The Ueno clan (上野氏)
The Ueno clan was a shizoku (family) in Japan.
The Ueno clan had some family lines
The Seiwa-Genji (the Minamoto clan) ASHIKAGA-lined UENO clan
Explained in this section.
The Arimichi-lined Ueno clan belonged to a family of the Kodama party, which was one of the Musashi-Shichito Parties.
The KISO-lined UENO clan
The clan worked as Kokujin (local lord) of the Kiso Valley in Shinano Province
Adopted Minamoto as the family name.
The FUJIWARA-lined UENO family
A Kuge (a Court noble)
Nagatomi UENO, a descendent of Akichika UENO, left the capital city of Kyoto and settled in Kii Province at the end of the Sengoku period (period of warring states) (Japan). Their descendents still live.
A direct descendent of the Seiwa-Genji ASHIKAGA-lined UENO clan
Their real family name is Genji. The clan was a branch family of the Ashikaga clan who was related to Kawachi-Genji (the Minamoto clan). The family lineage started with 上野義弁, the sixth son of Yasuuji ASHIKAGA.
Yoshiuji ASHIKAGA (the third head of the Ashikaga family), 義弁's grandfather, was appointed as assistant governor of Mikawa Province, which event triggered the family's settlement in the province. Moreover, the family established a presence by gaining stewardship for the Hachijoin's manor (Ueno no sho) which was one of the family's territories in Mikawa Province. When Takauji ASHIKAGA raised an army against the Kamakura bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun), Yorikane UENO, a grandson of 上野義弁, sided with him. Takauji and Yorikane fled to Kyushu during the period of the Northern and Southern Courts. In March, 1336, Yorikane was credited with defeating the Kikuchi clan of Higo Province who sided with the Southern Court. Takauji, regaining his power, moved eastward to recapture Kyoto, while Yorikane, as Shugo (provincial constable) of Iwami Province, put his emphasis on the extension of the Northern Court's and the Muromachi bakufu's influence and the elimination of the Southern Court's influence in western part of Japan.
The family took over as Shugo of Sado and several other provinces, but the posts were not passed down to the descendants. In Kyoto, the family, as a trusted vassal of Ashikaga Shogun family, served not merely as the leader of the third squad of Hokoshu (shogunal military guard) but also as Oheyashu (the person in charge of keeping night watch of the shogun's bed chamber), Otomoshu (attendant group who attended the Shogun Takauji Ashikaga to go up to the ancient capital kyoto), and Moshitsugishu (a civil servant post in Muromachi Shorgunate) for generations.
After Yoshitane ASHIKAGA was expelled by the Shogunal Deputy, Masamoto HOSOKAWA, Nobutaka UENO entered Bicchu Province with Masayuki NIKAIDO and Sadanobu ISE under the order of Yoshitane. Based in Kimurayama-jo Castle in Shimohara-Go, Shimotsumichi County, Bicchu Province, Nobutaka tried to extend Yoshitane's influence. Later, during the Eisho era, he returned to Kyoto, where he served as a chief retainer for Yoshiteru ASHIKAGA and died in 1563.
Kiyonobu UENO, a legitimate child of Nobutaka, is historically remembered as Yoshiteru ASHIKAGA's chief retainer.
Heads of the main branch of the Ueno clan had one portion of the name of successive Ashikaga Shoguns granted. For example, Akirakane was given one portion of the name of Yoshiakira ASHIKAGA, Mitsukane one portion of the name of Yoshimitsu ASHIKAGA, Mochiyori one portion of the name of Yoshimochi ASHIKAGA, and Naonaga one portion of the name of Yoshinao ASHIKAGA.
The Bicchu Ueno clan
The Bicchu Ueno clan started when Takanao UENO who belonged to Nobutaka UENO's family succeeded Nobutaka and entered Kimurayama-jo Castle. Yorihisa UENO moved to Matsuyama-jo Castle. (Later, because Kimurayama-jo Castle and other related castles were destroyed and Matsuyama-jo Castle continued to exist and enjoyed prosperity, the historical fact was reversed and, as a consequence, incorrect history was passed down to future generations. In those days, the Ueno clan enjoyed prosperity by working as Shugodai (deputy military governor) together with the Ishikawa clan and the Sho clan under the supervision of the Hosokawa clan, the military governor of Bicchu, but unlike the other clans, the Ueno clan lost the post in early stage.
