Yagyu Shinkage Ryu Lineage
The Yagyu family, which has been famous in its connection to swordsmanship since the time of Yagyu Sekisyusai, has two lines. One is called Edo Yagyu, the other is Owari Yagyu. The founder of the Edo Yagyu line was Yagyu Tajimanokami Munenori, the fifth son of Sekishusai. Munenori served three generations of Tokugawa shoguns, and later rose to the level of daimyo. While it is true that Munenori was a master swordsman, it was in the arena of politics that his mastery of heihou was most dramatically expressed.
The founder of the Owari Yagyu line was Yagyu Hyogonosuke Toshitoshi. Toshitoshi succeeded Sekisyusai as the third headmaster of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, and then served the first head of the Owari Tokugawa domain, Tokugawa Yoshinao, as an instructor in heihou.
Toshitoshi was born the second son of Toshikatsu, the first son of Sekishusai. He became the first of grandchild of Sekisyusai because his elder brother, Kyusaburo, was killed in battle in Korea. As a child, Toshitoshi was said to be exactly like his grandfather, Sekisyusai, in his nature and swordsmanship, and it is said that Sekisyusai loved him the most among his grandchildren. The Owari Yagyu is thus both the hereditary lineage of Sekisyusai and the lineage of the correctly transmitted headmastership of Shinkage Ryu Heihou.
The current headmaster, Yagyu Koichi, is the 22nd headmaster of the Shinkage Ryu of Kamiizumi Isenokami, and the 16th family head of the Owari Yagyu line. These lineages are shown in the following list.
A headmaster is a person who has held the leadership role in Shinkage Ryu. This list includes the names of people outside the Yagyu family. A family head is a hereditary head of the Owari Yagyu family who follows in this role after his father.
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The List of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu Headmasters
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Headmaster
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Family Head
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Name |
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The Founder
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Kamiizumi Isenokami Fujiwara Nobutsuna | |
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2nd
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1st
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Yagyu Tajima-no-kami Taira Munetoshi (Sekisyusai) |
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2nd
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Yagyu Shinjiro Taira Toshikatsu | |
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3rd
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3rd
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Yagyu Hyogonosuke Taira Toshitoshi(Jounsai) |
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4th
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Yagyu Mozaemon Taira Toshikata(Jyoryusai) | |
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4th
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Owari gondainagon Minamoto Yoshinao | |
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5th
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5th
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Yagyu Hyogo Taira Toshikane(Renya) |
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6th
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Owari gondainagon Minamoto Mitsutomo | |
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7th
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Owari gonchunagon Minamoto Tsunanobu | |
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8th
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6th
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Yagyu Hyougo Taira Toshinobu |
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9th
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Owari gonchunagon Minamoto Yoshimichi | |
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10th
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7th
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Yagyu Rokurobe Taira Toshitomo |
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11th
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8th
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Yagyu Hyosuke Taira Toshiharu (Dokisai) |
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12th
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Owari saishochujyo Minamoto Haruyuki | |
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13th
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9th
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Yagyu Mataemon Taira Toshiyuki |
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14th
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10th
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Yagyu Hyosuke Taira Toshihisa |
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15th
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Owari gondainagon Minamoto Naritomo | |
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16th
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11th
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Yagyu Shinroku Taira Toshimasa |
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17th
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12th
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Yagyu Chujiro Taira Toshishige |
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18th
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Owari gondainagon Minamoto Yoshikumi | |
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19th
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13th
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Yagyu Sangoro Taira Toshichika |
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20th
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14th
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Yagyu Kinji Taira Toshinaga |
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21th
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15th
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Yagyu Nobuharu Taira Toshimichi |
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22th
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16th
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Yagyu Koichi Taira Toshinobu |
