This is a list of Japanese clans. The old clans (gōzoku) mentioned in the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki lost their political power before the Heian period, during which new aristocracies and families, kuge, emerged in their place. After the Heian period, the samurai warrior clans gradually increased in importance and power until they came to dominate the country after the founding of the first shogunate.
Japan traditionally practiced cognatic primogeniture, or male-line inheritance in regard to passing down titles and estates. By allowing adult adoption, or for men to take their wife's name and be adopted into her family served as a means to pass down an estate to a family without any sons, Japan has managed to retain continuous family leadership for many of the below clans, the imperial family, and even ordinary family businesses.
The ability for Japanese families to track their lineage over successive generations plays a far more important role than simply having the same name as another family, as many commoners did not use a family name prior to the Meiji Restoration, and many simply the name of the lord of their village, or the name of their domain, and may not necessarily have been a retainer to the clan. Other clan names are based on common geographic features or other arbitrary words that didn't necessarily indicate clan membership.
Many families also adopted sons from other families or married their daughters into other families to cement ties with a larger kin group outside of those with the same name as the main family line, called , a clan or family relationship built around both blood and maternal relations. Tokugawa Ieyasu himself had adopted two dozen children of allies in addition to his 16 acknowledged children.
The Meiji Restoration sought to dismantle the clan structure, giving clan leaders titles of nobility to inspire loyalty to the emperor rather than individual clans. However those familial relationships built over multiple generations still maintained their ties, first as monbatsu, then with industrialization, evolved into the pre-war zaibatsu, which were formed by these same inter-clan relationships. With the abolishment of the kazoku in 1947, they reverted to their unofficial keibatsu, and elements of which can be seen today in political families such as the Satō–Kishi–Abe family, with family ties to Marquess Inoue Kaoru, Viscount Ōshima Yoshimasa, and pre-war Foreign Minister Yōsuke Matsuoka, all descendants of lower ranking Chōshū samurai families who benefited from the clan's outsized influence in the Meiji era government, and effectively created their own new clan, despite the lack of official title.
Ancient clan names There are ancient-era clan names called or .
Imperial House
Imperial House of Japan – descended from Amaterasu. Its emperors and clan members have no clan name but had been called "the imperial house" () if necessary.
Four noble clans , 4 noble clans of Japan:
Minamoto clan (源氏) – also known as Genji (源氏) or Genke (源家); 21 cadet branches of the Imperial House of Japan. Daigo Genji (醍醐源氏) – descended from 60th emperor Daigo. Go-Daigo Genji (後醍醐源氏) – descended from 96th emperor Go-Daigo. Go-Fukakusa Genji (後深草源氏) – descended from 89th emperor Go-Fukakusa. Go-Nijō Genji (後二条源氏) – descended from 94th emperor Go-Nijō. Go-Saga Genji (後嵯峨源氏) – descended from 88th emperor Go-Saga. Go-Sanjō Genji (後三条源氏) – descended from 71st emperor Go-Sanjō. Go-Shirakawa Genji (後白河源氏) – descended from 77th emperor Go-Shirakawa. Juntoku Genji (順徳源氏) – descended from 84th emperor Juntoku. Kameyama Genji (亀山源氏) – descended from 90th emperor Kameyama. Kazan Genji (花山源氏) – descended from 65th emperor Kazan. Kōkō Genji (光孝源氏) – descended from 58th emperor Kōkō. Montoku Genji (文徳源氏) – descended from 55th emperor Montoku. Murakami Genji (村上源氏) – descended from 62nd emperor Murakami. Ninmyō Genji (仁明源氏) – descended from 54th emperor Ninmyō. Ōgimachi Genji (正親町源氏) – descended from 106th emperor Ōgimachi. Reizei Genji (冷泉源氏) – descended from 63rd emperor Reizei. Saga Genji (嵯峨源氏) – descended from 52nd emperor Saga. Sanjō Genji (三条源氏) – descended from 67th emperor Sanjō. Seiwa Genji (清和源氏) – descended from 56th emperor Seiwa; origin of many samurai clans. Kawachi Genji (河内源氏) – descended from Minamoto no Yorinobu; origin of Hitachi Genji (常陸源氏), Ishikawa Genji (石川源氏); and Kai Genji (甲斐源氏); famous for 3 Kamakura shōguns. Settsu Genji (摂津源氏) – descended from Minamoto no Yorimitsu; origin of Tada Genji (多田源氏), Mino Genji (美濃源氏) and Shinano Genji (信濃源氏). Yamato Genji (大和源氏) – descended from Minamoto no Yorichika. Uda Genji (宇多源氏) – descended from 59th emperor Uda; origin of Ōmi Genji (近江源氏). Yōzei Genji (陽成源氏) – descended from 57th emperor Yōzei.
