Abe clan
Encyclopedia
The was one of the oldest of the major Japanese clans
(uji); and the clan retained its prominence during the Sengoku period
and the Edo period
. The clan's origin is said to be one of the original clans of the Yamato people
; they truly gained prominence during the Heian period
(794-1185), and experienced a resurgence in the 18th century. Abe
is also a very common Japanese surname in modern times, though not everyone with this name necessarily is descended from this clan.
, the Abe were descended from a son of Emperor Kōgen
. They originated in Iga province
(today Mie prefecture
); a number of families originally from this region, and bearing the Abe name, also claim descent from a legendary figure named Abi. Abi is said to have opposed Emperor Jimmu
, the first legendary emperor of Japan
, in his plans to conquer the Yamato plain
. The various Abe families thus settled in the far north of Honshū
, where they would become quite influential many centuries later in the Heian period. Though the clan name was originally written as 阿倍, it changed to 安倍 around the eighth century. Though this origin is not positive, it is likely.
This northern region, which would come to be known as the provinces of Mutsu
and Dewa
, was conquered by the Japanese sometime in the ninth century, and the native Emishi
people there subjugated or displaced. While many provinces at this time were overseen primarily by a governor, Mutsu saw to the rise of independent families called gōzoku
who administered local affairs. The Abe were appointed as "Superintendent of the Aborigines" ostensibly to control the local people who by now were a mix of Japanese immigrants and former Emishi tribesmen on behalf of the central government, but in reality the government in Kyoto simply did not have control over the region, and was recognizing this fact by appointing the Abe. The Abe for their part used their position to take control over the so-called six districts roku-oku-gun located in what is now central Iwate prefecture surrounding the Kitakami river. In time, they began to have disputes with the governor of Mutsu, an office held by a branch of the Fujiwara family, which erupted into violence in 1051.
The main reason given for the attack on the Abe was that they stopped paying taxes to Kyoto, and stopped contributing to the local government. The governors of Mutsu and the commander of Dewa fort combined their forces to attack the Abe, but were defeated. Desperate to quell this affront to their authority Kyoto appointed Minamoto Yoriyoshi as Chinjufu-shogun. The position known as Chinjufu-shogun, or "Commander-in-chief of the Defense of the North", was traditionally given by the court as a temporary appointment to a courtier (typically of high rank) who was appointed as a national general to quell uprisings among the Emishi or Ebisu barbarians of northern Honshū. Increasingly, as military power became privatized this position was rotated among a few clans.
In what has come to be termed the "Earlier Nine Years' War" (前九年合戦, Zenkunen kassen
), Abe Yoritoki was killed, and his son Abe no Sadato
defeated, by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and his son, Minamoto no Yoshiie
. This war broke the power of the Abe family, but in the prolonged fighting that took place the Minamoto would not have prevailed had it not been for the aid of another powerful family, the Kiyowara. The Kiyohara clan of nearby Dewa province
, aided the Minamoto in defeating the Abe.
, and derived his family name thus.
A family by the name of Abe also proved significant during the Edo period
, serving successively in the post of Rōjū
, or Elders, who advised the Tokugawa shogun. Again, it is difficult to determine whether or not this line was directly related to the much earlier Abe clan, but it is of an importance itself nevertheless. Abe Tadaaki
was the first to serve as Rōjū, holding the post from 1633-71. He was very likely a son or other direct relation to Abe Masatsugu
(1569–1647) who served Tokugawa Ieyasu
and fought under him at the decisive battle of Sekigahara
. Other members of the Abe family would succeed Tadaaki to the post for much of the Edo period (1603–1867), ending with Abe Masahiro
, who was chief of the Council of Rōjū at the time of the arrival of Commodore Perry
.
Japanese clans
This is a list of Japanese clans. The ancient clans mentioned in the Nihonshoki and Kojiki lost their political power before the Heian period. Instead of gozoku, new aristocracies, Kuge families emerged in the period...
(uji); and the clan retained its prominence during the Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
and the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. The clan's origin is said to be one of the original clans of the Yamato people
Yamato people
is a name for the dominant native ethnic group of Japan. It is a term that came to be used around the late 19th century to distinguish the residents of the mainland Japan from other minority ethnic groups who have resided in the peripheral areas of Japan, such as the Ainu, Ryukyuan, Nivkh, Ulta, as...
; they truly gained prominence during the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
(794-1185), and experienced a resurgence in the 18th century. Abe
Abe (surname)
Abe is one of several Japanese surnames and can refer to:* The Abe clan, one of the oldest Japanese clans, which was particularly prominent in the Heian period* Asami Abe , Japanese J-pop singer...
is also a very common Japanese surname in modern times, though not everyone with this name necessarily is descended from this clan.
