Onuki Clan (小貫氏)
Onuki clan was one of the Japanese clans.
The family line was descended from FUJIWARA no Uona in the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan, and Onuki clan was a descendant of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of the North FUJIWARA no Hidesato, who subjugated TAIRA no Masakado. Michihaku ONOSAKI, the second son of the 13th family head Michiharu ONOSAKI, who was the 20th head of the family after Hidesato, introduced himself as Michihaku Onuki in Onuki-mura Village, Kuji District, Hitachi Province. According to a different opinion, Michichika who was the third son of FUJIWARA no Kinmichi, the four generations from Hidesato, was the ancestor of Onuki clan.
Heian to Muromachi Period
During the Heian period, although the Onosaki clan was treated as the hereditary vassal of Satake clan since Michimori ONOSAKI and Michinaga ONOSAKI who were the head family of Onosaki clan had been serving the Satake clan, Onosaki clan established the position as a senior vassal of Satake clan in the 'Battle of Satake'. In the 15th century, government family of Satake clan repeatedly struggled with the influential family the Yamairi clan, and the struggle continued over 100 years; the Onosaki clan positively participated in this dispute and after many twists and turns as the position of the original local samurai lord, the Onosaki clan finally supported the head family of Satake clan. As a result, the Onosaki clan completely parted with Yamairi clan and contributed to the collapse of Yamairi clan in 1504, therefore, it led to the end of domestic conflict for 100 years. Michishige from Ishigami-onosaki clan entered Kume-jo Castle, which had been the castle of Yamairi clan, because his sons Michiyasu and Michimuro did not have a child of their own, Sadaharu the son of the same family Yorishige ONUKI succeeded to the family name.
Sengoku (Age of Civil Wars) and Azuchi-Momoyama Period
After the domestic conflict of Satake clan, Onosaki clan took its place among the Satake family, and Onuki clan also played an active part as chief vassals. During the days of Yoshishige SATAKE (the 18th head of the family) and Yoshinobu SATAKE (master of the Western Capital Offices) at the height of its prosperity, the Onuki clan produced Yorihisa ONUKI, who assumed office as one of the three chief retainers of the Satake family together with Akitame WADA and Fujimichi HITOMI who was from the same family.
Because the lord Yoshinobu SATAKE was unwilling to join the Eastern Camp in the Battle of Sekigahara of 1600, the territory of Satake was diminished from the Hitachi Province with 545,000 koku crop yields to the Dewa Province with 205,000 koku crop yields due to the postwar treatment and accordingly Yorihisa followed his master family and was transferred to Akita. Therefore, Onuki clan is found in Ibaraki Prefecture and Akita Prefecture in large numbers.
Edo Period
In the Edo Period, Onuki clan produced military officers, Bugyo (magistrate), Kanjogata (accounting officer) and swordplay masters as chief vassals of hereditary daimyo of Akita Domain. Many ancient documents remained, such as documents that proved full proficiency in the swordplay or gunnery in the Onuki family of Akita Domain. Some people of Onuki clan who remained in Hitachi served the Mito Tokugawa family.