The Amago clan (also spelled Amako) was founded in 1392, when Sasaki Takahisa, who was orphaned at the age of three, took the new surname Amago, meaning “son of a nun,” in honor of the nun who raised him. Since the Sasaki family descended from Emperor Uda (866–931), the Amago clan traced its lineage back to this emperor. From around 1396, the Amago clan's headquarters was the mountain castle of Gassan-Toda in Izumo Province. Until the start of the Onin War, the Amago clan remained a minor clan in the service of the Kyogoku clan, which was also a descendant of the Sasaki clan. The Amago clan historically held the position of vice-governor of Izumo Province.
Amago Tsunekata was the eldest son of Amago Kiyosada and was named Matashiro in his childhood. At the age of fifteen, he was already working as his father's deputy and overseeing the taxation of goods passing through the province. In 1477, Tsunekata succeeded his father as vice-governor and was granted the right to use a character from the name of Governor Kyogoku Masatsune. Taking advantage of the power vacuum that had formed after the Onin War, Tsunehisa began to actively expand his possessions, confiscating the lands of temples, shrines, and small landowners. This led to a conflict with the governor, who in 1484 dismissed Tsunehisa and his father from all their posts and took away their castle, Gassan-Toda. Having lost his support, Tsunekisa was forced to wander until he received support from Yamanaka Katsusige and other allies of the Amago clan. After that, Gassan-Toda Castle passed into the possession of the Enya clan.
Two years later, Tsunekisa was able to regain the castle. According to one version of events, during the New Year celebrations of 1487, his men dressed up as festival dancers, infiltrated the fortress, and suddenly attacked the Enya clan warriors, who were not expecting an attack. During the battle, the new owner of the castle was killed. After capturing Gassan-Toda, Tsunekhisa began to systematically subjugate the local feudal lords and by 1508 had established complete control over the province of Izumo, finally overthrowing the power of the Kyogoku clan.
The expansion of the Amago clan's influence soon led Tsunekisa into conflict with his powerful neighbor, the Ouchi clan. Taking advantage of the absence of the head of the Ouchi clan, Yoshioki, who twice—in 1508 and 1511—marched on Kyoto, Tsunekisa began to spread ideas of rebellion against the Ouchi clan's rule among the minor feudal lords of the Chugoku region. In October 1518 (some sources date this event to 1513), Tsunekisa invaded Hoki Province. At that time, one of his vassals, Sakurai Soteki, rebelled and was besieged in his castle by the troops of Amago Masahisa, Tsunekisa's eldest son and heir. During the siege, Masahisa was killed by an enemy archer.
The death of his son deeply shook Tsunekisa, and he intended to retire, handing over leadership of the clan to his brother Amago Hisayuki. However, Hisayuki refused to take over, and Tsunekisa reconsidered his decision. He later appointed his grandson, Amago Akihisa, as his heir.
In 1522, Tsunekisa invaded Aki Province and accepted the oath of allegiance from Mori Motonari, the future influential feudal lord of the Chugoku region. The following year, in 1523, he again opposed the Ouchi clan, instructing Motonari to besiege Kagamiyama Castle, which was defended by Kurata Fusanobu. The castle resisted stubbornly and was taken only thanks to the strategic talents of Mori Motonari, who, resorting to cunning, persuaded the uncle of the castle commander, Kurata Naonobu, to betray him. At the same time, Tsunekhisa attempted to take Kanyama Castle, but failed.
Despite Motonari's success, Tsunekisa ordered Naonobu's execution, fearing the growing influence of his vassal, even though Motonari asked for his life to be spared. This decision caused mistrust between the two leaders, and two years later, Mori Motonari left the Amago clan and became a vassal of the Ouchi clan.
In 1528, after the death of Ouchi Yoshioki, Tsunekisa intensified his actions against the Ouchi clan and directed his forces to capture the province of Iwami, known for its rich Iwami Ginzan silver mines, which often made the territory a battleground for local feudal lords. However, Tsunekisa's ambitious plans were temporarily interrupted by a two-year rebellion led by his third son, Enya Okikisa (1497–1534), who was dissatisfied with the distribution of the inheritance. In 1532, the rebellion was suppressed by the troops of Tsunekisa's brother, Amago Haruyuki, and Okikisa himself committed suicide. Despite the victory, the internal conflict weakened the Amago clan.
After these events, Tsunehisa abdicated in favor of his grandson Amago Akihisa (Haruhisa), but continued to participate in the most important affairs of the clan.
Amago Tsunekisa was an outstanding strategist and skilled administrator. Among his achievements, the construction of the magnificent Shinto shrine Kitsugi in Izumo Province in 1530 stands out. At the height of his power, Tsunekisa ruled over most of the Chugoku region, including the provinces of Inaba, Hoki, Izumo, Iwami, Oki, Harima, Mimasaka, Bizen, Bitchu, Bingo, and Aki. Tsunehisa died in 1541 and was buried alongside his father at Tokōji Temple.
See also
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Takeda Nobuyoshi
Takeda Nobuyoshi (1128–1186 or later) was a prominent Japanese samurai lord of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods and the founder of the Takeda clan.
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Tokugawa Iemochi
Tokugawa Iemochi (1846–1866) was the fourteenth shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate and ruled from 1858 until his death. His reign came during the turbulent final years of the shogunate, when Japan faced growing Western pressure and serious internal political conflict.
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Tokugawa Ienari
Tokugawa Ienari (1773–1841) was the eleventh shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate and ruled from 1787 to 1837, making him the longest-serving Tokugawa shōgun. He was a great-grandson of the eighth shōgun, Tokugawa Yoshimune.
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Matsudaira Nobuyasu
Matsudaira Nobuyasu was only twenty years old when his father ordered him to commit seppuku. The reason was not a defeat in battle, but a crisis inside the Tokugawa family that had become too dangerous to ignore.
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Yamagata Masakage
Masakage was one of Takeda Shingen’s most loyal and capable commanders. He was included in the famous list of the “Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen” and also belonged to the inner circle of four especially trusted warlords known as the Shitennō.
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Yagyu Munenori
Yagyū Munenori began his service under Tokugawa Ieyasu while his father, Yagyū Muneyoshi, was still at his side. In 1600, Munenori took part in the decisive Battle of Sekigahara. As early as 1601, he was appointed a kenjutsu instructor to Tokugawa Hidetada, Ieyasu’s son, who later became the second shogun of the Tokugawa clan.
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Yagyu Muneyoshi
A samurai from Yamato Province, he was born into a family that had been defeated in its struggle against the Tsutsui clan. Muneyoshi first took part in battle at the age of sixteen. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he was forced to enter the service of the Tsutsui house and later served Miyoshi Tōkei. He subsequently came under the command of Matsunaga Hisahide and in time became a vassal first of Oda and later of Toyotomi.
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Endo Naozune
Naozune served under Azai Nagamasa and was one of the clan’s leading vassals, renowned for his bravery and determination. He accompanied Nagamasa during his first meeting with Oda Nobunaga and at that time asked for permission to kill Nobunaga, fearing him as an extremely dangerous man; however, Nagamasa did not grant this request.
