Watanabe

History

Origin

Late Heian period to the Genpei war

• Watanabe Choshichi Tonau : "He was attired that day in a samurai clothing of light green, and body armour ornamented with cherry blossoms on a yellow ground, and wore a sword with mounts of red copper; in his quiver he carried twenty four arrows feathered with white and under his arm was a bow lacquered in black and bound with red bands".
• Watanabe no Kiou : "clad in a brocaded hunting suit profusely embroidered with chrysanthemums, and wearing a general's armour of scarlet; its name was Kisenaga, and it had been a treasured heirloom for many generations. On his head was a helmet shining with silver stars, and a splendid sword hung at his side. In his quiver were twenty four arrows barred with black on their white feathers, not to speak of the special arrow, feathered with a hawk's wing, always carried by the Imperial Guard of the Takiguchi. His bow was a 'shigeto' of black lacquer with red binding. He rode on Nanryo, while one of his retainers followed with a remount and another bore his shield under his arm".

Kamakura to Sengoku periods

• Watanabe Toru, also called Kayo, descendant of the Matsuura Watanabe, was a vassal of Mori Motonari, and was the son of Watanabe Suguru, lord of Nagamiyama castle. In 1543, at the Battle of Gassan-Toda, he was killed in a fierce battle in place of Motonari. After that the Mori clan continued to give important posts to the Watanabe clan, and the Watanabe family members were honored at the head of the Choshu Domain's New Year's Kacchu-kaiki ceremony for generations.
• Watanabe Hajime of the Mori clan, son of Watanabe Toru, fought at the Battle of Kanbe, against the Hiraga clan of Takayatozaki castle, against the Miya clan of Takiyama castle, at Miyajima and Moji. In 1586, he took part in the invasion of Kyushu, and in 1588, he went to Kyoto with Mori Terumoto, and received the title of Hida no kami from Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He is listed as one of the eighteen Generals of the Mori.
• Watanabe Tadasu was a descendant of the Matsuura Watanabe, and a retainer of the Toyotomi clan,. He took a part in the Battle of Dōmyōji, in the Battle of Tennōji, and died at the fall of Osaka castle.
• The Matsuura Watanabe of Izumi, were Shugodai of Izumi province and lords of Kishiwada castle. At the battle of Sekigahara, they sided against the Tokugawa and were deprived of their fief.
• Watanabe Motoharu, of the Yamada Watanabe branch, was a retainer of the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki and lord of Yamada Ichijoyama castle. At the Battle of Sekigahara, he fought against Tokugawa Ieyasu. After that his family became retainers of the Mizuno clan.
• Watanabe Moritsuna, descended from the Matsuura Watanabe, through Watanabe Yasushi, grandson of Matsuura Hisashi, great-grandson of Watanabe no Tsuna. His ancestors were direct retainers of the Ashikaga Shoguns, and later moved to Mikawa province, thence they were called the Mikawa Watanabe branch. He joined Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1557, and fought at the battles of Anegawa, Mikatagahara, Nagashino, Komaki and Nagakute, and the Siege of Osaka. In 1613, he had a revenue of 14,000 koku, and was lord of Terabe castle. He is the ancestor of the Watanabe of Hakata Domain and the Hanzo Watanabe, and is listed as one of the sixteen Generals of the Tokugawa.

  Notable branches during the Edo period to the Meiji Restoration

• Watanabe Terutsuna, Noto no Kami, and Hatamoto with a revenue of 6,000 koku.
• Watanabe Zonosuke, a Taishin Hatamoto.
• Watanabe Tozutsuna, Karō of the Tayasu Tokugawa, and of the Hitotsubashi Tokugawa.
• Watanabe Naotsuna, Wakasa no Kami, senior retainer of the Tokugawa of Kishū Domain, had a revenue of 8,000 koku.

Gallery

People with the surname

A

• Akane Watanabe, Japanese badminton player
• Akeno Watanabe, Japanese voice actress
• Akeo Watanabe, Japanese composer
• Akio Watanabe, Japanese animator
• Akira Watanabe, multiple people
• Anne Watanabe, Japanese model, actress and singer
• Asako Watanabe, Japanese sprint canoeist
• Atsushi Watanabe, multiple people
• Atsuo Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Azusa Watanabe, Japanese actress

  C

• Chiho Watanabe, Japanese screenwriter
• Chitetsu Watanabe, Japanese supercentenarian
• Corinne Watanabe, American judge

  D

• Daigo Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Daisuke Watanabe, multiple people

  E

• Emi Watanabe, Japanese figure skater
• Eriko Watanabe, Japanese actress

  F

• Fumio Watanabe, Japanese actor

  G

• Gedde Watanabe, American actor and comedian
• Graham Watanabe, American snowboarder
• Greg Watanabe, American actor

