The Nabeshima clan of Hizen province were descendants of the Shoni clan. During the Sengoku Period, the Nabeshima were very valued retainers under the Ryuzoji clan. After the decline of the Ryuzoji during the year of 1584, Nabeshima Naoshige secured his independence by giving birth to a line of Daimyo following on to the Edo Period. A retainer of the Nabeshima, Yamamoto Tsunetomo would later become famous for writing the well-known book of "Hagakure".