| Image Caption: | Mon of the Aso clan |
| Founder: | Kamuyaimimi |
| Parent House: | Imperial House of Japan Ō clan |
The Aso clan (阿蘇) is a Japanese clan associated with Aso Shrine. They descend from Kamuyaimimi.[1] The clan were originally Kuni no miyatsuko[2] [3] but after the abolition of the role they took on a priestly role at Aso Shrine. They share this history with the Izumo clan of Izumo-taisha, the Owari clan of Atsuta Shrine, the of Munakata Taisha, and the Yamato clan of Ōyamato Shrine.
The Aso family were priests but also rose to power as a powerful samurai clan in the 11th century.
Richard Ponsonby-Fane divides the history of the Aso clan into three stages[4]
The Aso clan originally descended from Kamuyaimimi, a son of Emperor Jimmu and Himetataraisuzu-hime.
It is speculated that many members may be buried in .[5]
Takashi Tanaka did research on their genealogy.[6] The position of Chief Priest of Aso Shrine is hereditary and is passed down from generation to generation with the oldest male in the family becoming the new head of the shrine. The Aso family has the second oldest recorded lineage in Japan after the Imperial family.[7] The family themselves are said to be descendants of Takeiwatatsu-no-Mikoto.
Their early genealogy frorm Emperor Jimmu is as follows.In recorded history the family started as Imperial representatives called Kuni no miyatsuko. They looked after worship activities in their area. As they gained power, they became leaders in the Aso district. During this time they were very powerful.
In the Nanboku-chō period, the Aso family faced problems. They strongly supported the Southern Court. This choice, along with family disagreements, weakened their power. Powerful military families like Shimazu and Omura also became strong competitors. However, the Aso family always had a leader, known as the Daiguji. But many family members faced difficulties. Many died, others moved away, and some hid in the mountains.
During the Tensho period, Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Satsuma. The Aso family's leader, the Daiguji Aso Koremitsu, was a young child then. They were slow in welcoming Hideyoshi and were murdered in 1593 at the age of 12.[8] But in the Keicho era (1596-1614), things improved for the Aso family. Kato Kiyomasa got control of the Higo province and helped the Aso family. He brought back old traditions and supported the old Shake families. But the Daiguji did not become a territorial magnate again.
The Aso family were priests but also rose to power as a powerful samurai clan in the 11th century. They remained in prominence until the 16th century as their feudal lord continued to rule over half of what is now known as Kumamoto Prefecture. This contributed economically to the family and the shrine, allowing them to rebuild shrine buildings and hold festivals. It also made it possible for them to establish branches of the Aso shrine in other locations. Some of those shrines still remain in up to 500 locations to this day. Koreyuki Aso (Aso Koreyuki in Japanese name order) was the 91st Chief Priest of Aso Shrine with his son being the 92nd.