Yorihisa, the second head of the Bicchu Ueno clan, restored Tenchuzan Ankoku-ji Temple (Raikyu-ji Temple) of the Rinzai sect in Bicchu Matsuyama and turned it into the family temple. After Yorihisa, Yoriuji UENO, his legitimate child, took over as head of the family and became the lord of the Bicchu Matsuyama-jo Castle, but was overthrown by Tamemoto SHO in 1533.
It is possible that the Bicchu Ueno clan was dismissed as Shugodai around this time.
According to Chugoku Taiheiki, 'Tamemoto SHO, the lord of Sarukakeno-jo Castle attacked and fought against Ueno Izu no kami (Yoriuji UENO) residing in Mt. Taisho and Ueno Uemon no jo (Yoriuji's brother) residing in Mt. Kosho in 1533. Because the Sho clan is ruling this province, Ueki Shimotsuke no kami Hidenaga and the clan attacked the Ueno force from the valley side and beat it.
Tamemoto SHO killed Izu no kami and took over Mt. Taisho.'
Chugoku Taiheiki also mentioned 'Ueno Uemon no jo was defeated by Jirouemon WAKABAYASHI, a member of the Ueki family.'
Takanao UENO restored Manju-zan Hoon-ji Temple of the Rinzai sect in Ichiba Village, Shimotsumichi County and turned it into the family temple. After Takanoa, Ueno Hizen no kami Takatoku, his legitimate child, took over as head of the family and became the lord of Kimurayyama-jo Castle, but he moved to Bizen Tsuneyama-jo Castle at a certain point between 1555 and 1558 and resided in this castle.
Moreover, Takatoku UENO defeated Takasuke SHO, the legitimate child of Tamemoto SHO, the enemy of one of his family members Ueno Izu no kami Yoriuji who met a tragic end in Bicchu Matsuyama. Furthermore, by marrying one of the daughters of Iechika MIMURA who became the lord of the Bicchu Matsuyama-jo Castle, Takatoku deepened his relationship with the Mimura clan who was extending power over the entire Bicchu as well as the Ishikawa clan and the Sho clan, both of whom were serving as Shugodai of Bicchu. Takatoku had an influential voice, calling himself Takatoku MIMURA according to Bicchu Heiranki (Record on disturbance in the Bicchu area).
Originally, the UENO clan had a trusting relationship with the Mori clan through Nobutaka, but after Nobutaka and Motonari MORI died, Takatoku opposed the Mori clan by supporting Motochika, the legitimate child of Iechika MIMURA. In the end, Takatoku was defeated by the Mori force led by Takakage KOBAYAKAWA in 1575. This is known as the Battle of Tsuneyama.
While Takatoku UENO restored the Hogakusan Kyusho-ji Temple of the Rinzai sect as the lord of the Bizen Tsuneyama-jo Castle, the original ancestral tablets of Takatoku and his wife, Tsuruhime, a daughter of the MIMURA family, are still placed in Hoon-ji Temple, the Ueno clan's family temple (Mabi-cho Kurashiki City).
The Bungo Ueno clan
Originating from Naokane UENO, the second son of Yorikane UENO who was the third head of the Ueno clan belonging to a branch family of the Ashikaga clan starting with Yasuuji ASIKAGA, the Bungo Ueno clan accompanied Takauji on his trip to Kyushu as his trustworthy assistant and stayed there as the sole family of the Ueno clan. The clan had been under the umbrella of the Otomo clan, governor of Bungo Province, since the era of Ujishige Ueno, Naokane's grandson. Heads of the clan had one portion of the name of successive heads of the Otomo clan granted. For example, Shigekane and Shigenobu were given one portion of the name of Chikashige OTOMO, Harunobu one portion of the name of Chikaharu OTOMO, Shigenobu and his sons Shigemoto and Shigemasa one portion of the name of Yoshishige OTOMO (later Sorin OTOMO).
Shigenobu gave some advice on household management to Sorin OTOMO but without success, which incident led the clan to leave the Otomo clan. Later, the clan was divided into the family that worked as a vassal of the Ryuzoji clan and the one that survived as shoya (village headman) in an agricultural community. The family crest was the circle with two horizontal lines inside.
The Shinano Ueno clan
According to "Koenkishusei" (A History of Kisofukushima Town), the clan started when 木曾家佐 (Iesada KISO's son), a nephew of Iemura KISO (claimed to be the seventh descendent of Yoshinaka KISO), the lord of the Kiso family in Kiso-dani Valley, Shinano Province, settled in Ueno, Kiso County. The clan is sometime mistaken for the Makino clan.