The Hōyōshi (豊陽志), which describes the various retainers of the Ōtomo household, relates the following in regards to the Ōtomo:

御同紋衆之事
古庄党　志賀党
右之外御先祖能直公御下向の御共の筋目は御家の御紋赦免なり。いはゆる首藤、衛籐、舞林（若か）、高山、甲斐瀬、矢野等割茗荷（わりみょうが）の紋、杏葉（ぎよう）の紋と云ふ。其外御一族御庶子の家々は御同紋也。
大友一族六十二家之事
大部、得永、俣見、利根、詫摩、大野、日差、城後、成松、奴留湯、木付、志賀、小津留、一万田、豊饒（ぶにょう）、入田（にゅうた）、石合、久保、吉弘、直入、戸次、日田、臼杵、国東、平井、大神（おおが）、挟間、田原、速見、高崎、立花、田北、塩手（一部中略）
緒方一族三十七家之事
佐伯、雄城（おぎ）、小原、田尻、下部、真玉、敷戸、賀来、夏足（なたせ）、都甲、高城（たかじょう）、阿南、森迫、植田、稗田（ひえだ）、小井手、大津留、橋爪（一部中略）
此三十七家は、当国直入郡御祖母嶽大明神の神窩大神惟基より種姓始りて、かの緒方三郎惟義、臼杵二郎惟隆等が子孫にて当国出生の一流、姓は大神、紋は鱗（うろこ）形、惟字を相嗣ぎ家名とす。
竃（かもん）、右田、斎藤、古圧、馬場、永富、帆足、曾禰崎（あねざき）、森、市川、今村、佐保、寒田（そうだ）、岐部、姫島、御手洗、石垣、魚返（おがえり）、古後（こご）、津久見、朽網（くたみ）、本庄、志手、恵良、竹田津、若林、高山、風早、平林、宇都宮、薬師寺、如法寺（一部中略）
右百五十家は、当国へ他国より御屋形を慕ひ（したい）相集り来り奉公（ほうこう）せし家々、是を束ねて新参衆と云ふ。（51-53）

This particular record dates from the Edo period, however there are similarities in detail to the Ōtomo Shi Buke Shōshi Tsuke 大友氏部下姓氏付 of Tenshō 11 (1583), so its historical reliability is quite high. It shows the sixty houses that made up the core of the Ōtomo household, together with hundreds of other families that possessed warrior surnames. It also names some two hundred and thirty seven castle owners that lived during the Tenshō period of Sōrin`s reign. However this particular record mostly focuses on the names of lords within the Ōtomo territory of Bungo and does not really include those lords of territories that the Ōtomo had conquered. Balthasar Gago, in the fifth year of Eiroku (1562), had the following to say in relation to Sōrin`s authority…

“Last year, the lord (Sōrin), in order to pacify the region that he had captured around Hakata, sent in [an army] of 50,000 troops. If [Sōrin] himself leads an army, then [its numbers] increase to 100,000 troops (abridged). It is said that this lord can field an army of 200,000 troops. Along with those persons who are the greatest of benefactors to Spain within the lord`s territory, there are many others of distinction. There are many many people who own castles and command armies ”.(53)

The numbers expressed here seem to be the result of bravado on the part of Yoshishige`s retainers. Although a person might have been known as a retainer to the Ōtomo, this did not mean that they were in a subservient relationship to them. Whilst those lords who dwelt within Bungo were quite tightly knit to the Ōtomo, those lords in other territories did not hold such bonds. They simply obeyed the orders that came from the Ōtomo, did not actively seek to oppose the Ōtomo`s plans, provided troops when necessary, and planned to expand their own territorial holdings. However they did not directly affiliate themselves with the Ōtomo. As such, some of these `retainers` were not included in the final version of the Hōyōshi.(53-54)

The Ōtomo household itself was divided into three parts – the Dōmonshū (同紋衆), the Kokushū (国衆), and the Shinsanshū (新参衆). The Dōmonshū consisted of those houses who were allowed to use the same `Gyōyō` (杏葉) or `apricot leaf` insignia as the main Ōtomo family branch. These houses formed the nucleus of the Ōtomo power structure, and included fudai lords. Many of the fudai positions dated from the time of the succession of the Ōtomo to lordship over Bungo, and so were particularly valued. Collectively they were known as the `Kudarishū` (下り衆) . This organization included lords from the Ōno (大野), the Naoiri (直入), the Ōga (大神), and the Usuki (臼杵) families – all members of the Bungo Ōga family, who predated the Ōtomo as local figures of importance. After the Ōtomo took control of Bungo, these families were either removed or reassigned by the Ōtomo and the bakufu. The Ōtomo household inherited their names, and arranged for these to be carried on through the Dōmonshū.(53-54).

