# Gosanke > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gosanke > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gosanke.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gosanke > Source revision: 1340134768 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Direct descendants of Tokugawa Ieyasu's three sons "Sanke" redirects here. For the German post card, see [Sanke card](/source/Sanke_card). *Maru-ni-mitsuba'aoi* ("Circle Around Three [Hollyhock](/source/Hollyhock) Leaves"), the Tokugawa clan's crest (*[mon](/source/Mon_(crest))*) The **Tokugawa** ***Go-san-ke*** (徳川御三家, *"the Three Houses of the Tokugawa"*), also called simply ***Go-san-ke*** (御三家, *"the Noble Three Houses"*), or even ***San-ke*** (三家, *"the three houses"*), were the most noble three branches of the [Tokugawa clan](/source/Tokugawa_clan) of [Japan](/source/Japan): Owari, Kii, and Mito, all of which were descended from clan founder [Tokugawa Ieyasu](/source/Tokugawa_Ieyasu)'s three youngest sons, [Yoshinao](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshinao), [Yorinobu](/source/Tokugawa_Yorinobu), and [Yorifusa](/source/Tokugawa_Yorifusa), and were allowed to provide a [shōgun](/source/Sh%C5%8Dgun) in case of need.[1] In the [Edo period](/source/Edo_period) the term *gosanke* could also refer to various other combinations of Tokugawa houses, including (1) the shogunal, Owari and Kii houses and (2) the Owari, Kii, and [Suruga](/source/Suruga_Province) houses (all with the court position of *[dainagon](/source/Dainagon)*). Later, *Gosanke* were deprived of their role to provide a *shōgun* by three other branches that are closer to the shogunal house: the *[Gosankyō](/source/Gosanky%C5%8D)*. Even after the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the abolition of the Edo-period system of administrative [domains (*han*)](/source/Han_(administrative_division)) the three houses continued to exist in some form, as they do into the 21st century. ## History After he established his shogunate, Ieyasu proceeded to put members of his family in key positions. Ninth son Yoshinao was nominated *[daimyō](/source/Daimy%C5%8D)* of Nagoya ([Owari Province](/source/Owari_Province)), tenth son Yorinobu *daimyō* of Wakayama ([Kii Province](/source/Kii_Province)) and eleventh son Yorifusa *daimyō* of Mito ([Hitachi Province](/source/Hitachi_Province)).[1] From this allocation of fiefs came the names of the houses they founded, officially called Owari House of Tokugawa (尾張徳川家, *Owari Tokugawa-ke*), Kii House of Tokugawa (紀伊徳川家, *Kii Tokugawa-ke*), and Mito House of Tokugawa (水戸徳川家, *Mito Tokugawa-ke*)). Ieyasu gave them the right to supply a shōgun in order to ensure the presence of successors to the [Tokugawa shogunate](/source/Tokugawa_shogunate) in case the main line should become extinct.[2] This occurred twice during the Edo period: when the seventh shōgun died heirless in 1716, and when the thirteenth shōgun died heirless in 1858. The three houses had the highest rank among the *[shinpan](/source/Shinpan_(daimyo))*, the *daimyōs* who were relatives of the shōgun. After the [Meiji Restoration](/source/Meiji_Restoration), under the *[kazoku](/source/Kazoku)* system, the heads of the three houses became [marquesses](/source/Marquess). In 1929 the head of the Mito House was elevated from marquess to [duke](/source/Duke). ### Owari branch The senior one was the [Owari branch](/source/Owari_branch). The first of this line was [Tokugawa Yoshinao](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshinao), ninth son of Ieyasu. He and his heirs were *daimyōs* of the [Owari Domain](/source/Owari_Domain) (*Owari Han*), with its headquarters at [Nagoya Castle](/source/Nagoya_Castle). The fief had a rating of 619,500 *[koku](/source/Koku)*, a *koku* being the quantity of [rice](/source/Rice) necessary to feed one person for a year (about 180 liters),[3] and was the largest of the three. Before the abolition of the shogunate and of the *han* system, the house was headed successively by 17 men. Its seniority notwithstanding, the Owari were the only one not to provide a shōgun.[2] ### Kii branch Second in seniority was [Kii](/source/Kish%C5%AB_Tokugawa_family) or Kishū House. The founder was [Tokugawa Yorinobu](/source/Tokugawa_Yorinobu), the tenth son of Ieyasu. Yorinobu was *daimyō* of the [Kishū Han](/source/Wakayama_domain) with its castle at [Wakayama](/source/Wakayama_Castle) and a rating of 555,000 *koku*.