Asai clan

The Asai kamon.

• Japanese: 浅井家 (Asai-ke)

The Asai's origins are obscure but they may have been descended from the Ôgimachi, a kuge family. The Asai were formerly retainers of the Kyôgoku and rebelled against that house in 1516. They struggled to expand their domain in Ômi at the expense of the Rokkaku and came to eclipse the Kyôgoku. In the process close ties were forged with the Asakura of Echizen. The Asai broke an alliance with Oda Nobunaga in 1570 and were eliminated in 1573. 'Asai' is often pronounced 'Azai'.

Members of the Asai clan
Asai Naotane Asai Naomasa Asai Sukemasa 1495?-1546 Asai Hisamasa 1524?-1573 Asai Masahiro Asai Nagamasa 1545-1573 Asai Masamoto Asai Inori D. 1573 Asai Manpukumaru D.1573
Asai Clan Retainers
Anemori Yayoi Atsuji Sadahide Endo Naotsune Higuchi Naofusa Ishida Masatsugu Isono Kazumasa Kaiho Tsunechika Miyabe Tsugimasu Nomura Naotaka Shinjo Naoyori

References

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