Kuroda

The Kuroda clan (真田氏) was a powerful clan from the Warring States period that continues to exist today.

The clan's origins are said to stem from a descendant of the Sasaki clan during the Kamakura period. Naming himself after the city he governed, the family experienced a split with his descendants. The most well known branch is the Harima-Kuroda, housing generals that contributed to the Three Unifiers during the Warring States period. Yoshitaka and Nagamasa's accomplishments set the foundations for the clan's future and is the branch that remains today.

There are also records of a Kuroda family member from an undetermined branch who served Uesugi Kenshin's brother, Harukage, but he was killed in 1546. There are no other known mentions of the Kuroda in the Uesugi's history.

Their clan's crest is thought to have originated from a personal episode from Yoshitaka's life. In 1576, Yoshitaka was held hostage for over a year in a dungeon. Left in damp surroundings and his health greatly deteriorating, he was able to bare the imprisonment due to the wisteria flowers growing near his cell. When he was released, he decided to use the flower as a part of his family crest to inspire himself and his men. The crest's design was said to be based on the Kodera clan crest since they once treated him kindly in the past. When the Kodera family fell, Yoshitaka cared for any ailing family members and offered service to the willing family retainers. It is also said that he created the crest to share it with his comrade, Shigeharu.

Clan Heads
This list only includes the branch with Yoshitaka's origins and descendants.
 * 1) Takamasa
 * 2) Shigetaka
 * 3) Mototaka
 * 4) Yoshitaka (Kanbei, Josui)
 * 5) Nagamasa
 * 6) Tadayuki
 * 7) Mitsuyuki
 * 8) Tsunamasa
 * 9) Nobumasa
 * 10) Tsugutaka
 * 11) Haruyuki
 * 12) Harutaka
 * 13) Naritaka
 * 14) Narikiyo
 * 15) Nagahiro
 * 16) Nagatomo
 * 17) Nagashige
 * 18) Nagamichi
 * 19) Nagahisa (November 26, 1916 ~ February 26, 2009)
 * 20) Nagataka (present); technically counted as the sixteenth head of the Kuroda family

Other Figures

 * Yoshiyuki
 * Naganobu
 * Nagakata
 * Hidetada
 * Naokuni
 * Nagaoki
 * Oda Nobutami
 * Matsudaira Tadataka

Eight Tigers of Kuroda
The Eight Tigers of Kuroda (黒田八虎, Kuroda Hakko) were eight talented generals who were valued by Yoshitaka.
 * 1) Inoue Yukifusa
 * 2) Kuriyama Toshiyasu
 * 3) Kuroda Kazushige
 * 4) Kuroda Toshitaka
 * 5) Kuroda Toshinori
 * 6) Kuroda Naoyuki
 * 7) Gotō Mototsugu
 * 8) Mori Tomonobu (Mori Tahei)

Twenty-Four Riders of Kuroda
The Twenty-Four Riders of Kuroda (黒田二十四騎, Kuroda Nijūyonki) were men that Yoshitaka personally commended to be great after the Battle of Shizugatake. Eight of these men were then chosen as the Eight Tigers.
 * 1) Inoue Yukifusa
 * 2) Ogawa Nobuaki
 * 3) Kan Masatoshi
 * 4) Kinugasa Kagenobu
 * 5) Kiriyama Nobuyuki
 * 6) Hisano　Shigekatsu
 * 7) Kuroda Kazushige
 * 8) Kuriyama Toshiyasu
 * 9) Kuroda Toshitaka
 * 10) Kuroda Toshinori
 * 11) Kuroda Naoyuki
 * 12) Keya Takehisa
 * 13) Gotō Mototsugu
 * 14) Takemori Tsugusada
 * 15) Noguchi　Kazunari
 * 16) Nomura　Sukekatsu
 * 17) Hayashi Naotoshi
 * 18) Hara Taneyoshi
 * 19) Hori Masakazu
 * 20) Masuda Munekiyo
 * 21) Miyake Iemochi
 * 22) Murata Yoshitsugu
 * 23) Mori Tomonobu
 * 24) Yoshida Nagatoshi

Kuroda Bushi
The Kuroda Bushi (黒田節) is a traditional folk song from Kyushu. It was originally called the Chikuzen Imayō due to its characteristic rhythm for the province. The song, while it focuses a great deal on indulging wine, is a metaphor for a warrior being rewarded for his hard labor with a spear from his master. The famous Kuroda vassal, Mori Tahei, sang the song while at Fukushima Masanori's residence, which gave birth to the title the song is mainly known as today. During the second World War, it was briefly retitled as Kuroda Bushi as a form of inspiring war propaganda. The song's title was changed back to its original harmonious roots during the 1950's.

There are many variations based on the performers' preferences, but a stage performance of the song and dance can be seen here.