  H

• Hajime Watanabe, multiple people
• Hamako Watanabe, Japanese singer
• Haruka Watanabe, Japanese ice hockey player
• Hidemaro Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Hideo Watanabe, Japanese politician
• Hidetoyo Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Hirobumi Watanabe, Japanese film director
• Hirofumi Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Hiroki Watanabe, Japanese sprint canoeist
• Hiromichi Watanabe, Japanese politician
• Hiromu Watanabe, Japanese shogi player
• Hiroshi Watanabe, multiple people
• Hiroyuki Watanabe, Japanese actor
• Hisae Watanabe, Japanese mixed martial artist and kickboxer
• Hisanobu Watanabe, Japanese baseball player and manager
• Hitomi Watanabe, Japanese photographer
• Hyuga Watanabe, Japanese motorcycle racer

  I

• Ippei Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Ippei Watanabe, Japanese swimmer

  J

• Jin Watanabe, Japanese handball player
• Jiro Watanabe, Japanese boxer and yakuza
• Jolene Watanabe, American tennis player
• José Watanabe, Peruvian poet
• Jōtarō Watanabe, Japanese general
• Jun Watanabe, Japanese actor
• Jun Watanabe, Japanese architect
• Junichi Watanabe, Japanese writer
• Junichi Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Junji Watanabe, Japanese boxer
• Junya Watanabe, Japanese fashion designer

  K

• Kaichi Watanabe, Japanese engineer
• Kanako Watanabe, Japanese swimmer
• Kanendo Watanabe, Japanese photographer
• Katei Watanabe, Japanese writer
• Kathy Watanabe, American politician
• Katsuaki Watanabe, President of Toyota Motor Corporation
• Katsuji Watanabe, Japanese boxer
• Katsumi Watanabe, Japanese baseball player
• Kazan Watanabe, Japanese painter, scholar and statesman
• Kazuhisa Watanabe, Japanese boxer, kickboxer and mixed martial artist
• Kazuhito Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Kazuki Watanabe
• Kazuko Watanabe, Japanese Roman Catholic nun, educator and writer
• Kazuma Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Kazuma Watanabe, Japanese motorcycle racer
• Kazumi Watanabe, Japanese musician
• Kazumi Watanabe, Japanese long-distance runner
• Kazumi Watanabe, Japanese sport shooter
• Kazunari Watanabe, Japanese cyclist
• Kazuo Watanabe, Japanese swimmer
• Kazuro Watanabe, Japanese amateur astronomer and discoverer of minor planets
• Kazutami Watanabe, Japanese scholar and translator
• Keiji Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Keisuke Watanabe, Japanese actor
• Keita Watanabe, Japanese speed skater
• Ken Watanabe, Japanese actor
• Kenji Watanabe, Japanese swimmer
• Kiiko Watanabe, Japanese table tennis player
• Kiyomi Watanabe, Japanese-Filipino judoka
• Kodai Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Koji Watanabe, Japanese tennis player
• Konomi Watanabe, Japanese child actress and television personality
• Kota Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Kota Watanabe, Japanese field hockey player
• Kozo Watanabe, multiple people
• Kumiko Watanabe, Japanese voice actress
• Kunitake Watanabe, Japanese politician

  L

• Lui Watanabe, Japanese beauty pageant winner

  M

• Makiko Watanabe, Japanese actress
• Makoto Watanabe, multiple people
• Makoto Sei Watanabe, Japanese architect
• Mamoru Watanabe, Japanese film director, screenwriter and actor
• Manabu Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Mana Watanabe, Japanese shogi player
• Manami Watanabe, Japanese singer
• Marina Watanabe, Japanese singer, actress and television personality
• Masakazu Watanabe, Japanese shogi player
• Masaki Watanabe, Japanese orthopedic surgeon
• Masaki Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Masako Watanabe, Japanese manga artist
• Masanosuke Watanabe, Japanese communist
• Masao Watanabe, Japanese general
• Masashi Watanabe, Japanese footballer and manager
• Masato Watanabe, Japanese baseball player
• Masayoshi Watanabe, Japanese chemist
• Matasaburō Watanabe, Japanese politician
• Mayu Watanabe, Japanese singer, actress and idol
• Mayuko Watanabe, Japanese journalist and media scholar
• Mayumi Watanabe, Japanese sprinter
• Michiaki Watanabe, Japanese composer
• Michio Watanabe, Japanese politician
• Miho Watanabe, Japanese musician and actress
• Miki Watanabe, Japanese businessman and politician
• Mina Watanabe, Japanese judoka
• Minayo Watanabe, Japanese idol and singer
• Minoru Watanabe, Japanese actor
• Misa Watanabe, Japanese voice actress
• Misako Watanabe, Japanese actress
• Misato Watanabe, Japanese singer
• Mitsuki Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Mitsuteru Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Miyuki Watanabe, Japanese singer, actress and idol
• Morinari Watanabe, president of the International Gymnastics Federation
• Moritsuna Watanabe, Japanese samurai
• Mutsuhiro Watanabe, Japanese prison camp guard and war criminal

