The Imagawa were established by Imagawa Kuniuji, the son of Ashikaga Nagauji (1211-1290) (Some sources state that Kuniuji was adopted by Nagauji, who was actually his uncle). They were powerful in Suruga province throughout the Muromachi period, providing a line headed by Imagawa Sadayo to act as the Ashikaga's representatives in Kyushu. The Imagawa, whose capital was Sumpu, expanded their influence in the Sengoku period, securing a hold over Tôtômi province and penetrating into Mikawa province. They were defeated at the Battle of Okehazama in 1560 by Oda Nobunaga and succumbed to the Takeda in 1569. The family lived on to provide Masters of Ceremony to the Tokugawa bakufu in the Edo period.
References
- Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005
- Harimaya.com - Imagawa clan