Watanabe ( and other variantsSee #Miscellaneous) is a Japanese surname derived from the noble and samurai Watanabe clan, a branch of the Minamoto clan, descending from the Emperor Saga (786–842), the 52nd Emperor of Japan, and refers to a location called 'Watanabe no tsu' which was settled by the Watanabe clan, who took the name of the place. It was located in the medieval period near the mouth of the Yodogawa River in Settsu Province, in present-day city of Osaka.
History
Origin The surname Watanabe comes from the Watanabe clan founded by Watanabe no Tsuna (953–1025), of the Saga Genji branch of the Minamoto clan, and his official name was Minamoto no Tsuna. He established the Watanabe branch of the Minamoto clan, taking the name from his stronghold at Watanabe no tsu, a port on the Yodogawa River in Settsu Province, and in 1020 he was appointed Tango no Kami (Governor of Tango Province). He was the son of Minamoto no Atsuru (933–953), married to a daughter of the Chinjufu-shōgun (Commander in chief of the defense of the north) Minamoto no Mitsunaka (912–997); he was the grandson of Minamoto no Tsuko (891–942), Musashi no Kami (Governor of Musashi province); was the great-grandson of Minamoto no Noboru (848–918), Dainagon (Chief Councilor of State); great-great-grandson of Minamoto no Tōru (822–895), Sadaijin (Minister of the Left); and was the great-great-great-grandson of the Emperor Saga (786–842), the 52nd Emperor of Japan. He was the stepgrandson of the Chinjufu-shōgun Minamoto no Mitsunaka, a descendant of the Emperor Seiwa (850–881), and having lost his father the year of his birth, he was adopted by Minamoto no Atsushi, a descendant of the Emperor Ninmyō (808–850), and son in law of Mitsunaka. He was companion in arms to his stepuncle Minamoto no Yorimitsu (944–1021), son of Mitsunaka; and is famous for his military exploits in a number of tales and legends. He is known as one of the Four Guardian Kings (Shitennō) of Yorimitsu, referring to the Buddhist Four Heavenly Kings.
Heian period to the Genpei war
Watanabe no Den, great-grandson of Tsuna, received from the Emperor Shirakawa (1053–1129) the hereditary title of Shokan (Governing officer) of the huge Oe no Mikuriya estate, and in Kyoto he inherited the military charges of Takiguchi no musha (Takiguchi warriors Guards of the Imperial Palace), as well as Emonfu (Government office of the Outer Palace Gate Guards) and Hyoefu (Administrative office of Middle Palace Guards).
Dominating Settsu Province as a focal area of maritime transportation in medieval Japan, the Watanabe family spread its influence widely. Their descendants settled in other areas, including Kyushu.
Watanabe Hisashi (1064-1148 or 1154), also called Minamoto no Hisashi, great-grandson of Tsuna, was appointed Kebiishi (Chief of the police and justice), received the title of Shokan (Governing officer) of Uno no Mikuriya estate in Matsuura (Hizen province, in Kyushu) and called himself Matsuura Hisashi. He ruled the County of Matsuura, the province of Iki, and a part of Sonogi district, and is the ancestor of the Matsuura Watanabe branch, Lords of Hirado castle.
The priest Mongaku Shōnin who urged Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199) to start a war against the Taira, and who managed to get a letter from the Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1127–1192) to Yoritomo, requesting that he set up an army and liberate the country from the tyranny of the Taira, which enabled the Minamoto clan to take up arms, was the son of Watanabe no Endo Mochito.
During the Hōgen rebellion (1156), and the Genpei War (1180–1185), the Watanabe sided with Minamoto no Yorimasa (1106–1180), until his death at the Battle of Uji, then with Minamoto no Yoritomo.
At the Battle of Uji (1180), the opening battle of the Genpei War, the Watanabe clan formed with the warrior monks of Miidera Temple most of the Minamoto clan army.
The Heike Monogatari describes some of the Watanabe samurai present at this battle : Watanabe Choshichi Tonō : "He was attired that day in a samurai clothing of light green, and body armour ornamented with cherry blossoms on a yellow ground, and wore a sword with mounts of red copper; in his quiver he carried twenty four arrows feathered with white and under his arm was a bow lacquered in black and bound with red bands". Watanabe no Kiō : "clad in a brocaded hunting suit profusely embroidered with chrysanthemums, and wearing a general's armour of scarlet; its name was Kisenaga, and it had been a treasured heirloom for many generations. On his head was a helmet shining with silver stars, and a splendid sword hung at his side. In his quiver were twenty four arrows barred with black on their white feathers, not to speak of the special arrow, feathered with a hawk's wing, always carried by the Imperial Guards of the Takiguchi. His bow was a 'shigeto' of black lacquer with red binding. He rode on (the horse named) Nanryo, while one of his servants followed with a remount and another bore his shield under his arm".
Both were killed in battle. Were also present that day from the Watanabe clan : Minamoto no Sazuku, Minamoto no Tsuranu, Watanabe Habuku, Minamoto no Okoru, and others, who fought to death and were killed fighting against the Taira.
The Watanabe had a powerful navy, and in 1185 they sent their navy ships to support the Minamoto cause.
In February 1185, the Minamoto army of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, brother of Yoritomo, stayed at Watanabe no tsu, in the lands of the Watanabe clan, to rest, gather troops, army provisions, and prepare a fleet of ships for the raid in Shikoku.
At the Battle of Yashima (March 1185) the Watanabe horsemen proved to be decisive, and due to the fall of Yashima, the Taira clan lost their bases in Shikoku.
