Sakai clan
The Sakai rose to prominence with Sakai Tadatsugu, who was one of Tokugawa Ieyasu's Shitennō, or four leading generals and the "daimyō" of Matsushiro Domain in Shinano Province. After the death of Mogami Yoshiaki many internal struggles for control of the Mogami clan, the former rulers of Dewa Province, arouse and caused their vast domain to be divided into several parts. Sakai Tadatsugu was awarded the coastal region consisting of Tagawa, Akumi and Murayama districts, which increased his "kokudaka" from 38,000 "koku" to 138,000 "koku", and then to 150,000 "koku". However, the lands of the Shōnai region were fertile and well-watered, and eminently suited for growing rice, which gave the Sakai clan actual revenues of more than 200,000 "koku". This revenue was further supplemented by the developed of Sakata port for the coastal "kitamaebune" trade, which gave the clan an actual income of closer to 300,000 "koku".