[3] He entered [Wakayama](/source/Wakayama%2C_Wakayama) in 1619 when the previous *daimyō* was transferred. Fourteen members of the Tokugawa clan headed the fief during the Edo Period. It was the only family to directly produce successors to the shōgun, once in 1716 with [Tokugawa Yoshimune](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshimune) and again in 1858 with [Tokugawa Iemochi](/source/Tokugawa_Iemochi). The fifth Tokugawa *daimyō* of Kii was [Yoshimune](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshimune), who later became shōgun and appointed a relative to head the Kii *Han*. Yoshimune established three new houses, the *[gosankyō](/source/Gosanky%C5%8D)*, installing two sons and a grandson as their heads. The *gosanke* provided the model for the *gosankyō.* However, while Yoshimune granted lands to the *gosankyō*, the lands were not consolidated into coherent *[han](/source/Han_(Japan))*, but instead were scattered in various places; the total holdings were also smaller than those of the *gosanke.* Eventually, one of the *gosankyō* houses, the [Hitotsubashi](/source/Gosanky%C5%8D) house, produced two shoguns, once in 1787 ([Tokugawa Ienari](/source/Tokugawa_Ienari)) and again in 1866 ([Tokugawa Yoshinobu](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshinobu)). ### Mito branch Third in seniority among the *Gosanke* was the [Mito branch](/source/Mito_branch). Its founder was [Tokugawa Yorifusa](/source/Tokugawa_Yorifusa), the eleventh son of Ieyasu. Their fief was the [Mito Han](/source/Mito_Domain) in [Hitachi Province](/source/Hitachi_Province), with its castle in [Mito](/source/Mito%2C_Ibaraki) and lands rated initially at 250,000 *koku*, and later (1710) at 350,000.[3] Eleven men headed the house, including [Tokugawa (Mito) Mitsukuni](/source/Tokugawa_Mitsukuni). The Mito House was not allowed to provide a shōgun, but only his vice.[3] It did manage however to produce one when one of its sons, [Tokugawa Yoshinobu](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshinobu), was adopted by the Hitotsubashi (one of the Kii House's three *Gosankyō*) in 1848 and became the last shōgun as a member of that house. ## Genealogy of the *Gosanke* heads ### Owari branch 1. [Yoshinao](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshinao) 1. [Mitsutomo](/source/Tokugawa_Mitsutomo) 1. [Tsunanari](/source/Tokugawa_Tsunanari) 1. [Yoshimichi](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshimichi) 1. [Gorōta](/source/Tokugawa_Gor%C5%8Dta) 1. [Tsugutomo](/source/Tokugawa_Tsugutomo) 1. [Muneharu](/source/Tokugawa_Muneharu) 1. [Munekatsu](/source/Tokugawa_Munekatsu) 1. [Munechika](/source/Tokugawa_Munechika) 1. [Naritomo](/source/Tokugawa_Naritomo) 1. [Nariharu](/source/Tokugawa_Nariharu) 1. [Naritaka](/source/Tokugawa_Naritaka) 1. [Yoshitsugu](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshitsugu) 1. [Yoshikumi](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshikumi) 1. [Mochinaga](/source/Tokugawa_Mochinaga) 1. [Yoshinori](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshinori) 1. [Yoshikatsu](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshikatsu) 1. Yoshiakira 1. [Yoshichika](/source/Yoshichika_Tokugawa) 1. Yoshitomo 1. Yoshinobu 1. Yoshitaka The 22nd head of the Owari House is Mr. Yoshitaka Tokugawa (徳川 義崇, *Tokugawa Yoshitaka*) (born 1961), who in 2005 succeeded his late father, becoming director of the [Tokugawa Art Museum](/source/Tokugawa_Art_Museum) in Nagoya.[2] A [Tokyo](/source/Tokyo) resident, he commutes to [Nagoya](/source/Nagoya) during weekends.[2] His main activities are the museum and realty management.[2] ### Kii branch 1. [Tokugawa Yorinobu](/source/Tokugawa_Yorinobu) (1601–1671, r. 1619–1667) 1. [Mitsusada](/source/Tokugawa_Mitsusada) (1626–1705, r. 1667–1698) 1. Tsunanori (1665–1705, r. 1698–1705) 1. Yorimoto (1680–1705, r. 1705) 1. [Yoshimune](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshimune) (1684–1751, r. 1705–1716) (later became shōgun with the same name) 1. Munenao (1682–1757, r. 1716–1757) 1. [Munemasa](/source/Tokugawa_Munemasa) (1720–1765, r. 1757–1765) 1. Shigenori (1746–1829, r. 1765–1775) 1. Harusada (1728–1789, r. 1775–1789) 1. Harutomi (1771–1852, r. 1789–1832) 1. Nariyuki (1801–1846, r. 1832–1846) 1. Narikatsu (1820–1849, r. 1846–1849) 1. [Yoshitomi](/source/Tokugawa_Yoshitomi) (1846–1866, r. 1849–1858) (later became shōgun with the name [Iemochi](/source/Tokugawa_Iemochi)) 1. Mochitsugu (1844–1906, r. 1858–1869) 1. Yorimichi (1872-1925, r. 1869-1925) 1. Yorisada (1892-1954, r. 1925-1954) 1. Yoriaki (1917-1958, r. 1954-1958) 1. Gō (1924-unknown, r. 1958-1965) 1. Kotoko (b.1956, r. 1965-still) The 19th head of the Kii House is Ms. Kotoko Tokugawa (徳川 宜子, *Tokugawa Kotoko*) (born in 1956).[2] Although she is not married and has no children, she was chosen as head of the clan because there were no other direct descendants.[2] An architect,[4] she owns and operates her own construction company in [Ginza](/source/Ginza), Tokyo.[2] Unlike the other two, the Kii House does not have a museum of its own, and has given its properties of historical value to museums, such as the [Wakayama Prefectural Museum](/source/Wakayama_Prefectural_Museum).