After our discussion about the conflict in Urabe, I want to direct our attention to the aforementioned Aokata clan and their history, as the closing section of this chapter. 

**Epilogue: Fate of the Aokata clan**

As mentioned above, the Aokata clan held land in Aokata-go on Nakadori island (a part of Urabe area), some lands in Kanzaki-no-sho (Hizen), and Mizuma-no-sho (Chikugo), and their branch family, the Shirauo clan, held land in Shirauo-go. During the Nanboku-cho period, the Aokata clan, alongside the Matsuura group and the Uku clan, fought on the side of the Northern court. As rewards for their loyalty, they were granted some land in Yasutomi-no-sho (安富荘, in Hizen) and one-fifteenth of the Jito position over Imazato village (今里村) in Yasu-no-sho (夜須荘, in Chikuzen). 

In Oan 6th year (1373), the lords of the Goto islands - Uku, Arikawa, Tao, and the Aokata clans - formed a coalition pact (Ikki). In Eitoku 2nd year (1384), the Aokata clan also co-signed the coalition pact with the Lower Matsuura families. We can see the reappearance of the Aokata clan in later coalition pacts in Kakei 2nd year (1388) and Oei 21st year (1414). Furthermore, as time went on, the links between the Aokata clan and the Matsuura group became more than just in political alignment. As we see in the names: Aokata Naotaka (青方直高) -> Aokata Shige (青方重) -> Aokata Katashi (青方固), the Aokata had abandoned their tradition of using the word “taka”, and instead began to use the Saga Genji (Matsuura’s ancestor)’s tradition of using only one word in their first names. 

In Oei 20th year (1413), the lords of Uku, Arikawa and Aokata took a vow to support Uku Matsukumamaru (宇久松熊丸). Matsukumamaru was a son from the Ano family (branch family of Uku clan?) who was adopted by Uku Satoru (宇久覚), the leader of the Uku clan. Matsukumamaru would later be known as Uku Suguru (宇久勝). Suguru was an important leader of the Uku clan, for he was the one who began the unification of Goto islands. In Oei 29th year (1422), the Aokata clan and the Hirado Matsuura clan fought over Ore island and Shugen island, which ended with Uku Suguru stepping in to mediate. In the end, the Hirado Matsuura acknowledged Shugen island as the Aokata’s territory, while the Aokata acknowledged Ore island as the Hirado Matsuura’s territory. 

Under the reign of Aokata Susumu (青方進), the Aokata clan began restoring temples and developing the lands of the Nakano (中野) and Juganda (重願田). Nakano makes up a part of modern-day Azetsu-go (阿瀬津郷) and Tainoura-go (鯛ノ浦郷), while the whereabouts of Juganda is unclear. However, Susumu’s son Oniboshimaru (鬼法師丸) passed away as a child, so Yori (頼) from the Nama clan (奈摩氏, branch family of the Aokata) was taken in to inherit the leadership position. In Meio 2nd year (1493), Yori’s son Takamasa (堯正) took in the exiled lord of Naoya castle (直谷城), Shisa Sumimasa (志佐純昌), and placed him on the Western end of the Urabe area (so it’s closer to Sumimasa’s home). However, after Sumimasa passed away, his senior retainer, a certain Suetake (季竹) attempted to gain actual control over the land. Suetake failed and fled alongside Sumimasa’s kids to the Arima’s fief. 

Takamasa would later take Uku Satoru’s third son, Tsuzuku (続), as the new leader of the Aokata clan. By this point, the Aokata had officially become a vassal of the Uku clan. The Aokata clan served as a senior retainer of Fukue domain (福江藩, ruled by the Uku clan) until the Meiji period.　Thanks to Aokata clan’s efforts in preserving and compiling family records and documents, we now get to know so much about this seemingly obscure, small family. 

Interestingly, many of the Fukue domain’s vassals were Christian - including the Arikawa clan and our protagonist of this section, the Aokata clan. A combination of strong presence of Christianity amongst vassals, the fire in Egawa castle (江川城) and previous unrest of the attempted coup by Ohama Mondo (大浜主水, who was the adopted son of Goto Kakuemon/五島角右衛門, the step-brother of the Goto clan’s leader, Goto Moritoshi/五島盛利) is believed to be the reason why the suppression of Christianity was delayed compared to the other surrounding domains. There is a lot of interesting history between Christianity and the Hizen province, which we will talk about later. 

**Sources:**

[武家家伝＿青方氏](http://www2.harimaya.com/sengoku/html/aokata_k.html)

[玄海町史](https://www.town.genkai.lg.jp/soshiki/11/63324.html)

[新編大村市史](https://www.city.omura.nagasaki.jp/shishi/kyoiku/shishi/omurashishi/index.html)

[五島キリシタン史 伝来と信仰のあゆみ by 堂崎教会/Dozaki Catholic church and Kato Hisao/加藤久雄](https://www.city.goto.nagasaki.jp/sekaiisan/li/020/090/05.pdf)

Hizen province stories - the woes of the Matsuura clan pt. 2