  N

• Nao Watanabe, Japanese singer
• Naoko Watanabe, multiple people
• Naomi Watanabe, Japanese actress and comedian
• Naoto Watanabe, Japanese baseball player
• Natsuhiko Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Natsuna Watanabe, Japanese actress and model
• Noriko Watanabe, Japanese actress
• Nozomi Watanabe, Japanese ice dancer

  O

• On Watanabe, Japanese writer
• Osamu Watanabe, Japanese sport wrestler

  R

• Rika Watanabe, Japanese idol and model
• Risa Watanabe, Japanese idol and model
• Ryo Watanabe, multiple people
• Ryoko Watanabe, Japanese pink film actress
• Ryoma Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Ryota Watanabe, Japanese footballer

  S

• Sadao Watanabe, multiple people
• Sae Watanabe, Japanese gymnast
• Satomi Watanabe, Japanese squash player
• Satosi Watanabe, Japanese theoretical physicist
• Satoshi Watanabe, Japanese beach volleyball player
• Shimon Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Shinichi Watanabe, Japanese anime director and voice actor
• Shinichirō Watanabe, Japanese anime director, screenwriter and producer
• Shinzo Watanabe, Japanese mathematician
• Shōichi Watanabe, Japanese academic and writer
• Shōichi Watanabe, Japanese politician
• Shōtei Watanabe, Japanese painter
• Shōzaburō Watanabe, Japanese printmaker
• Shu Watanabe, Japanese politician
• Shu Watanabe, Japanese actor
• Shunji Watanabe, Japanese karateka
• Shunsuke Watanabe, Japanese baseball player
• Sogo Watanabe, Japanese volleyball player
• Sota Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Sumiko Watanabe, Japanese sprinter
• Sumio Watanabe, Japanese engineer and mathematician
• Susumu Watanabe, Japanese footballer and manager
• Sylvia Watanabe, American writer

  T

• Tadao Watanabe, Japanese politician
• Tadashi Watanabe, Japanese computer engineer
• Taeko Watanabe, Japanese manga artist
• Takaaki Watanabe, Japanese professional wrestler
• Takahiro Watanabe, Japanese sprinter
• Takamasa Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Takao Watanabe, Japanese politician
• Takashi Watanabe, Japanese anime director
• Takehiro Watanabe, Japanese Nordic combined skier
• Takehiro Watanabe, Japanese table tennis player
• Takeo Watanabe, Japanese musician and composer
• Takeshi Watanabe, multiple people
• Taku Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Takumi Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Tamae Watanabe, Japanese mountain climber
• Tatsuo Watanabe, Japanese ski jumper
• Tatsuya Watanabe, Japanese badminton player
• Tetsu Watanabe, Japanese actor
• Tokutarō Watanabe, Japanese businessman
• Tomoyoshi Watanabe, Japanese politician
• Toshiyuki Watanabe, Japanese musician and composer
• Tsukasa Watanabe, Japanese golfer
• Watanabe no Tsuna, Japanese samurai
• Tsuneo Watanabe, Japanese businessman
• Tsurugi Watanabe, Japanese actor and television personality
• Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Japanese footballer

  Y

• Yanosuke Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Yasunori Watanabe, Japanese rugby union player
• Yasuo Watanabe, Japanese sport wrestler
• Yasushi Watanabe, Japanese anthropologist
• Yoko Watanabe, Japanese opera singer
• Yoshiaki Watanabe, Japanese artist
• Yoshiichi Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Yoshiko Watanabe, Japanese manga artist, illustrator and animator
• Yoshimi Watanabe, Japanese politician
• Yoshinori Watanabe, alleged yakuza
• Yoshio Watanabe, Japanese photographer
• Yoshitaka Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Yuga Watanabe, Japanese footballer
• Yui Watanabe, Japanese voice actress, actress and singer
• Yuichi Watanabe, Japanese mixed martial artist
• Yukari Watanabe, Japanese speed skater
• Yukiyoshi Watanabe, Japanese businessman and writer
• Yumi Watanabe, Japanese women's footballer
• Yuta Watanabe, Japanese basketball player
• Yuta Watanabe, Japanese badminton player
• Yuuya Watanabe, Japanese Magic: The Gathering player
• Zenjiro Watanabe, Japanese figure skater

  Fictional characters

• Cameron Watanabe, the Green Samurai Ranger from Power Rangers Ninja Storm
• List of Star Driver characters#Glittering Crux Brigade, a character in the anime series Star Driver
• Kanji Watanabe, the central character in Akira Kurosawa's 1952 film Ikiru
• Mari Watanabe, a character in the light novel series The Irregular at Magic High School
• Mia Watanabe, the Pink Ranger from Power Rangers Samurai
• List of The Prince of Tennis characters#Shitenhoji, a character in the manga series The Prince of Tennis
• Sayaka Watanabe, a character in the manga series The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior
• Terry Watanabe, a character from Power Rangers Samurai
• You Watanabe, a character in the media franchise Love Live! Sunshine!!
• Ryo Watanabe, the boss character in the 2007 racing game

  Miscellaneous