The Mochizuki of Shinano province claimed descent from the ancient Shigeno family and were once very powerful in Shinano. During the Muromachi Period their power ebbed and in the Sengoku Period they came under the control of Takeda Shingen. Shingen's nephew Nobumasa was named as the head of the family, and when the latter's own son was killed in 1582 the Mochizuki's 600-year history essentially came to an end.