About Kuroda Kyubei

Kuroda Kyubei is the name inherited from the founder ZENJIRO's ancestor, and the current Zenjiro is the 16th Kuroda Kyubei.

From the time in 1573 when Hideyoshi Toyotomi, a retainer of Nobunaga Oda, became the lord of Nagahama Castle in Omi Province for the first time as a castle lord, there is a record of Kuroda Kyubei.

The first Kuroda Kyubei Tadatsugu served Hideyoshi's younger brother, Dainagon Hidenaga. Originally, The Kuroda clan was a senior vassal of the Kyogoku family based in Kuroda village, but when the Asai clan, who was also a vassal of the same Kyogoku family, rebelled and expelled the Kyogoku family, the Kuroda clan was also masterless samurai. 

Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who had exiled the Asai clan, defeated them and built a new castle called Nagahama Castle, which led the Kuroda family to join Toyotomi Hideyoshi's vassals. First Tadatsugu was also friends with Imai Sokyu, who was a gun merchant and one of the third tea masters from Omi province. There was a gunsmith Kunitomo-shu in the local area, and the Kuroda family, who were also familiar with the Lake Biwa water transportation that carried luggage, continued to be deeply involved with the gun corps.

After that, 2nd Kyubei Naotsugu served Kato Yoshiaki, one of the Shizugatake Seven Spears, who made a name for himself in the battle between Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Shibata Katsuie after Oda Nobunaga's death. 2nd Naotsugu, who commanded the gun corps and naval forces under Kato Yoshiaki achieved and distinguished service in the dispatch of troops to Korea and the attack on Odawara, obtained a territory in Awaji Island and then acquired land in Matsuyama in Ehime-prefecture, which was ruled by the Kato family. 

Kato Yoshiaki's father was originally a vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu in Mikawa, and in the Battle of Sekigahara, Kato Yoshiaki sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Eastern Army. At the same time, the Mori clan in the west was plotting to attack Shikoku, so Kato Yoshiaki went to Sekigahara and 2nd Kuroda Naotsugu went to defend Matsuyama, where he was away. While repelling the Mori army that landed at Mitsuhama beach in Matsuyama, he was shot and killed when he tried to kill the Mori army that was besieged in a temple.

After the victory of the Tokugawa army, Kato Yoshiaki, who became the Edo shogunate and became a hereditary daimyo, took pity on his late Naotsugu and made his younger brother Tadanao succeed the family headship as the third Kuroda Kyubei. 

Kato family-built Matsuyama Castle, but was transferred to Aizu 420,000 koku(ranked in the top 15 in terms of income), and Kuroda Kyubei also followed him. However, the Kato family, who was punished due to an internal conflict called the Aizu riot, was transferred to the Iwami Yoshinaga feudal domain of small income. It was unable to retain retainers, but the Kuroda family was also forced to temporarily leave. During that time, it was the Hisamatsu-Matsudaira family that gave him the opportunity to serve. The Hisamatsu-Matsudaira family was a half-brother of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Served as the head of the Kuwana domain Hisamatsu family.

When the Kato family regained their honor as the lord of the Omi Minakuchi domain, he served the Kato family again, and served the Kato family until the end of the Edo period until the eleventh generation. The 5th Kyubei Naomasa was appointed as the chief magistrate of the flag during the reign of the 8th Shogun Yoshimune.

Since the Meiji era, Kyubei each generation have been military personnel, a children's literature scholars, and an agricultural scientist.