The Ōkubo clan traces its origins to 16th century
Mikawa Province.[2] The Ōkubo claimed descent from the Utsunomiya clan, descendants of
Fujiwara no Michikane (955–995).[3] Ōkubo Tadatoshi (1499–1581) and his younger brother Ōkubo Tadakazu (1511–1583) were the first to abandon the Utaunomiya name for "Ōkubo". Both brothers were among the seven closest retainers of
Matsudaira Hirotada, the father of
Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Main branch
Ōkubo Tadayo (1531–1593), the son of Ōkubo Tadakazu, participated as a general in all the military campaigns of Tokugawa Ieyasu. In 1590, upon the transfer of Ieyasu to the
Kantō region, he was rewarded with formal recognition as a
daimyō,[2] and the clan was established in the han of
Odawara (45,000 koku) in
Sagami Province, where the Ōkubo were made castellans
Odawara Castle.[4] The main branch of Ōkubo clan consists of his family and their descendants.[3]
Ōkubo Tadachika (1553–1628) succeeded his father at Odawara, and the revenues of the han had increased to 70,000 koku. In 1614 Tadachika was accused of participation in the plot of
Tokugawa Tadateru against his brother, ShōgunTokugawa Hidetada; and the Ōkubo were dispossessed. Tadahicka was confined at
Hikone in
Ōmi Province.[3]
A cadet branch was created in 1601 for
Ōkubo Tadasuke (1537–1613), the second son of Ōkubo Tadakazu, who had served as a general in the armies of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ōkubo Tadasuke was given
Numazu Castle and assigned
Numazu Domain (20,000 koku) in
Suruga Province; however, he died without leaving any heirs, and the domain reverted to the shogunate.[3]
A cadet branch of the Ōkubo was created in 1684. The descendants of
Ōkubo Tadatame (1554–1616), the sixth son of
Ōkubo Tadakazu, has served as hatamoto to the Tokugawa shogunate. In 1687, Ōkubo Tadataka had amassed a revenue base of 10,000 koku, which qualified him to join the ranks of the daimyō. His son, Ōkubo Tsuneharu (1675–1728) was assigned to
Karasuyama Domain (30,000 koku) in
Shimotsuke Province in 1725, where his descendants remained until the Meiji restoration. The head of this clan line, Ōkubo Tadayori, was ennobled as a "Viscount" in the Meiji period.[3]
A cadet branch of the Ōkubo was created in 1706. This clan line was instituted for the descendants of
Ōkubo Norihiro (1657–1737), who were installed at
Ogino-Yamanaka Domain (13,000 koku) in
Sagami Province from 1718 through 1868. The head of this clan line was ennobled as a "Viscount" in the Meiji period.[3]
In 1877, a former samurai from Suruga Province,
Ōkubo Ichio (1817–1888) was ennobled as a "Viscount" under the kazoku system.[3] Ōkubo Ichio had served as councilor to the last five Tokugawa shōguns, and during the
Boshin War, had served as an emissary for
Tokugawa Yoshinobu to negotiate the surrender of
Edo to imperial forces. Under the
Meiji government, he served as appointed governor of Shizuoka (1870) and Kyoto (1875), and as a member of the Genrōin (1877). He was also known as Ōkubo Tadahiro.
Meyer, Eva-Maria. (1999). Japans Kaiserhof in de Edo-Zeit: Unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Jahre 1846 bis 1867. Münster: Tagenbuch.
ISBN3-8258-3939-7