Shimazu clan
| Shimazu 島津 | |
|---|---|
The Shimazu clan mon | |
| Home province | Satsuma Ōsumi Hyūga |
| Parent house |
|
| Founder | Shimazu Tadahisa |
| Final ruler | Shimazu Tadashige |
| Current head | Shimazu Tadahiro |
| Founding year | 12th century (ca. 1196 AD) |
| Dissolution | extant |
| Ruled until | 1947, Constitution of Japan renders titles obsolete |
The Shimazu clan (島津氏, Shimazu-shi; Japanese pronunciation: [ɕiꜜ.ma.(d)zɯ, ɕi.ma.(d)zɯꜜ.ɕi]) were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.
The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō families in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan.