Rokkaku 六角
The emblem (mon) of the Rokkaku clan
Home province	Ōmi
Parent house	Sasaki clan
Titles	Shugo Daimyō
Founder	Rokkaku Yasutsuna (Sasaki Yasutsuna)
Founding year	13th century
Dissolution	1570
Ruled until	1570, defeated byShibata Katsuie

TheRokkaku clan (六角氏,Rokkaku-shi) was a Japanesesamurai clan.^[1]

Founded by Sasaki Yasutsuna ofŌmi Province in the 13th century, the name Rokkaku was taken from their residence withinKyoto; however, many members of this family continued to be calledSasaki. Over the course of theMuromachi period, members of the clan held the high post of Constable (shugo) of variousprovinces.

During theŌnin War (1467–77), which marked the beginning of theSengoku period, the clan'sKannonji Castle came under assault. As a consequence of defeat in the field, the clan entered a period of decline.

Like other hard-presseddaimyōs, the Rokakku tried to enhance their military position by giving closer attention to improved civil administration within their domain. For instance, in 1549, the Rokkaku eliminated a paper merchant's guild in Mino under penalty of confiscation. Then they declared a free market in its place.^[2]

The Rokakku were defeated byOda Nobunaga in 1568 on his march to Kyoto and in 1570 they were absolutely defeated byShibata Katsuie. During theEdo period,Rokkaku Yoshisuke's descendants were considered akōke clan.^[1]

During the Sengoku period, Japan's social and legal culture evolved in ways unrelated to the well-known history of serial battles and armed skirmishes. A number of forward-looking daimyos independently promulgated codes of conduct to be applied within a specifichan or domain. Few examples of these daimyo-made law codes have survived, but the legal framework contrived by the Rokkaku clan remains amongst the small number of documents which can still be studied:

• 1567:Rokkaku Yoshikata issuesRokkaku-shi shikimoku.^[3]
• 1567:Rokkaku Yoshiharu re-issuesRokkaku-shi shikimoku.^[3]

• Sasaki Nobutsuna, mid-13th century^[1]
• Rokkaku Yasutsuna, 13th century—son of Nobutsuna and the first to take the nameRokkaku.^[1]
• Rokkaku Jakusai, 1348–1424—Yamato-e painter
• Rokkaku Masayori, 15th-16th Centuries—Founder ofDaisen-in in Kyoto.
• Rokkaku Takayori, d. 1520—fought inŌnin War.
• Rokkaku Sadayori, 1495–1552
• Rokkaku Yoshikata, 1521–1598—son of Sadayori; founder of Sasaki-ryū of martial arts.
• Rokkaku Yoshiharu, 1545–1612—eldest son of Yoshikata. In 1562, he took on responsibilities in the administration of his father's domain. Later, he entered Ieyasu's service, and his descendants were ranked amongst thekōke. These included theMitsukuri (箕作) family, notable doctors (who held the position of personal physician to the Matsudairadaimyōs ofTsuyama,Mimasaka Province (modern-dayOkayama Prefecture) who took their name from Mitsukuri castle, held by the Rokkaku family, and of whom a notable member was the statesman and scholarMitsukuri Rinsho. Another descendant was the mathematicianKikuchi Dairoku.
• Rokkaku Yoshisada, 16th Century—son of Yoshikata, younger brother of Yoshiharu.

• Japanese clans

• Articles containing Japanese-language text