Taira clan (平氏) – also known as Heishi (平氏) or Heike (平家); 4 cadet branches of Imperial House of Japan. Kanmu Heishi (桓武平氏) – descended from 50th emperor Kanmu; famous for Taira no Masakado. Bandōhachi Heishi (坂東八平氏) – descended from Taira no Yoshifumi. Ise Heishi (伊勢平氏) – descended from Taira no Korehira; famous for Taira no Kiyomori. Kōkō Heishi (光孝平氏) – descended from 58th emperor Kōkō. Montoku Heishi (文徳平氏) – descended from 55th emperor Montoku. Ninmyō Heishi (仁明平氏) – descended from 54th emperor Ninmyō.
Fujiwara clan (藤原氏) – descended from Fujiwara no Kamatari, and through him, Ame-no-Koyane. 4 families of Fujiwara (藤原四家) – descended from 4 sons of Fujiwara no Fuhito. Fujiwara Hokke (藤原北家) – northern family; descended from Fujiwara no Fusasaki. Fujiwara Kyōke (藤原京家) – descended from Fujiwara no Maro. Fujiwara Nanke (藤原南家) – southern family; descended from Fujiwara no Muchimaro. Fujiwara Shikike (藤原式家) – descended from Fujiwara no Umakai. Northern Fujiwara clan (奥州藤原氏) – also known as Ōshū Fujiwara clan; descended from Fujiwara no Hidesato.
Tachibana clan (橘氏) – descended from Prince Naniwa-Ō, son of Prince Shōtoku (572–621), 2nd son of Emperor Yōmei; no direct relation to the feudal Tachibana clan (立花氏)
Noble clans Abe clan (阿部氏/安倍氏) – descended from Prince Ōhiko, son of Emperor Kōgen. The Tsuchimikado family, descendants of Abe no Seimei, assumed leadership of this line during the Sengoku period. It is disputed whether the Ōshū clan is related. Abe clan of Ōshū (安倍氏) – descended from Abe no Yoritoki, were considered a separate clan from the above during the Edo era. It is now believed they are distant relatives. Shinzo Abe has claimed descent from this line. – Descended from Prince Takekaiko, grandson of Emperor Keikō, according to the Kojiki. Hashiji clan (土師氏) – descended from the kami Nomi no Sukune (legendary). Imube clan (忌部氏) – descended from the kami Ame no Futotama no Mikoto (legendary), and his descendant Ame no Tomi no Mikoto companion in arms of Emperor Jimmu. (紀氏) – descended from Emperor Kōgen by the Minister Takenouchi no Sukune; famous for Ki no Tsurayuki. (日下部氏) – descended from 9th Emperor Kaika, or 36th Emperor Kōtoku (disputed). Mononobe clan (物部氏) – descended from the kami Nigihayahi no Mikoto (legendary), a descendant of the elder brother of Ninigi no Mikoto (legendary), great-grandfather of Emperor Jimmu; famous for Mononobe no Moriya. Nakatomi clan (中臣氏) – descended from the kami Ame no Koyane no Mikoto (legendary), and his descendant Ame no Taneko no Mikoto companion in arms of Emperor Jimmu; origin of Fujiwara clan. Ō clan (多氏) – descended from Prince Kamuyaimimi no Mikoto, son of Emperor Jimmu; famous for Ō no Yasumaro. (越智氏) – descended from the Mononobe clan. (大江氏) – descended from the Hashiji clan. Ōtomo clan (大伴氏) – descended from the Michi-omi no Mikoto, companion in arms of Emperor Jimmu; no direct relation to the immigrant Ōtomo clan (大友氏) or feudal Ōtomo clan (大友氏); famous for Ōtomo no Yakamochi. (大筒木氏) Soga clan (蘇我氏) – descended from Emperor Kōgen, by the Minister Takenouchi no Sukune; famous for Soga no Umako. Sugawara clan (菅原氏) – descended from the Hashiji clan; famous for Sugawara no Michizane (高橋氏)
Aristocratic family names From the late ancient era onward, the family name (Myōji/苗字 or 名字) had been commonly used by samurai to denote their family line instead of the name of the ancient clan that the family line belongs to (uji-na/氏名 or honsei/本姓), which was used only in the official records in the Imperial court. Kuge families also had used their family name (Kamei/家名) for the same purpose. Each of samurai families is called "[family name] clan (氏)" as follows and they must not be confused with ancient clan names. The list below is a list of various aristocratic families whose families served as Shugo, Shugodai, Jitō, and Daimyo
Abe clan of Mikawa (阿部氏) – descended from Emperor Kōgen and the ancient Abe clan (阿部氏); no direct relation to the Abe clan of Ōshū (安倍氏).