Origins & History
According to the Nihon ShokiNihon Shoki
The , sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the Kojiki, the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeologists as it includes the most complete extant historical...
, the Abe were descended from a son of Emperor Kōgen
Emperor Kogen
, also known as Ooyamatonekohikokunikuru no Mikoto, was the eighth emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.No firm dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign, but he is conventionally considered to have reigned from 214 BC–158 BC.-Legendary narrative:Modern...
. They originated in Iga province
Iga Province
was an old province of Japan in the area that is today western Mie Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Iga bordered on Ise, Ōmi, Yamato, and Yamashiro Provinces.-Geography:...
(today Mie prefecture
Mie Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....
); a number of families originally from this region, and bearing the Abe name, also claim descent from a legendary figure named Abi. Abi is said to have opposed Emperor Jimmu
Emperor Jimmu
was the first Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He is also known as Kamuyamato Iwarebiko and personally as Wakamikenu no Mikoto or Sano no Mikoto....
, the first legendary emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
, in his plans to conquer the Yamato plain
Yamato Province
was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. It was also called . At first, the name was written with one different character , and for about ten years after 737, this was revised to use more desirable characters . The final revision was made in...
. The various Abe families thus settled in the far north of Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, where they would become quite influential many centuries later in the Heian period. Though the clan name was originally written as 阿倍, it changed to 安倍 around the eighth century. Though this origin is not positive, it is likely.
This northern region, which would come to be known as the provinces of Mutsu
Mutsu Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori prefecture and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture...
and Dewa
Dewa Province
is an old province of Japan, comprising modern-day Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture, except for the city of Kazuno and the town of Kosaka. It was sometimes called .-Historical record:...
, was conquered by the Japanese sometime in the ninth century, and the native Emishi
Emishi
The constituted a group of people who lived in northeastern Honshū in the Tōhoku region. They are referred to as in contemporary sources. Some Emishi tribes resisted the rule of the Japanese Emperors during the late Nara and early Heian periods...
people there subjugated or displaced. While many provinces at this time were overseen primarily by a governor, Mutsu saw to the rise of independent families called gōzoku
Gozoku
is a Japanese term used to refer to powerful and wealthy families. In historical context, it usually refers to local samurai clans with significant local land holdings. Some were almost locally independent, and held strong ties to important commoners such as wealthy merchants...
who administered local affairs. The Abe were appointed as "Superintendent of the Aborigines" ostensibly to control the local people who by now were a mix of Japanese immigrants and former Emishi tribesmen on behalf of the central government, but in reality the government in Kyoto simply did not have control over the region, and was recognizing this fact by appointing the Abe. The Abe for their part used their position to take control over the so-called six districts roku-oku-gun located in what is now central Iwate prefecture surrounding the Kitakami river. In time, they began to have disputes with the governor of Mutsu, an office held by a branch of the Fujiwara family, which erupted into violence in 1051.
The main reason given for the attack on the Abe was that they stopped paying taxes to Kyoto, and stopped contributing to the local government. The governors of Mutsu and the commander of Dewa fort combined their forces to attack the Abe, but were defeated. Desperate to quell this affront to their authority Kyoto appointed Minamoto Yoriyoshi as Chinjufu-shogun. The position known as Chinjufu-shogun, or "Commander-in-chief of the Defense of the North", was traditionally given by the court as a temporary appointment to a courtier (typically of high rank) who was appointed as a national general to quell uprisings among the Emishi or Ebisu barbarians of northern Honshū. Increasingly, as military power became privatized this position was rotated among a few clans.
In what has come to be termed the "Earlier Nine Years' War" (前九年合戦, Zenkunen kassen
Zenkunen War
The Zenkunen War , also known by the English translation Early Nine-Years War, was fought from 1051 to 1063, in Japan's Mutsu province, at the far north of the main island of Honshū...
), Abe Yoritoki was killed, and his son Abe no Sadato
Abe no Sadato
was a samurai of the Abe during the Heian period of Japan. Sadato was the son of Abe no Yoritoki, the chinjufu shogun...
defeated, by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and his son, Minamoto no Yoshiie
Minamoto no Yoshiie
Minamoto no Yoshiie , also known as Hachimantarō, was a Minamoto clan samurai of the late Heian period, and Chinjufu shogun...
. This war broke the power of the Abe family, but in the prolonged fighting that took place the Minamoto would not have prevailed had it not been for the aid of another powerful family, the Kiyowara. The Kiyohara clan of nearby Dewa province
Dewa Province
is an old province of Japan, comprising modern-day Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture, except for the city of Kazuno and the town of Kosaka. It was sometimes called .-Historical record:...
