The Katsura were descended from a younger brother of Môri Motoharu, himself a descendant of Ôe Hiromoto. The Katsura were prominent retainers of the Môri of Aki province throughout the Sengoku Period, although Katsura Hirosumi had been compelled to kill himself on suspicion of treason in 1524.
References
- Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005