At the Battle of Dan-no-ura (April 1185), when the Dowager Empress Kenrei-mon-In, daughter of Taira no Kiyomori, tried to drown herself, she was pulled out by the samurai Watanabe no Mutsuru.
Kamakura to Muromachi periods
After the Genpei war, the Matsuura Watanabe received the additional titles of Gokenin (Direct Retainer of the Shogunate), and of Jitō (Military Governor). During the Mongol invasions (1274 and 1281), the Matsuura Watanabe fought fiercely to repel the invaders. Sashibo, the Soryo (Heir) of the Matsuura Watanabe and his cousin Yamashiro Kai, from the Yamashiro Watanabe branch descending from Oi, sixth son of Watanabe Hisashi, were killed in battle fighting against the Mongols.
The Kamachi were direct descendants of Minamoto no Noboru (848–918), like their cousins of the Watanabe clan, and had the titles of Shokan (Governing officer) of Kanzaki no shō estate (Hizen province), of Gokenin, of Jitō (Military Governor) of the County of Mizuma (Chikugo province), and held the court rank of Kizoku (Officer). Minamoto no Hisanao, son of Watanabe Hisashi, was 'Uhyoe no jo' (Officer of the guards of the Middle Palace), and owner of Mikuriya no shō estate. After the Jōkyū War (1221), Hisanao's son, Minamoto no Sanen, was adopted by the Kamachi as their son in law to succeed their estates and titles; he changed his name to Kamachi, and was the founder of the Kamachi Watanabe branch, Lords of Kamachi castle. At the time of the Mongol invasions, Morohisa went to the front as a member of the Matsuura Watanabe clan.
In 1235, the Watanabe clan received from the Kamakura shogunate the responsibility of overseeing large shipments of tax and tributes due the shogunate from the provinces of western and central Japan
During the period of the Northern and Southern Courts (1336–1392), the Matsuura Watanabe sided with the Northern Court, and fought at the Battle of Chikugogawa (1359). The Kamachi Watanabe sided with the Southern Court, and Takehisa was killed at the Battle of Tatarahama (1336).
Watanabe Mochi, descendant of Watanabe no Tsuna, rendered distinguished military service to the Shogun Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358), and was granted the title of Jitō (Military Governor) of Yamada no shō territory (Bingo Province). He is the ancestor of the Yamada Watanabe branch, Lords of Ichijoyama castle, who owned the whole area of the Peninsula of Numakuma. During the Ōnin War (1467–1477), they sided with the Eastern camp. They were treated by the Ashikaga Shoguns as equal to a Shugo (Governor of province), and were allowed to use the 'Shirokasabukuro' and 'Mosen kuraoi' seals allowed only to the Shugo in the Muromachi period.
Sengoku period
During the 16th century wars, the following Watanabe samurai distinguished themselves : Watanabe Tōru († 1543), also called Kayo, descendant of the Matsuura Watanabe, was the son of Watanabe Suguru († 1524), Lord of Nagamiyama castle, and was a General of Mōri Motonari. In 1540, at the Battle of Yoshida-Koriyama, he was the Commander of a detached force, attacked a much larger army and defeated Amago Sanehisa's army. In 1543, at the Battle of Gassan-Toda, he was killed in a fierce battle in place of Motonari. After that the Mōri clan continued to give important posts to the Watanabe family, and the Watanabe clan members were honored at the head of the Choshu Mōri Domain's New Year's Kachu-kaiki ceremony for generations. Watanabe Hajime (1534–1612), son of Watanabe Tōru, fought at the Battle of Kanbe (1548), against the Hiraga clan of Takayatozaki castle (1551), against the Miya clan of Takiyama castle (1552), at Miyajima (1555) and Moji (1561). In 1586, he took part in the invasion of Kyushu, and in 1588, he went to Kyoto with Mōri Terumoto, and received from Toyotomi Hideyoshi the title of Hida no kami (Governor of Hida Province). He is listed as one of the eighteen Generals of the Mōri. Watanabe Tadasu († 1615) was a descendant of the Matsuura Watanabe, and a retainer of the Toyotomi clan. He took a part in the Battle of Dōmyōji (1615), in the Battle of Tennōji (1615), and died at the Siege of Osaka castle (1615). Watanabe Motoharu, of the Yamada Watanabe branch, Jitō (Military Governor) of Yamada, Lord of Ichijoyama castle, was a direct retainer of the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki (1537–1597). At the Battle of Sekigahara, he fought against Tokugawa Ieyasu. After that his family was deprived of their fiefs. The Matsuura Watanabe of Izumi, were Shugodai (vice-Governors) of Izumi province and Lords of Kishiwada Castle. In 1527, they were involved in the administration of Izumi province as Shugodai, and in 1548 they sided with the Miyoshi clan . However when Magohachiro succeeded his father, he was still a child, and the Miyoshi while recognizing his position, sent their troops in Kishiwada Castle to protect the young lord. In 1562, Tora became Lord of Kishiwada with the aid of the Miyoshi army, but the Lordship changed again to his cousin Magohachiro, also called Hikaru, who later became Hizen no kami (Governor of Hizen Province). In 1585, Munekiyo with Nakamura Kazuuji and 8,000 men were besieged by 30,000 men (Battle of Kishiwada), and the castle was rebuilt as the base of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's conquest of Kishu. For his military achievement, Munekiyo was given additional territories and transferred to Ise Province. Hisanobu, also called Hideto, was Lord of Ise Iyo castle, Iyo no Kami (Governor of Iyo province), and the General of the gun division of Toyotomi Hideyoshi; during the Sekigahara campaign, he was killed at the Battle of Anotsu (1600). At the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), they sided against the Tokugawa, and were deprived of their fiefs.