Kawakatsu Hirotsugu (川勝広継)
Hirotsugu KAWAKATSU (year of birth and death unknown) was a busho (Japanese military commander) in the Sengoku period (period of warring states). He was also called Mitsuteru. His original surname was the Hata clan, and he might be a descendant of HATA no Kawakatsu. His ordinary name was Hikojiro. Sakyo no suke (Assistant Master of the Eastern Capital Offices), Buzen no kuni no kami (Governor of Buzen Province). His father is Hirouji SHIMODA who was the kokujin ryoshu (local samurai lord) of Shimoda, Kuwata-gun, Tanba Province. It is said that Hirotsugu started to use Kawakatsu as the family name. In the sense, he was the founder of the Kawakatsu clan. He had children including, Tsuguuji KAWAKATSU, Tomouji KAWAKATSU and so-and-sos who was kenmotsu (a auditor Nakatsukasa sho, the Ministry of Civil Affairs), kinai (officer) and sama no jo (secretary of Left Division of Bureau of Horses).
The Kawakatsu clan (Shimoda clan) had served the Muromachi bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) and had the right to govern Kuwata County and Funai County, Tanba Province. In the Sengoku period, Hirotsugu lived in Imamiya, Kuwata County and served the 12th Shogun Yoshiharu ASHIKAGA and the 13th Shogun Yoshiteru ASHIKAGA. After that, he ruled Ichiba Village in Miyama Town, Kitakuwata County and started to expand his influence to the northern Kyoto. Then he set Shima-jo Castle in Shizuhara, Miyama Town, as the stronghold and confronted the busho of Tanba, such as Shugodai (deputy of Shugo, provincial constable) Naito clan in Yagi, the Utsu clan in Keihoku and the Hatano clan in Sasayama. Moreover, Hirotsugu built Kosho-ji Temple as his family temple in Imamiya, Kuwata County. He was a person who lived in the early 16th century. The year of birth and death is unknown. His posthumous Buddhist name is Dohaku. His cemetery is in Kosho-ji Temple in Imamiya (Kyoto).