Kuroda clan

Kuroda
Family name
Corner tower of Fukuoka castle, residence of the Kuroda main clan during the Edo period.
Pronunciation	Matsudaira
Region of origin	Japanese
Related names	Sasaki, Kodera

The Kuroda clan (黒田氏, Kuroda-shi^?) was a Japanese samurai clan which came to prominence during the Sengoku period.

The Kuroda clan claimed its origins in Tōtōmi Province.

In the 16th century, the Kuroda clan was located in Harima Province. Under the headship of Kuroda Yoshitaka, the clan served the Oda and later Toyotomi clans. Yoshitaka specifically worked as a battle tactician, and was considered to be on par with Takenaka Shigeharu, another prominent tactician of the era. For his service, Yoshitaka received lordship of Nakatsu Castle, in 1587. Yoshitaka was also a Roman Catholic with the baptismal name of "Don Simeon."

At the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern Army defeated Ishida Mitsunari's Western Army, and Ieyasu emerged as the dominant power figure in Japan. Kuroda Yoshitaka and his son Nagamasa supported Ieyasu in combat, and were rewarded for their service with a transfer to the Fukuoka Domain, rated at 520,000 koku of land.

Two branches of the family were founded in 1623. Kuroda Nagamasa's 3rd son Nagaoki founded the first; he was given 50,000 koku of land which became the Akizuki Domain. Nagamasa's fourth son Takamasa founded the second; he was given 40,000 koku of land which became the Tōren-ji Domain.