The Kamei were a rather small, low-ranking clan, deriving from [[Kii province]] (modern-day [[Wakayama prefecture]]) and in the [[Edo period]] based chiefly in [[Iwami province]] (modern-day [[Shimane prefecture]]).
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[[Kamei Korenori]] ([[1557]]-[[1612]]) supported [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] against the [[Mori clan|Môri clan]] in [[1582]], and in return was promised holdings in [[Izumo province]]. Since Izumo was given to the Môri as part of the truce agreements, however, Kamei was instead named “[[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryūkyū]] no kami,” or “Lord of Ryūkyū.” According to a story which may be apocryphal, Hideyoshi granted this by inscribing a fan with the words "Ryûkyû no kami" or the like right there on the spot and tossing the fan to Kamei; this fan was then said to have been found by Korean warriors in a sinking or sunken Japanese ship during Hideyoshi's [[Korean Invasions]]. In any case, despite being known as "Lord of Ryûkyû," Korenori never actually traveled to Ryūkyū after that, however, nor wielded any effective power over the islands whatsoever.