Tachibana clan (in Chikugo) (橘氏 (筑後))

The term "Tachibana clan" (in Chikugo) refers to a clan of the feudal lord of Kamachi, Chikugo Province, in the Heian period.

TACHIBANA no Kimiyori, Jusanmi chunagon (Junior Third Rank, Vice-Councilor of State), who was the fifth son of TACHIBANA no Hiromi, a descendant of the fifth generation from TACHIBANA no Moroe, went to Kyushu as Dazai no gon no sochi (Provisional Governor-General of the Dazaifu [local government office in Kyushu region]). In FUJIWARA no Sumitomo's War, Kimiyori repelled the troops of FUJIWARA no Suminori (a younger brother of Sumitomo) who approached Dazaifu, in Kamachi in the east area of Yanagawa City. TACHIBANA no Toshimichi, who was the third son of Kimiyori, became the feudal lord of Kamachi in recognition of Kimiyori's services. The descendants of the Governor-General of the Dazaifu were based at Kamachi-jo Castle.

Jiko, a monk of the Tendai sect, whose secular name was Ujin KAMACHI, built Choju-in Temple in 1126. Ujin, who called himself Kamachi, was derived from the Tachibana clan in Chikugo.

MINAMOTO no Hisanao of Saga Genji (Minamoto clan), who became Saigoku gokenin (immediate vassals of the shogunate of the western part of Japan in the Kamakura and Muromachi through Edo periods) of the bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) and Jitoshiki (manager and lord of manor) of Mizuma County, Chikugo Province, in recognition of his services in the Genpei War, was adopted by his wife's family, which was the Tachibana clan. Then he became the first head of the Kamachi clan.

[Original Japanese]