Emperor Suinin
The Mibu clan was a branch of the , a "kuge" clan claiming descent from the semi-legendary Emperor Suinin. The Mibu rose took prominence in the area which is now part of Mibu and Kanuma from the late Heian period. During the Sengoku period, the Mibu were vassals of the Utsunomiya clan. Mibu Tsunashige built the first Mibu Castle during the "Bunmei" era (1469-1489). However, the Mibu clan were destroyed along with their overlords by Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Battle of Odawara in 1590 and their lands were part of domains given subsequently to Tokugawa Ieyasu.