Katsu clan

• Japanese: 勝家 (Katsu-ke)

The Katsu family was a samurai family of the Edo period of some distinction, being included in official samurai genealogies.

The most famous or notable members of the family today were Katsu Kaishû (1823-1899) and his father Katsu Kokichi (1802-1850). The family's fortunes seem to have declined dramatically during the time when Kokichi's adoptive father was the head of the family at the end of the 18th century. The head of the family at that time is known to have had an audience with the shogun on at least one occasion, an indication of his high status. However, by the time of the death of that family head, the family's stipend had fallen to a mere 41 koku.

References

• Craig, Teruko (trans.). Musui's Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai. University of Arizona Press, 1988. p.xii.