Ōtomo clan

Ōtomo clan (大友氏, Ōtomo-shi) was a Japanese family whose power stretched from the Kamakura period through the Sengoku period, spanning over 400 years. The clan's hereditary lands lay in Kyūshū.

Following the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate in 1185, members of the clan were granted the post of Constable (Shugo) of Bungo and Buzen Provinces in Kyūshū.

As the Ōtomo were one of the major clans of Kyūshū, along with the Shōni and the Shimazu, they had a central role in organizing efforts against the Mongol invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281.

They also played an important role in the establishment of the Ashikaga shogunate, in the 1330s. Ōtomo warriors fought alongside those of Ashikaga Takauji and enabled him to win a number of key battles, including the battle of Sanoyama; this helped to ensure them powerful government positions in the new shogunate.