Kyogoku Takakiyo (京極高清)

Takakiyo KYOGOKU (1460 – 1538) was a Daimyo (feudal lord) from the late Muromachi period through Japan's Sengoku period (Period of Warring States).

He hailed from the Kyogoku Clan. Managing to plot a course through the mayhem of the Onin no Ran (Onin Rebellion), and becoming head of the family after battling with his family to inherit the title, he could not protect his own child from the family battles, which bought about a decline in the Kyogoku family fortunes.

It is said that he was either the 4th son of Shugo Daimyo (Governor feudal lord) Mochikiyo KYOGOKU, or the child of Katsuhide KYOGOKU, who was Mochikiyo's progeny, and he went by the childhood name of Otsudojimaru.
Rokuro
Nakatsukasa no Shoyu (Junior Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Central Affairs)

At the outbreak of the Onin no Ran (Onin Rebellion), Mochikiyo fought against Takayori ROKKAKU on attachment to the West forces, but in 1470 he fell ill during battle and died.

Mochikiyo's elder brother Katsuhide KYOGOKU and his younger brother Masamitsu ROKKAKU were already dead, so Sondojimaru KYOGOKU inherited the role of clan head; however, he passed away in 1471. In relation to the family heir, he battled with Mochikiyo's 3rd son Masatsune KYOGOKU and, after being defeated, he escaped to Tsuruga City in Echizen Province.

Afterwards he moved from place to place; however, in August 1488 at Matsuo in Omi Province, he was victorious in battle against Masatsune and Masatsune was forced to retreat to Ise Province; in 1492 he received relief with the inheritance from the Seii Taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians") Yoshitane ASHIKAGA and in the following year returned to Kohoku. However, in 1497, with the death of Toshikuni SAITO, the Mino no kuni Shugodai (deputy military governor of Mino domain) who had provided reinforcements, he was pursued once again by Masatsune and took temporary refuge at Umezu (Mino Province). However, 2 years later, with the support of Ienobu KAMISAKA, a key retainer of the Kyogoku clan, he managed to return to Omi Province and in 1505 brokered a reconciliation with Masatsune's son Kimune KYOGOKU, thus bringing a victorious end to the inheritance battles.

In 1509, he built Johei-ji Castle and became lord of the castle and, after the death of Ienobu KAMISAKA he relied upon Ienobu's heir Nobumitsu KAMISAKA for support, but in 1523, the individual in line to be Takakiyo's successor, his eldest son Takanobu KYOGOKU, came under pressure by Sadanori ASAMI and Sukemasa AZAI, so Takakiyo promoted the interests of his younger son, Takayoshi KYOGOKU (Takatsugu KYOGOKU's father), the families became divided regarding Nobumitsu, and the following year, headed towards conflict, Takakiyo and his losing counterparts escaped to Owari. However, within that year, Sukemasa had overthrown Sadanori, grasped control of the Kohoku region, and then proceeded to invite Takakiyo and his eldest son Takahiro to a banquet at Kyogokumaru within his castle abode at Kotani Castle. With this one event, the substantive rule of Kohoku passed from the Kyogoku clan to the Azai clan.

Following this, Takakiyo spent the remaining years of his life at Johei-ji Castle.

[Original Japanese]