, aided the Minamoto in defeating the Abe.
Other Abe families
Though many other major figures throughout history have been called Abe, it is difficult to know which were related to the Abe clan of Iga and Mutsu. Abe no Nakamaro, a major court noble of the eighth century, for example, was from the town of Abe, near NaraNara, Nara
is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
, and derived his family name thus.
A family by the name of Abe also proved significant during the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, serving successively in the post of Rōjū
Roju
The ', usually translated as Elder, was one of the highest-ranking government posts in Tokugawa Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council as a whole; under the first two shoguns, there were only two Rōjū...
, or Elders, who advised the Tokugawa shogun. Again, it is difficult to determine whether or not this line was directly related to the much earlier Abe clan, but it is of an importance itself nevertheless. Abe Tadaaki
Abe Tadaaki
was a high-ranking government official in Japan under Tokugawa Iemitsu and Ietsuna, the third and fourth Tokugawa Shogun. Daimyo of the Oshi Domain in modern-day Saitama prefecture, with an income of 80,000 koku , Abe was appointed wakadoshiyori in 1633, and rōjū shortly afterwards.Iemitsu died...
was the first to serve as Rōjū, holding the post from 1633-71. He was very likely a son or other direct relation to Abe Masatsugu
Abe Masatsugu
was a daimyō in early Edo period, Japan.Abe Masatsugu was the eldest son of Abe Masakatsu, one of the hereditary retainers of Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was born in Mikawa Province. In 1600, on his father's death, he became head of the Abe clan, and inherited his father's 5,000 koku holding in Hatogaya,...
(1569–1647) who served Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
and fought under him at the decisive battle of Sekigahara
Battle of Sekigahara
The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...
. Other members of the Abe family would succeed Tadaaki to the post for much of the Edo period (1603–1867), ending with Abe Masahiro
Abe Masahiro
was the chief senior councillor in the Japanese government at the time of the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry. Against the shogun's wishes, and the wishes of many other government officials, he worked to open Japan to the West, signing the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854, and other unequal...
, who was chief of the Council of Rōjū at the time of the arrival of Commodore Perry
Matthew Perry (naval officer)
Matthew Calbraith Perry was the Commodore of the U.S. Navy and served commanding a number of US naval ships. He served several wars, most notably in the Mexican-American War and the War of 1812. He played a leading role in the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854...
.
Clan members of note
- Abe no HirafuAbe no Hirafuwas a governor of Koshi Province. He fought against the aboriginal inhabitants of Japan . This was in 658...
(c. 575-664), also known as Abe no Ōmi, one of the leading generals in the subjugation of the Ainu - Abe no YoritokiAbe no Yoritokiwas the head of the Abe clan of Emishi who were allowed to rule the six Emishi districts in the Kitakami Basin from Morioka to Hiraizumi in what is now Iwate Prefecture. The clan emerged from the Appi River basin in what is now Hachimantai City, Iwate Prefecture, early in the 9th century...
(d. 1057) - chinjufu shogunChinjufu ShogunChinjufu shōgun , often translated as "Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of the North," was a military post in classical and feudal Japan...
during the Zenkunen WarZenkunen WarThe Zenkunen War , also known by the English translation Early Nine-Years War, was fought from 1051 to 1063, in Japan's Mutsu province, at the far north of the main island of Honshū... - Abe no SadatoAbe no Sadatowas a samurai of the Abe during the Heian period of Japan. Sadato was the son of Abe no Yoritoki, the chinjufu shogun...
(1019–62) - Abe MasatsuguAbe Masatsuguwas a daimyō in early Edo period, Japan.Abe Masatsugu was the eldest son of Abe Masakatsu, one of the hereditary retainers of Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was born in Mikawa Province. In 1600, on his father's death, he became head of the Abe clan, and inherited his father's 5,000 koku holding in Hatogaya,...
(1569–1647) - fought at Sekigahara, became a fudaiFudaiwas a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration.-Origins:...
daimyo under the Tokugawa - Abe TadaakiAbe Tadaakiwas a high-ranking government official in Japan under Tokugawa Iemitsu and Ietsuna, the third and fourth Tokugawa Shogun. Daimyo of the Oshi Domain in modern-day Saitama prefecture, with an income of 80,000 koku , Abe was appointed wakadoshiyori in 1633, and rōjū shortly afterwards.Iemitsu died...
- first Abe clan member of the Rōjū - Abe MasahiroAbe Masahirowas the chief senior councillor in the Japanese government at the time of the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry. Against the shogun's wishes, and the wishes of many other government officials, he worked to open Japan to the West, signing the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854, and other unequal...
- among the last of the Rōjū, signed Treaty of Kanagawa