage became retainers to the Shimazu clan in 1569, and remained Shimazu vassals through the Edo period.

Originally from Sagami, the Shibuya clan battled against the Hôjô and Miura clans during the Kamakura period. For their contributions in the Hôji War of 1247, the Shibuya were then named jitô of a territory in northern Satsuma province. Members of the clan later formed the Iriki-in, Ketôin, Tôgô, Tsuruta, and Takajô families, also known as the "Shibuya five families" (Shibuya goke).

During the Nanboku-chô and Muromachi periods, the Shibuya from time to time fought with the Shimazu clan, but once Shimazu Takahisa married a woman from the Irikiin family, the two clans began to build friendly relations. Once disputes over the Shimazu succession were settled, Takahisa then made his base at Kagoshima, and set out to subdue Ôsumi province, during which he defeated the Shibuya at the 1554 battle of Iwatsurugi castle. The Shibuya then joined with the Sagara clan to face the Shimazu. The Shimazu took Ôguchi castle in Satsuma province, however, and as the alliance with the Sagara crumbled, the Shibuya were forced to submit to Shimazu authority later that same year.

In the 18th century, Satsuma daimyô Shimazu Tsugutoyo married a member of the Shibuya clan, who gave birth to his successor, Shimazu Munenobu.

References

• "Shibuya-shi," Satsuma Shimazu-ke no rekishi, Shôkoshûseikan official website.