Adachi clan (安達氏) – descended from Fujiwara clan. Akamatsu clan (赤松氏) – descended from Murakami Genji. Akechi clan (明智氏) – cadet branch of Toki clan who descended from Seiwa Genji; famous for Akechi Mitsuhide. Akita clan (秋田氏) – descended from Abe clan of Ōshū. Akiyama clan (秋山氏) – cadet branch of the Takeda clan who descended from Seiwa Genji.
Akizuki clan (秋月氏) – descended from Prince Achi no Omi of the Yamato no Aya clan. Amago clan (尼子氏) – cadet branch of the Sasaki clan who descended from Uda Genji. Amakusa clan (天草氏) – descended from the Ōkura clan. Anayama clan (穴山氏) – cadet branch of the Takeda clan who descended from Seiwa Genji. Andō clan – descended from the Abe clan of Ōshū, by Abe no Hirafu. Asakura clan (朝倉氏) – descended from Prince Kusakabe, son of Emperor Tenmu. Asano clan (浅野氏) – cadet branch of the Toki clan who descended from Seiwa Genji. Ashikaga clan (足利氏) – descended from Seiwa Genji; famous for Ashikaga shogunate; no direct relation to the Fujiwara-descent Ashikaga clan.
Ashikaga clan (Fujiwara) (足利氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke; no direct relation to the Genji-descent Ashikaga clan. Ashina clan (蘆名氏) – cadet branch of the Miura clan who descended from Kanmu Heishi. Aso clan (阿蘇氏) – descended from Emperor Jimmu by the Ō clan. Asō clan (麻生氏) – cadet branch of the Utsunomiya clan who descended from Fujiwara Hokke; famous for Tarō Asō. Atagi clan (安宅氏) – cadet branch of the Ogasawara clan who descended from Seiwa Genji (disputed). Azai clan (浅井氏) – descended from the Fujiwara clan; famous for Azai Nagamasa. Bitō clan (尾藤氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. Chiba clan (千葉氏) – descended from Kanmu Heishi. Date clan (伊達氏) – also known as Idate clan or Idachi clan, descended from Fujiwara Hokke; famous for Date Masamune. Doi clan (土井氏) – cadet branch of the Toki clan who descended from Seiwa Genji (disputed); no direct relation to the Heishi-descent Doi clan.
Doi clan (Heishi) (土肥氏) – descended from Kanmu Heishi; no direct relation to the Genji-descent Doi clan. Fuji clan (富士氏) – descended from the Wani clan (和珥氏). Gotō clan (後藤氏) – cadet branch of the Takeda clan who descended from Seiwa Genji. Hachisuka clan (蜂須賀氏) – cadet branch of the Ashikaga clan by the Shiba clan who descended from Seiwa Genji, famous for Hachisuka Masakatsu. Haga clan (芳賀氏) – descended from the Kiyowara clan. Hashiba clan (羽柴氏) – also known as their honsei: Toyotomi clan (豊臣氏); descended from Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hatakeyama clan (畠山氏) – descended from Kanmu Heishi before 1205. After 1205 the Hatakeyama are a cadet branch of Ashikaga clan who descended from Seiwa Genji. Hatano clan (波多野氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. Hayashi clan (林氏) – descended from the Ogasawara clan, a cadet branch of Takeda clan who descended from Seiwa Genji. Hayashi clan of Owari (尾張林氏) – descended from the Inaba clan who descended from Prince Iyo, son of Emperor Kanmu; no direct relation to the Hayashi clan (林氏) of Jōzai Domain. Hiki clan (比企氏) – descended from Fujiwara Hokke. Hirano clan – descended from Prince Toneri, son of Emperor Tenmu, by the Kiyowara clan.