The Dōmonshū was not simply a division between ichizoku (or members of the main family branch) and fudai (members of families related to the main branch), for there was also a distinction between ranks. Most of those persons within the Dōmonshū acted as toshiyori councilors and other administrative heads. It was unusual for the lords of territories outside of Bungo to be included within the Dōmonshū (out of concerns regarding their loyalty), yet there were exceptions (such as Monchūjō Munekage). Those lords that resided outside Bungo who did not harbour plans to rebel against the Ōtomo, and who had neither lost their sense of loyalty do appear then to have been allowed to join the Dōmonshū. (54-56)

In relation to the Kokushū, the Hōyōshi mentions the Ōgata family. They too were descended from the gozoku Ōga family and controlled a considerable amount of territory before the arrival of the Ōtomo. The name of Ōgata Koreyoshi (惟義) is mentioned within the Azuma Kagami, the Gyokuba (玉葉), the Heike Monogatari, and the Genpei Seisuiki (源平盛衰記). They, like the Usuki family, were disinherited by the Kamakura Bakufu. Unlike the Usuki name which continued on within the Ōtomo household, the name of the Ōgata did not, and thus their name does not feature at all in any other record from the Sengoku era onwards.(56)

As for the Sanshinshū, they were, as their name suggests, made up of lords from territories recently conquered by the Ōtomo (as outlined in the Hōyōshi). They held looser ties to the Ōtomo than the Kokushū or Dōmonshū, and thus were not often ordered to act on the Ōtomo`s behalf. Both the Shinsanshū and the Kokushū made up what could be described as the `Betsushōshū` (別姓衆)(or organization of non-Ōtomo related families).(56)

There was a degree of animosity between both the Dōmonshū and the Kokushū, and it was not always peacefully resolved. In the okibumi issued by Yoshiaki, it states that `国衆と加判衆一意の事` (the Kokushū and the Kahanshū shall be of one mind), essentially laying down the necessity for the Kokushū (who were treated with some degree of coldness by the Ōtomo) and the Kahanshū (which consisted of the Dōmon shū, who were treated with more deference, seeing as they were descendants of the main Ōtomo branch) to cooperate with one another. The Ryōhōki (両豊記) and the Hōchiku Ranki (豊筑乱記) both make mention of `姓氏遺恨之事` `animosity that existed among retainers`, and relate the following incident, the particulars of which have been summarized for the sake of convenience.(57)

In the Ōtomo castle at Funai, a ledger was kept within the living area of those retainers whose turn it was to guard the castle which recorded the names of retainers and the particulars behind their appointments. In the Spring of the year of Sōrin`s birth (Kyōroku 3, 1530), a discovery was made within the ledger which revealed that someone had written in ink above the names of members of the Dōmonshū. The Dōmonshū, who had a particular disliking for the Kokushū, immediately began to suspect that this was the work of someone within the Kokushū. A number of hot-headed young members of the Dōmonshū resolved to make their grievances known to Yoshiaki. However Yoshiaki was not sure as to how to deal with the situation. In midst of this climate of suspicion were two retainers, Honjō Tajima no Kami and Nakamura Saei`monsuke. Both of these men were members of the Shinsanshū and were originally from Higo Takuma gun. They had shown their loyalty to generations of the Ōtomo family, in reward for which they had been appointed as flag bearers with a number of retainers under their control and had their own residences within the town of Funai.(57)

A young member of the Dōmonshū, Kiyoda Echigo no Kami, was incensed that these `outsiders` had been given such illustrious posts, and decided to do something about it. With 200 or so troops at his command, he attacked the residences of Honjō and Nakamura. Both men were taken completely by surprise, and so were totally unprepared to fight in defence of their properties. They were eventually defeated and forced to commit suicide. Fresh from his success, Kiyoda then made plans to lead around 1,500 troops in an attack on Kaku Saei`mon Daifu of the Ōga branch family of Kaku, Ōita gun, a prominent member of the Kokushū. However, upon learning of the impending attack, another member of the Ōga family, Hashizume Tanba no Kami Harusue, sent 300 of his own troops in support of the Kaku. The two forces then combined and fought a battle against Kiyoda, in which Kiyoda was defeated. Ōtsuru Hitatchi no Suke Akiyasu also provided troops to assist the Kaku. In spite of their victory, the Kaku suffered great losses, and ceased to function as a household. Upon learning of this uproar, (Ōtomo) Yoshiaki was furious, and directed his anger at Hashizume and Ōtsuru. Hashizume was sent into exile in Iyo province, while Ōtsuru became a rōnin in Buzen province. Thereafter no further disputes broke out between different families.(58)

This example demonstrates just how difficult it was to keep many retainers in check, and the complexity of rule itself.(58)

Return to Top