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This article is about the Tachibana (立花) samurai clan. For the Tachibana (橘) court noble family、see Tachibana clan (kuge).

The Tachibana clan (立花氏) was a Japanese clan of daimyō (feudal lords) during Japan's Sengoku and Edo periods. Originally based in Tachibana castle in Kyūshū, the family's holdings were moved to the Yanagawa Domain in the far north-east of Honshū in the Edo period.

The clan, which bore no direct relation to the Tachibana clan of the Heian period, originated with Ōtomo Sadatoshi (d. 1336), who took on the name and assigned it to the family of Ōtomo vassals who held Tachibana castle. For a time, the Tachibana served as loyal retainers under the Ōtomo clan, regularly battling the Shimazu, rivals to the Ōtomo. In the mid-16th century, a conflict between Ōtomo Akitoshi and Ōtomo Sōrin led to the former splitting from the family, and taking the name Tachibana Dōsetsu.

Dōsetsu had no sons, and nominated his daughter, Tachibana Ginchiyo, to succeed him. Shortly afterwards, she would marry Takahashi Munetora, a vassal of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who helped defeat the Shimazu in Hideyoshi's Kyūshū Campaign. Upon inheriting the clan leadership, Takahashi took a new name, and became known as Tachibana Muneshige.

Muneshige then fought for Hideyoshi in the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598), and was granted the han (fief) of Yanagawa (Chikugo province, 132,000 koku), the land surrounding Tachibana castle. He fought against the Tokugawa, however, during the decisive Sekigahara Campaign of 1600, and was dispossessed of his holdings when the Tokugawa shogunate was established.

Ultimately, he proved his loyalty to the shogunate in 1611, and was granted a fief in Mutsu province, far from Kyūshū. This fief, the Tanakura Domain, was only worth 20,000 koku, but when the Tanaka family holding Tachibana castle and Yanagawa died out, due to a lack of heirs, the Tachibana were restored to their old territory. Their income remained around 20,000 koku, however. Holding onto this fief continuously through the rest of the Edo period, the Tachibana were granted the title of hakushaku (Count) during the Meiji period, when the feudal system and samurai class were abolished.

Meanwhile, Muneshige's younger brother, Takahashi Munemasu (1573-1617), fell into much the same situation. His domain was reduced from 18,000 koku to 5000 as a result of his opposition to the Tokugawa at Sekigahara. He changed his name to Tachibana Naotsugu, and passed on the Miike Domain to his heirs. Tachibana Takachika, one of that line, was awarded the government post of wakadoshiyori, gaining power and prestige for the clan even though he was soon demoted to hatamoto. This branch of the family was granted the title of "viscount" following the Meiji Ishin.

Significant members of the Tachibana family

References

Much of this article is derived from the information on the Japanese-language Wikipedia.