[2] Effectively extinct ### Mito branch 1. [Yorifusa](/source/Tokugawa_Yorifusa) 1. [Mitsukuni](/source/Tokugawa_Mitsukuni) 1. [Tsunaeda](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tokugawa_Tsunaeda&action=edit&redlink=1) 1. [Munetaka](/source/Tokugawa_Munetaka) 1. [Munemoto](/source/Tokugawa_Munemoto) 1. [Harumori](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tokugawa_Harumori&action=edit&redlink=1) 1. [Harutoshi](/source/Tokugawa_Harutoshi) 1. [Narinobu](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tokugawa_Narinobu&action=edit&redlink=1) 1. [Nariaki](/source/Tokugawa_Nariaki) 1. [Yoshiatsu](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tokugawa_Yoshiatsu&action=edit&redlink=1) 1. [Akitake](/source/Tokugawa_Akitake) 1. Atsuyoshi 1. [Kuniyuki](/source/Kuniyuki_Tokugawa) 1. Kuninari 1. Narimasa The 15th head of the Mito House is Mr. Narimasa Tokugawa (徳川斉正, *Tokugawa Narimasa*) (born in 1958).[2] From July 2009 he is also the director of [Mito](/source/Mito%2C_Ibaraki)'s Shōkōkan Tokugawa Museum (彰考館徳川博物館).[2] He presently works for [Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd](/source/Tokio_Marine_Nichido).[2] A [Tokyo](/source/Tokyo) resident, he commutes to Mito on weekends.[2] ## Other uses of the term In modern Japanese, the word *gosanke* is used to refer to "the strongest three" or "the most famous three" in various contexts. For example, the [Imperial Hotel](/source/Imperial_Hotel%2C_Tokyo), [Hotel Okura](/source/Hotel_Okura), and [Hotel New Otani Tokyo](/source/Hotel_New_Otani_Tokyo) are often referred to as one of the three great hotels (御三家, *gosanke*) of Tokyo. The Otani Hotel was built in the [Kioi](/source/Kioi) district of Tokyo, where the Tokyo residence of the Kii House was located. The "[8-bit *gosanke*](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/8%E3%83%93%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E5%BE%A1%E4%B8%89%E5%AE%B6)", similarly to the "1977 trinity" in America, refers to the leading Japanese machines in the [early home computing era](/source/History_of_personal_computers). In pop culture, the term *gosanke* is also used among Japanese [Pokémon](/source/Pok%C3%A9mon) fans to refer to the three starter Pokémon offered at the start of every mainline game installment in the series. The term is also used among Korean and Chinese-speaking Pokémon fans. ## Notes 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-inj_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-inj_1-1) Iwanami Nihonshi Jiten, *Tokugawa Gosanke*, *Tokugawa Owari-ke*, *Tokugawa Kii-ke*, and *Tokugawa Mito-ke* 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-as_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-as_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-as_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-as_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-as_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-as_2-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-as_2-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-as_2-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-as_2-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-as_2-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-as_2-10) [***l***](#cite_ref-as_2-11) [***m***](#cite_ref-as_2-12) Asahi Simbun 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-IK_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-IK_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-IK_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-IK_3-3) Iwanami Kōjien Japanese Dictionary 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** See [her page](http://www.asj-net.com/architects/data.php?archiID=13186&archiIDsub=2) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110707174932/http://www.asj-net.com/architects/data.php?archiID=13186&archiIDsub=2) 2011-07-07 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) at the site of the Architect Studio Japan, ## References - *[Asahi Shimbun](/source/Asahi_Shimbun)*, October 1, 2009, evening issue, page 1. *Kafū sorezore Tokugawa Gosanke* - Iwanami [Kōjien](/source/K%C5%8Djien) (広辞苑) Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version - Iwanami Nihonshi Jiten (岩波日本史辞典), CD-Rom Version. Iwanami Shoten, 1999–2001. - Papinot, E. (1910). "Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan". 1972 Printing. Charles E. Tuttle Company, Tokyo, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8048-0996-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8048-0996-8). --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gosanke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gosanke) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gosanke?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.