The Imai were a wealthy and influential merchant family of Sakai in Settsu province. They reached their greatest heights under Imai Sôkyû, a famed merchant and tea master who enjoyed the favor of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
References
- Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005