Nagao clan

The Nagao clan descended by the Kamakura clan from Taira no Yoshifumi of the Kanmu-Heishi (Taira clan). The Nagao are one of the 'Bando Hachi Heishi', the 'eight Taira clans of Kanto' (the Chiba, Kazusa, Miura, Doi, Chichibu, Oba, Kajiwara and Nagao clans).

The family name of Nagao began when Kagehiro, settled at Nagao no sho estate in Kamakura district (Sagami Province), and took the name of the place. The Nagao were Kasai (Main retainers) of the Uesugi clan, and were Shugodai (vice-Governors) of Echigo, Kozuke, and Musashi provinces.

The Kamakura Ashikaga Nagao branch, were called the Kamakura Nagao because they lived in Kamakura, was also given the Ashikaga Shoguns family 'Historic Place', the Ashikaga estate in Shimotsuke Province, and were lords of Kanno castle. Nagao Masanaga settled in the Koshigeyama area, and was given Tatebayashi castle.

The Shirai Nagao branch were Shugodai (vice-Governors) of Kozuke and Musashi provinces and lords of Shirai, Aomi and Hachigata castles.

The Echigo Nagao branch were Shugodai of Echigo province. The clan built and controlled Kasugayama Castle and the surrounding fief, in what is now Niigata Prefecture. Nagao Kagetora, adopted by Uesugi Norimasa, became lord of the castle in 1548, taking the name Uesugi Kenshin and effectively becoming the head of the Uesugi clan.

• Nagao Tamekage (d. 1536), was the father of Nagao Kagetora (Uesugi Kenshin) and Aya-Gozen.
• Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578), originally Nagao Kagetora, is one of the most famous warlords in Japanese history.
• Aya-Gozen (1524–1609), half-sister of Uesugi Kenshin and mother of Uesugi Kagekatsu.
• Nagao Fujikage (dates unknown) fought under Kenshin at the fourth battle of Kawanakajima in 1561.
• Lady Shirai (d. 1565) was a retainer of Ashikaga Yoshiteru.

• Frederic, Louis (2002). "Japan Encyclopedia." Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
• Turnbull, Stephen (1998). 'The Samurai Sourcebook'. London: Cassell & Co.