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+''This article is about the Tachibana (立花) samurai clan. For the Tachibana (橘) court noble family、see [[Tachibana clan (kuge)]].''
-The '''Tachibana family''' was a Japanese noble family, of particular importance and power as ''[[kuge]]'' (court nobles), and later as a samurai clan based in [[Kyūshū]]. They were among the top ''kuge'' families in the [[Heian period]] (794-1185), along with the Fujiwara, Taira, and Minamoto; later, in the [[Sengoku period]] (1467-1603), the family were ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) of [[Tachibana castle]] in [[Chikuzen province]]. The family claimed descent from Agata no Inukai no Michiyo, wife of [[Prince Minu]], who was bestowed the name Tachibana in [[708]], in return for services rendered to the court. The lineage, however, may go back even further, to [[Tajima Mori]], a Korean who, according to legend, introduced oranges, called ''tachibana'' in Japanese, to Japan in the first century CE<ref>Frederic, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia." Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.</ref>.
+The '''Tachibana clan''' (立花氏) was a Japanese clan of ''[[daimyō]]'' (feudal lords) during Japan's [[Sengoku period|Sengoku]] and [[Edo period]]s. Originally based in [[Tachibana castle]] in [[Kyūshū]], the family's holdings were moved to the [[Yanagawa Domain]] in the [[Tōhoku|far north-east]] of Honshū in the Edo period.
-==Kuge==
-Quite powerful in the Nara and Heian periods, members of the Tachibana family often held high court posts within the [[Dajō-kan]] (Ministry of State), most frequently ''[[Sadaijin]]'' (Minister of the Left). However, as the Fujiwara, and later the Taira and then the Minamoto each respectively gained power over the course of the period, the Tachibana were eclipsed.
+The clan, which bore no direct relation to the [[Tachibana clan (kuge)|Tachibana clan]] of the [[Heian period]], originated with [[Ōtomo Sadatoshi]] (d. 1336), who took on the name and assigned it to the family of Ōtomo vassals who held Tachibana castle. For a time, the Tachibana served as loyal retainers under the [[Ōtomo clan]], regularly battling the [[Shimazu clan|Shimazu]], rivals to the Ōtomo. In the mid-16th century, a conflict between Ōtomo Akitoshi and [[Ōtomo Sōrin]] led to the former splitting from the family, and taking the name [[Tachibana Dōsetsu]].
-==Samurai==
-For a time, the Tachibana served as loyal retainers under the [[Ōtomo clan]], regularly battling the [[Shimazu clan|Shimazu]], rivals to the Ōtomo. The first significant head of the Tachibana clan was [[Tachibana Dosetsu]]. Following Dosetsu's death, his daughter [[Tachibana Ginchiyo]] succeeded him as the head of the Tachibana . She married [[Tachibana Muneshige]] five years later, and passed the clan leadership on to him.
+Dōsetsu had no sons, and nominated his daughter, [[Tachibana Ginchiyo]], to succeed him. Shortly afterwards, she would marry Takahashi Munetora, a vassal of [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]], who helped defeat the Shimazu in Hideyoshi's [[Kyūshū Campaign]]. Upon inheriting the clan leadership, Takahashi took a new name, and became known as [[Tachibana Muneshige]].
-[[Tachibana Muneshige]], a vassal of [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]], who fought for him in the [[Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598)]], would be the first Tachibana daimyō of the Edo period. Granted the ''[[han (Japan)|han]]'' (fief) of [[Yanagawa Domain|Yanagawa]] ([[Chikugo province]], 120,000 ''[[koku]]'') by Hideyoshi, he fought against the Tokugawa during the decisive [[Sekigahara Campaign]], and was dispossessed of his holdings when the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] was established. He proved his loyalty, however, to the shogunate in 1611, and was granted a fief in [[Mutsu province]], far from Kyūshū. The family would hold this fief, the [[Tanakura Domain]], worth 20,000 ''koku'', from then on.
+Muneshige then fought for Hideyoshi in the [[Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598)]], and was granted the ''[[han (Japan)|han]]'' (fief) of [[Yanagawa Domain|Yanagawa]] ([[Chikugo province]], 132,000 ''[[koku]]''), the land surrounding Tachibana castle. He fought against the Tokugawa, however, during the decisive [[Sekigahara Campaign]] of 1600, and was dispossessed of his holdings when the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] was established.
+Ultimately, he proved his loyalty to the shogunate in 1611, and was granted a fief in [[Mutsu province]], far from Kyūshū. This fief, the [[Tanakura Domain]], was only worth 20,000 ''koku'', but when the Tanaka family holding Tachibana castle and Yanagawa died out, due to a lack of heirs, the Tachibana were restored to their old territory. Their income remained around 20,000 ''koku'', however. Holding onto this fief continuously through the rest of the Edo period, the Tachibana were granted the title of ''[[kazoku|hakushaku]]'' (Count) during the [[Meiji period]], when the feudal system and samurai class were [[Abolition of the han system|abolished]].
+Meanwhile, Muneshige's younger brother, Takahashi Munemasu (1573-1617), fell into much the same situation. His domain was reduced from 18,000 ''koku'' to 5000 as a result of his opposition to the Tokugawa at Sekigahara. He changed his name to [[Tachibana Naotsugu]], and passed on the [[Miike Domain]] to his heirs. [[Tachibana Takachika]], one of that line, was awarded the government post of ''[[wakadoshiyori]]'', gaining power and prestige for the clan even though he was soon demoted to ''[[hatamoto]]''. This branch of the family was granted the title of "viscount" following the [[Meiji Ishin]].
 ==Significant members of the Tachibana family==
+*[[Ōtomo Sadatoshi]]
+*[[Tachibana Shinsei]]
+*[[Tachibana Munekatsu]]
+*[[Tachibana Shinzen]]
+*[[Tachibana Dōsetsu]] (1513-1585)
+*[[Tachibana Ginchiyo]]
 *[[Tachibana Muneshige]] (1567-1642)
+*[[Tachibana Naotsugu]] (1573-1617)
+*[[Tachibana Takachika]]
 ==References==
 <references/>
+*Much of this article is derived from the information on the Japanese-language Wikipedia.
 [[Category:Japanese clans|Tachibana]]