The wasÃÂ aÃÂ pirateÃÂ and samurai clan active inÃÂ the waters aroundÃÂ the Geiyo IslandsÃÂ inÃÂ Hiroshima Prefecture during medievalÃÂ Japan period.ÃÂ It consisted of three sub clansÃÂ based on the islands ofÃÂ the Geiyo Islands:ÃÂ the ,ÃÂ the , andÃÂ the . These three clans were known collectively as the .
They were known for their activity as pirates and a naval force, hence they were nicknamed the .
The Murakami clan trace their lineage to Minamoto no Yorikiyo, a samurai and official of mid-Heian Period who also the second son of Minamoto no Yorinobu.
The Murakami clan was known for their activities were transport, disrupting alliances between rival lords by plundering ships and destroying diplomatic letters. On the other side, they also guarding passage to those who paid their service tolls throughÃÂ the straitsÃÂ ofÃÂ the Geiyo Islands, which they treated asÃÂ . In peacetime, theyÃÂ also engaged inÃÂ fishing.
The Innoshima Murakami clanàwas a clan based inàMukaijimaàandàInnoshima. In the mid-15th century,àthey cooperated withàthe Kono clan (æ²³éÂÂæ°Â), the guardian of Iyo Province, in an attack on Sarei Castle (ä½Â礼åÂÂ; in present-day Tamagawa, Ehime) . They were alsoàorderedàbyàYamana Tokihiro, the shugo of Bingo Province, to guardàships sent to Ming China. Later,àthey strengthened their ties withàthe Yamana clan,àthe Ouchi clan, and thenàthe Mori clan.
The Kurushima Murakami clanàwas a clan based onàKurushima Island. The first mention of the clan in historical records dates back to 1404,àwhenàthey were contracted to manageàthe Yugeshimaàshà Âen (present-dayàKamijima,àEhime).
During the Sengoku period,ÃÂ Murakami MichiyasuÃÂ served under the Kono clan, but his son,ÃÂ Kurushima Michifusa defected from the Kono clan after being persuaded byÃÂ Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Later, Michifusa served on the seas as a daimyo, taking part in battles such asÃÂ the siege of OdawaraÃÂ andÃÂ the Imjin War, but was killed in the battle of Myeongnyang.
The Noshima Murakami clanàwas basedàin Noshima and its surrounding areas.àThe first mention of the clan in historical records dates back toà1349, when they served as guards for an envoy from TojiàTempleàin Kyoto, who was also the lord of the shà Âen on Yugeshima in Iyo Province.
In the 1520s, the Hosokawa clan recognized Noshima control over Shiwaku, where they developed it into a way station for travellers and sailors.
The Noshima Murakami clan did not become a navy under the control of a specific feudal lord, instead maintaining autonomy through their control over the seas by guaranteeing the safety of navigation in exchange for collecting traffic toll.
In 1576, the Noshima helped break the Oda clan blockade and deliver provisions to the citadel of Ishiyama Hongan-ji. They proceeded to capture a castle near Utazu, which allowed them to control the harbour. From 1579 until 1582, they worked for the Mori clan to block the Inland Sea from any of Oda Nobunaga's ships.
In the two successive Battles of Kizugawaguchi that resulted from the blockade, the Murakami pirates supported MÃ Âri Terumoto. Murakami Takeyoshi led the Mori navy in the second battle against the Oda clan. However, they later entered into negotiations with the Oda, sending Nobunaga a baby hawk, which was a symbol of loyal service.
In 1586, Portuguese missionary LuÃÂs Fróis expressed his fear of travelling through the Inland Sea without flying the Noshima flag. The Noshima leader at the time was Murakami Takeyoshi, and flying their flag was often seen as the only way to ensure safety at sea.
In 1453, a figure with Murakami surname and court title of Bitchu-no-Kami, who believed to be of the titular leader of Innoshima Murakami clan, was rewarded by Hosokawa Katsumoto of the Muromachi shogunate for his loyalty and facilitating the return of the Shugo clan to Iyo Province. Later, as the influence of the shogunate weakened, the Innoshima Murakami clan came under the control of a Sengoku daimyo. At the time of the à Ânin War, it is possible that they were already operating under the command of the à Âuchi clan, whose influence was expanding in the waters around the Seto Inland Sea, and as "lords of the sea", they supported the Ouchi clan's military power at sea. The Murakami clan pirates then influenced maritime logistics, resulting in the mid-16th century piracy in Japan.
The Murakami clans became very dominant in Geiyo Islands chain in 15th-16th century.
After Michifusa's death in the Imjin War,ÃÂ NagachikaÃÂ (later Yasuchika) succeeded him as head of the Kurushima Murakami clan, butÃÂ because he sided with the Western Army inÃÂ the battle of Sekigahara, he was transferred to Mori Domain (Bungo) by the new regime. Michiharu changed his surname to "Kurushima".ÃÂ The Kurushima clan managed to maintain its connection to the sea through the Kurushima family's territories in present-day Beppu and parts of Hiji in Oita Prefecture.
The Innoshima Murakami and Noshima Murakami clans also sided with the Western Army at the Battle of Sekigahara and were subsequently incorporated into the MÃ Âri clan.ÃÂ The two clans were organized intoÃÂ the Hagi domainÃÂ 's ship-guarding unit, tasked with guarding the domain lord's royal ships, towingÃÂ Korean envoys, and dealing with drifting ships. The Noshima Murakami clan in particular served as the head of the ship-guarding unitÃÂ for approximately 250 years duringÃÂ the Edo period.
Japanese politician Seiichiro Murakami, claims to be the 18th generation of the Murakami clan.
Murakami Kaizoku Museum on the island of à Âshima in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, Japan, dedicated to the , the Murakami Clan "pirates" or .
On March 13,ÃÂ 2015ÃÂ , the maritime pass issued by Murakami TakeyoshiÃÂ toÃÂ MukaiÃÂ Dan'emon-no-joÃÂ ofÃÂ the Saiga clan inÃÂ 1581,ÃÂ entitled "Kasho Senki (Flag of a Passing Ship) March 28, was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
In 2024, A large number of kawarake (unglazed, low-fired earthenware sake cup or dish that used in Shinto rituals) artifacts which believed to be Murakami's was found in Noshima castle.