Asakura clan

The Asakura kamon.

• Japanese: 朝倉家 (Asakura ke)

The Asakura claimed descent from the Kusakabe clan, descendants of the Emperor Temmu. They settled in Tajima province during the Heian Period and took the name Asakura. Later, the family moved to Echizen province and served the Shiba clan Shugo, which Asakura Toshikage usurped on the dawn of the Sengoku Period. The Asakura were powerful in the Hokuriku region until their downfall at the hands of Oda Nobunaga in 1573, after which surviving members became vassals of first the Oda, then Toyotomi. The Asakura are well-known in part for their Toshikage Jushichikajo (c.1480) - the house code of Asakura Toshikage.

The Asakura clan.

In the Muromachi period, the Asakura were one of a number of families which were particularly involved in the trend of collecting karamono (ceramics and other Chinese objects) and patronizing tea masters. The Asakura sponsored the production of copies of Sôami's "Manual" to the shogunal collections, and much Chinese ceramics have been found in archaeological excavations at the site of the Asakura mansion at Ichijôdani.

Asakura Clan Members

Asakura Toshikage 1428-1481 Asakura Kagefusa Asakura Kageyoshi Asakura Kagenao Asakura Ujikage D.1481 Asakura Sadakage 1473-1512 Asakura Norikage 1474-1555 Asakura Kagetoshi 1505-1572 Asakura Takakage 1493-1546 Asakura Kagetaka b.1495 1495-1543 Asakura Yoshikage 1533-1573 Asakura Kagetsura D.1570 Asakura Kagetaka b.1508? 1508?-1570? Asakura Kagetake D.1575 Asakura Kageakira 1529-1574

References

• Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005