Stories of the Japanese 01242 [Muromachi/Yoshimitsu Period] Muromachi Official System: The Twenty-One Yakata*

Let us introduce the families that held high social status following the Go-Ike, the Three Kanrei, and the Four Shiki.
In the world of the samurai, there was a title called 'Yakata-go,' and only powerful shugo, including the Three Kanrei and Four Shiki, were permitted to use it. While ordinary shugo were addressed as 'Dono' by their retainers, shugo granted the Yakata-go were addressed as 'Oyakata-sama' by their retainers.
The authority to grant this Yakata-go title rested with the Shogun in the west and the Kamakura Kubo in the east. First, let us introduce the 'Muromachi Twenty-One Yakata' of the west, who were granted permission by the Shogun.
While there were 21 families permitted to use the Yakata-go, many powerful clans like the Three Kanrei and Four Shiki had their branch families made independent and counted as separate houses, leading to double counting; 15 out of the 21 families belonged to the Three Kanrei and Four Shiki clans. Excluding those, only six families were granted the Yakata-go. These were the clans highly valued by the Shogunate.
○ Ouchi Family: Base was the Ouchi Clan Residence (Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture)
Ouchi Yoshihiro has already appeared as a powerful daimyo, and this Ouchi family flourished as shugo governing six provinces at its peak. During the Sengoku period, they were destroyed by the gekokujo (the lower overthrowing the higher) of their retainer, Sue Harukata.
○ Toki Family: Base was Kawate Castle (Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture), later Oga Castle (Yamagata City, Gifu Prefecture)
Although Toki Yoritoh caused a terrible scandal (see episode 00967) and was beheaded, his contribution to the establishment of the Muromachi Shogunate was recognized, and they built a major power base as shugo of Mino. During the Sengoku period, they were expelled by Saito Dosan.
○ Rokkaku Family: Base was Kannonji Castle (Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture)
A daimyo of southern Omi, they were troublemakers who often defied the Shogunate. They seem to have been valued because they were descendants of the Sasaki family, who contributed to the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate. They were later destroyed by Oda Nobunaga.
○ Imagawa Family: Base was the Imagawa Residence (Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
They greatly elevated their family name thanks to Imagawa Ryoshun. With Suruga as their base, they would produce Imagawa Yoshimoto during the Sengoku period, but they declined after being defeated by Oda Nobunaga.
○ Takeda Family (Wakasa Takeda Family): Base was Kozeyama Castle (Obama City, Fukui Prefecture)
Minamoto no Yoshikiyo (1075–1149), son of Minamoto no Yoshimitsu, received land in Takeda, Hitachi Province (Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture), but because his son Kiyomitsu committed acts of violence, he was exiled to Kai and became the Kai Takeda clan. Furthermore, a branch of that family received land in Aki Province and became the Aki Takeda family. The Wakasa Takeda family was a further branch of that Aki Takeda family that settled in Wakasa. Their territory was limited to Wakasa and part of Tango and was by no means vast, but they were able to obtain the Yakata-go as they were trusted by the Shogun and involved in Shogunate politics at times.
○ Togashi Family: Base was the Togashi Residence (Nonoichi City, Ishikawa Prefecture)
A prestigious family that had governed Kaga since the Heian period, they were destined to be expelled during the Kaga Ikko-ikki in the second year of Chokyo (1488).